Chapter 11 — A Spark Still Burning

            I fought hard—and I won.

Only then did my body finally give out, everything catching up to me at once.

The cheers of the crowd washed over me, loud enough to drown out everything else.

Sunny caught me before I could fall, her arm slipping under mine.

“Lily—are you okay?” she asked, worry breaking through her voice.

“I’m fine,” I breathed, though my legs said otherwise.

“Her body’s just catching up to her now,” Rosie added gently as she helped support my other side.

With Sunny propping me up, I managed to steady myself—just in time to see Mary standing again, slowly walking toward me.

Mary reached me, bruised, breathing hard, but smiling.

“You fought well… and you beat me,” she said, extending her hand. “That was a great match, Ironwood.”

I clasped her hand firmly.

“It really was. You pushed me farther than anyone has, Mary.”

“What a display of heart—and of sportsmanship—from both fighters!” Peter boomed.

“See you around, Ironwood,” Mary said before turning away.

As she walked toward the exit, the crowd began cheering her name—loud, steady, heartfelt.

They really did love the Showstopper here. Even in defeat, they treated her like she’d won.

I couldn’t blame them. After fighting her… I understood why they admired her.

Mary lifted a hand and waved to them, smiling as she left the arena.

As we began heading out of the arena, a new sound rose behind us—the crowd chanting my name.

I froze for a moment, stunned. No one had ever chanted for me before.

“Go on,” Dani said beside me. “Respond to them.”

“Right… yeah,” I murmured, snapping out of my daze.

I lifted my hand and waved to the crowd, a grin breaking across my face.

“You’ve got a reputation now—and fans,” Dani said. “Always acknowledge that.”

“I will, Coach,” I promised.

He nodded, satisfied.

Sunny and Rosie supported me as we headed out of the arena. The moment the doors closed behind us, the noise faded, leaving only the ache settling deep into my body.

“Let’s get you checked out,” Sunny said gently.

Dani walked with us to the medical wing. I dropped into a chair the second we arrived, every muscle finally giving out as we waited for the doctor.

Eventually, Pan stepped into the room.

“Let’s get you checked out, Lily,” she said, lifting her Petal-Tech tablet as the soft pink-blue glow lit her face. She began scrolling through my readings with quick, practiced motions.

Sunny leaned in as Pan worked.

“How is she looking?”

Pan scanned the Petal-Tech readings, the soft glow reflecting in her eyes.

“She’s pretty roughed up, but nothing major,” she said. “Bruises, soreness, fatigue—but she’ll be okay.”

My body felt heavier just hearing it, exhaustion settling deeper.

“With Petal-Tech,” Rosie added, “fighters can bounce back even from serious damage in about two weeks.”

“She’s right,” Dani said with a small nod. “The medical tech here is impressive.”

“Wow… that’s amazing,” Sunny murmured, eyes wide.

Pan finished treating me, wrapping the last of my bruises and giving a final nod of approval.

“You’re cleared to go,” she said. “Get rest, Lily.”

After that, Dani helped guide us out of the medical wing. The moment we stepped outside, the cool air hit me, and all of us made our way back to the Spirited Grove.

By the time we reached my room, Sunny and Rosie were practically carrying me.

“Come on, Lily,” Sunny said softly.

“You’ve earned the rest,” Rosie added.

They eased me onto the bed, and the moment my head touched the pillow, everything went dark.

I was asleep before I even realized it.

I woke up the next morning sore and groggy, but at least I could move on my own again.

That Petal-Tech really is impressive… but my legs felt like they’d been filled with sand.

Most of the day passed with me drifting in and out of sleep, letting my body recover. By evening, I finally felt steady enough to sit up without wincing.

That was when the door opened.

Sunny and Rosie walked in first, followed by Dani.

“Lily, you up?” Sunny asked.

Dani gave a small nod. “Good. Everyone’s here—I want to talk about something.”

“Lily, you did great,” Dani said, pride clear in his voice.

“Not just in your first fight… but earning your first win.”

I felt my chest tighten a little at his words.

My first win… it still didn’t feel real.

Dani crossed his arms with a satisfied nod.

“And for that, we’re going out to celebrate—if you’re up for it.”

“Yeah, I’m up for it. Thanks, Coach,” I said.

Sunny practically lit up. “Yay! I knew you’d say yes!”

Rosie smiled warmly. “We should absolutely celebrate your first win, Lily.”

Dani rested his hands on his hips. “Alright then—where do you want to go?”

I took a moment to think about where I even wanted to go.

“Ooh! Let’s go somewhere with food. Lots of food,” Sunny said immediately, bouncing on her toes.

Rosie laughed softly. “Somewhere not with a lot of standing… her body’s still recovering.”

They weren’t wrong. Every muscle still ached, even with Petal-Tech help.

As I thought about Everbloom City, one thing came to mind—something I’d wanted to try ever since we arrived, but never got the chance.

“I want to celebrate with ice cream,” I said.

Rosie smiled. “Good choice.”

“Yeah, great pick, Lily!” Sunny added, already excited.

Dani nodded once. “Alright—ice cream it is. Let’s go. I know a place.”

He gestured toward the door, and all of us moved to follow.

We all piled into the car, and Dani drove us through the glowing streets of Everbloom City. Neon signs, Petal-Tech displays, and hanging lanterns blurred past the windows as we headed toward our destination.

