As Ryoko was walking down the hallway with Kayla, she couldn’t help but remember the last time she ever saw Natalia. She was broken and defeated. Even though there was a lot of personal animosity between the two, at least she respected her, although the feeling was mutual.

She remembered that day when Natalia called out to her in the middle of the street, “Ryoko?”

Ryoko was still pissed off at herself for letting the whistleblower getaway, “Natalia…”

“I need to talk to you…” Natalia urged as she waddled towards her, wearing an overcoat.

Seeing her in this state, Ryoko had some remorse for Natalia. But then again, Natalia never showed any remorse to anyone, especially to her. However, this shocked Ryoko, “Me? You never wanted to talk to me--”

“Trust me, not the only one who has made a lot of mistakes. Especially in the past year,” Natalia concurred as Ryoko scoffed.

“I guess you are absolutely right about that, Natalia. You are the last person to talk about anybody making regrettable decisions…”

Natalia nodded in agreement, “you know, a part of me always resented you.”

“I know,” Ryoko agreed.

“You’re always numerous steps ahead of me. You're always so open and free with yourself. There was a time I was exactly like you. But there was a point I wanted to be more serious about my life and my career. In the end, I just pushed people away. Yes, I have my friends. But I always had a lot of wasted potentials. The wasted potential that may be resentment even more,” Natalia summarized.

Seeing how sincere Natalia was with her words, Ryoko couldn’t bring herself to make fun of her. Not now anyway, “Natalia, I…”

Natalia laughed it off, “Come on, go ahead. You have every right to rub it in. I admit it. I was jealous of you.”

Ryoko couldn’t stomach her empathy, “of all the years you could have done this, I would have. But now, this is not the time for the place to get into this…”

Natalia tried her hardest not to cry, knowing she had an enormous soft spot, “There will not be the next time. That’s what I’m saying this now. Goodbye, Ryoko. And whatever you do, please take care of yourself. Kayla is going to need you to be alert and ready after this whole thing blows over.”

Not really having much to say, Ryoko did the best she could to be sincere with her last words, “Sure, smell you later…”

Walking down the hallway, Kayla was reminiscing about the same thing with her previous encounter with Natalia five years ago. It wasn’t as vague and heart-wrenching as the others. It was pretty much out of hatred.

Kayla was making her way to the hospital, checking up on one of her daughters, and she ran into Natalia.

Noticeably waddling in pain, Natalia called out to her closest rival, “Kayla…”

“What the fuck are you doing here?!” Kayla clamors.

“Grandmaster said--”

“Yeah, I get it. It’s over! We’re done!” Kayla cut her off and began to lash out at her. “You fucked up not once but three times! Many people’s lives and careers were either shortened or destroyed because of you!”

“Yes, I share most of the blame,” Natalia accepted as this made Kayla laugh out loud.

“Most of it?! Yeah, most of it…”

Kayla and Natalia never really got along. They were bitter rivals earning respect in the attention of their grandmaster. How little or retentive his approval was, it was still worth its weight since he was the one leading them. In time, their rivalry became personal when Kayla’s family became involved with Natalia. Even now, the personal animosity between the two is entirely nuclear.

They can do this all day going back and forth, but Natalia had to keep the peace and finally say what is on her mind once for all, “Kayla, there was a time when I saw you and your family. Your husband and her two daughters. It made me sick to my stomach, hearing you talk about them all the time. About how you found the love of your life. And how your two daughters always keep badgering you to come home. I ended up resenting your husband, and I have made enemies of your two daughters. In reality, looking back at it, I envied you.”

Kayla scoffed as she looked away.

Natalia tearfully continued, “You were always a better leader than I was. Everything came so easy, even though I thought it was laziness. You had this carefree attitude, and with it, you had a mature determination. It was something that I wish I had. Not a day goes by I think about what could have happened if I opened my heart again. If I got to know that man a little bit more. It was my fault. I pushed him away…”

Her little incident where she lost her virginity was always public knowledge. People just didn’t care since Natalia love to make a huge fuss about nothing. He was a good man, and she destroyed him and nearly the only chance of happiness.

Kayla shrugged off Natalia’s ill-fated self-reflection, “Think about it, even if somebody like you had a shot with Alastair, it wouldn’t even last a month… You’re just an ignorant and aggressive person. Plain and straightforward. You’ve always have been, and you always will be.”

Knowing this was the best response Kayla could ever give to her, Natalia relented, “I agree with that. Goodbye, Kayla. And take care of your own…”

“Go fuck yourself!” Kayla cussed out as she walked away from her, never even looking back. After that fateful meeting with Natalia, she put it behind her. She can care less about her, either.

Why in the world did she come back? Kayla thought.