Pride

Ren took them back to the previous layer of unreality before announcing Guile’s defeat. He knew the crowd would be disappointed, but he was more worried about his partner’s own feelings.

“Get up.” He whispered firmly into his ear. “They’re watching.”

The sisters stood there awkwardly, Frankie taking in her surroundings again as something like a sudden sickness overwhelmed and exhausted her. Katie tried to let her prop herself up on her shoulder, but again, they’d just phase through each other if they touched here. For this and many other reasons, even Katie was about ready to leave.

In time, the MASCOT came to his senses as a performer.

“I… have lost.” He called out the crowd in a simple manner, before interacting with a knob on his heel, opening something up. It was technically only an animation, but it was quite astounding watching the man slowly shake the 759 silver coins out of his body.

The sisters scooped them up wordlessly, though not without excitement. They disappeared as they touched them, the number above their heads skyrocketing. With their funds nearly doubled after this encounter, all the bad luck and struggle they’d gone through this week felt more than worth it to get here.

“We… we really are gonna win, aren’t we…?” Frankie shook, almost cackling, her teeth clattering together- at last forced to confront her own optimistic reality.

“M-mhm.” Katie nodded a few times more than she meant to, herself in disbelief despite her previous self-assuredness. “W-we are, Frankie. We’re really gonna do it…!”

She didn’t feel like holding back any more. She pretended to raise her little sister’s hand in the air, like a champion boxer, with the girl following along and presenting herself to the line without fear.

“My name is Katie Pop!” They all watched the long-haired girl in the dress say. “And this is my sister, Frankie! We’re going to be the winners of Kidney’s tournament!”

Few clapped, most having already started to walk away after their hopes of beating Guile were crushed- but that was okay. Katie did this for themselves- just for their own pride and enjoyment.

“Thanks again.” She told Frankie.

“For… what?”

“Everything. Coming with me. Helping us win. Fueling my dream. I love you.”

Frankie smiled, still weary from the battle.

“You were the one who dragged me out here…”

As the winners walked off, most everyone had stopped paying attention to them…

…All but fifteen similarly-dressed people who had recently arrived in the crowd.