After a few minutes, the car slowed.

“Here we are,” Dani said, pulling into a small parking space in front of a cozy-looking ice cream shop.

“The Bloom Scoop Creamery,” Dani announced. “A classic spot for ice cream. Let’s go.”

“Oh, this is a great place,” Rosie added, sounding pleasantly surprised.

We stepped out of the car and headed inside.

Warm light spilled out through the windows, and the fresh scent of waffle cones drifted in the air.

Inside, The Bloom Scoop Creamery was bright and cozy, with pastel walls and soft booth seating.

The place felt alive—warm and welcoming—filled with faint chatter and the gentle scraping of spoons against glass bowls.

“They have so many flavors,” Sunny said, eyes sparkling as she scanned the menu.

“They do… I’ll need a moment to decide,” I admitted.

“I already know what I’m getting,” Rosie said confidently.

“Get whatever you want,” Dani added. “Tonight’s on me.”

We noticed the shop offered both cones and bowls, and without hesitation, we all went for the largest bowls they had.

I chose Cookies and Cream—simple, cold, and comforting.

Sunny, of course, picked Cookie Dough Deluxe, practically vibrating with excitement as she ordered it.

Rosie went with a Salted Caramel Swirl, elegant and smooth, just like her.

And Dani… surprisingly chose Neapolitan.

Sunny blinked at him. “Coach, that’s so normal.”

“It tastes good,” Dani replied, completely unfazed.

Rosie laughed. I did too.

We placed our orders and found an open booth near the window. Once we all sat down with our bowls of ice cream, Dani lifted his first.

Rosie and Sunny followed, raising theirs with matching grins.

“To Lily,” they said together, laughing.

Heat crept up my face, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

“Thank you, guys,” I said softly.

This was nice… almost unreal after the match yesterday.

Sharing ice cream with everyone like this felt peaceful in a way the arena never could.

Dani leaned back in his seat. “In Stone Petal, it’s tradition to share a meal before a match and after a fighter wins a match,” he told us. “So this won’t be the last time we do something like this.”

Sunny lit up immediately. “Good! Then we’ll celebrate my win next!”

Rosie smirked. “Only if you earn it. And my match comes right after yours.”

“Then we have more celebrations coming,” Dani said, amused.

I smiled into my bowl, warmth blooming in my chest.

If this was what winning felt like… I wanted to feel it again.

We talked about my match for a while.

Sunny even swung her arm through the air, mimicking my finishing blow.

“Right to the liver!” she said proudly, earning a laugh from all of us.

Rosie shook her head with a smile. “That high kick was clean, Lily. I didn’t know you had that kind of flexibility.”

Dani nodded. “You executed a lot of things well. And there are places you can sharpen, too—but we’ll go over that in training.”

I told them how the fight had felt from my perspective—the pressure, the adrenaline, the moment I thought Mary had me, and the spark I felt when I stood back up.

They listened. Really listened.

After that, we drifted into lighter things—laughing, sharing stories from our day, talking about nothing and everything.

It was simple.

But it was nice.

Really nice.

As the hours trailed on, we finally headed back to the Spirited Grove. One by one, everyone split off to their rooms, still full from ice cream and laughter.

I went straight to mine.

There was one thing I needed to do before the day ended.

I grabbed my phone, sat on the edge on my bed, and dialed Pops’ number. The moment I heard the call connect, a familiar warmth hit my chest.

“Hello, Pops,” I said quietly as the line picked up.

“Hello, Lily,” Pops said, his voice warm through the speaker.

“Did you… watch my match?” I asked, hesitating. Part of me was terrified to hear his answer.

“I did.”

A pause—then softly,

“It was good. You showed grit and heart out there.”

Relief washed through me. Praise from Pops always meant more than anyone else’s.

“I did my best. I used what you taught me.”

“I saw that,” he said. “You finished the fight with the liver blow I taught you.”

“I did.” I smiled a little. “I guess my boxer instincts kicked in at the end.”

“Like an Ironwood,” Pops chuckled.

I felt my chest tighten. “…Pops, I’ve seen just a glimpse of what my journey might be. I want to win more. I want to go farther—like you and the rest of the Ironwoods.”

“You will, Lily. In time. With wins and losses. You’ll get stronger.”

“I hope so. I know I need to. I had to give everything just to win this match. If I want to keep going… I have to learn more.”

“I know you can,” Pops said. “You’ve always been a quick learner. Trained hard—sometimes too hard.”

“I know.” I laughed softly. “I’m working on that.”

There was a quiet moment before I added, “With this win… I bought the Iron Garden a little more time.”

“Well, we’ve been getting more visitors lately,” Pops said. “No new sign-ups yet, but you’re definitely starting to make an impact, Lily.”

“Good… that means all this is working,” I said.

“Just focus on you and your training, Lily,” Pops replied. “Don’t worry so much about the Iron Garden. I’ve got things handled here.”

“Alright, Pops,” I said softly.

“Well, it’s getting late—and I know you’re still recovering from that match,” he added.

“Okay. Goodnight, Pops. Love you.”

“Goodnight, Lily. Love you too.”

We said our goodbyes, and the call ended.

If Pops believed I could keep going… then I would.

I lay back in my bed, the room quiet around me, and it didn’t take long before sleep began to pull me under.

My body slipped into rest, already recovering for whatever came next.