This time it begins in a hallway somewhere within State Farm Arena, mere hours before the first bell of Christmas Eve of Destruction. At first it’s quiet, all that’s visible being the periodic bursts of light from fixtures that dot the path. As the lights begin to flicker we hear footsteps from the far end of the hall. They belong to a woman in a long black sleeveless coat who strides purposefully toward the viewer. With each step the glittery metallic gold and silver accents on the coat sparkle playfully. Each of the lights flickers out and goes dark as the woman reaches them. When the final light goes out, everything is dark for a moment before footage of Arisa Hoshiki landing a Pulsar Kick on Aalyah Gutierrez plays in black and white. Her voice provides narration.
Arisa Hoshiki: “I gave you plenty of warning.”
Next we see black and white footage of Arisa’s match against Britt Baker. She’s hit with the curb stomp, then gets her shoulder up before three to a shocked reaction from the fans. Then she clocks the DMD with the Pulsar Kick and we hear the fans counting “One! Two! Three!” and reacting to her victory in an equal amount of shock.
Arisa Hoshiki: “If you didn’t listen, it’s your own fault.”
We then see Tam checking on Arisa after the match, followed by Arisa indicating the prize she seeks. The frame freezes just as Tam starts to raise the EBWF Women’s Championship. This image fades and we return to the hallway where some of the lights flicker back on. They’re dimmer than before, providing an eerie backlighting to the face of Arisa Hoshiki. She glares icily into the camera.
Arisa Hoshiki: “Tam-chan, I’m not weak anymore.”
She cracks a wry smile as she continues.
Arisa Hoshiki: “I shouldn’t have to remind you of that Tam-chan. Ever since I set foot in an EBWF ring my actions have made it perfectly clear. There’s no running back what we once had, because neither of us is the same person we were. You and I have both changed to the point where we’d be almost unrecognizable to the women who shared a corner back home. Let’s consider this more of a sequel and less of a reunion of Dream Shine. It’s going to be easier for you to accept that way. And the only way you stand a chance of walking out at all tonight is if you can get yourself to let go of the fantasy that I’m still your Shining Star.”
Arisa’s face contorts in disgust at the very mention of her old nickname.
Arisa Hoshiki: “But you’re probably too lost in your little magical fairytale world to do that, aren’t you? When you returned to EBWF you made it clear that the only thing that mattered was surpassing everything you’d accomplished your last time here. All you did was chase your Twilight Dream with the power of your convictions. Every time you talked you had this annoying sparkly aura around you that should’ve made you weak. To be honest it makes me want to throw up just thinking about it. But yes, you realized your dream and got your fairytale ending when you reclaimed that championship. You are better than you’ve ever been, even I have to admit that. But you see, there’s a catch-”
She cracks a smirk.
Arisa Hoshiki: “You’re the kind of person who gets an idea in her head and becomes obsessed with it to the point that she shuts everything else in the world out. But then things get hard, things don’t go the way you expected and you just fall apart and fail. You fight with your emotions better than anyone, but you let them control you to the point that one setback is the end of the world. I know you better than anyone here, Tam-chan. When you couldn’t take a title off of me you got obsessed with getting better than me. Then you fell for the ‘trying my best’ lie I was telling the world and let me change your mind about me. But when you knew you’d never get a chance to take that belt off of me, you ran away to this place. And then what happened? You got obsessed with beating the champion, you did, and then you let yourself fail. It keeps on happening, Tam-chan. And that’s how I know that deep down you’re scared of what I represent.”
Her face goes deadly serious.
Arisa Hoshiki: “I fell apart too. I failed. And when I needed my best friend the most, she was off chasing another obsessive dream because she ran into some roadblocks. It was all about her, no matter who she hurt in chasing that Twilight Dream of hers. I hurt so much more than you’ll ever be able to understand. But I worked through that pain and forced the weakness out of my body so I could do what everyone said was impossible. When I finally got back into the ring I’d become stronger in every imaginable area. Unlike you, I didn’t let any trace of the older, weaker me survive my transformation. What I represent is what you can never be: strong.”
She laughs derisively.
Arisa Hoshiki: “I guess that some things haven’t changed so much, Tam-chan. Doesn’t matter if it’s America or Japan, I’ve done everything you’ve done and I’m capable of everything you could never do. I came back to wrestling in EBWF like you, but I did it in a way that took more determination and strength than you can muster with your sparkly optimism. I dominated the second generation rookie more thoroughly than you could in two tries. I just beat the woman you took that shiny trophy from. And now your shine is about to be eclipsed by the Dark Star.”
Arisa smiles maliciously.
Arisa Hoshiki: “The one thing I’ll admit is that you’ve gotten me fired up about this fight we’re about to have. You may not understand what I mean when I talk about the pain and agony of my road back to this ring. You also seem convinced that this is about more than just Arisa Hoshiki vs Tam Nakano. Bringing my friend Utami into this doesn’t do you any good, Tam-chan. This isn’t about Utami. Since I presented her with Britt Baker’s head on a platter, I’ve got the right to be selfish about this match. So when the bell rings it’s only about two things: the Twilight Dream and the Dark Star. You may not understand who I’ve become from words alone, Tam-chan. But tonight my kicks are going to make you understand. I’m not the weak, smiling good girl anymore.”
She leans closer to the camera and smiles wider.
Arisa Hoshiki: “I’m the shadow lurking around the corner. I’m the truth of all those doubts in your head about whether you can even defend that championship even once. I’m the proof that you’re not good enough to stay on top. As my foot crashes into your face and the lights go out, I want you to remember one thing: Dream Shine is dead. That dream, your dream is over. And the only thing shining will be that beautiful championship around my waist.”