Light in the Darkness vs. European Fiery Nation

[Wisteria Waltz]

Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz missed the days when things seemed simpler.

Granted, their lives had never truly been simple. Amelia's upbringing under her parents had left her stressed and burnt out constantly because if she was even the slightest bit imperfect, she would be punished and forced to “correct the issue” before she was allowed to actually have some time to rest. Luz, on the other hand, had to endure a childhood of bullying because she was unashamedly herself and nobody liked that she refused to conform to their norms, and that wasn't even including the pressure and expectations that came with being the daughter of a lucha libre icon.

As with many such challenges in their lives after they met, however, together they found a way to make it all work for them.

Their definition of “simpler” was in regards to wrestling, when all they had to worry about was the next challenge in front of them. They'd show up to compete, wrestle their hearts out, and then it was on to whatever challenge awaited them next. Given that they constantly flipped between competing in Mexico and all throughout Europe, the whole thing wasn't as simple as they made it seem, but they found a routine that they were happy with and it made them excited at the mere idea of simpler things like getting to wrestle in this city or being able to face that opponent. The young couple had traveled all over the world and faced arguably some of the best in the business even before they came to SCW, and they were starting to consider the possibility that it all seemed much easier in hindsight not because what they were doing was any less demanding of them, but because of that simple process where they rarely had to worry about any sort of chaos or drama outside the squared circle, and any that did pop up was due to something they were already expecting to have to deal with sooner or later anyway.

In addition to being a test of their skills, SCW was slowly starting to become a test of their patience as well.

In the back of their minds, Luz and Amelia had anticipated the possibility of being stuck with cleaning up the mess that Twisted & Sadistic had left behind in the wake of their efforts to speedrun their way back into title contention. They had hoped, perhaps foolishly in hindsight, that their status as the reigning champions would give their voices a little more power in convincing the rest of the division that, like it or not, Glory and Brittany were their problem now and they would take care of it as they'd been trying to do for quite some time now. Considering so many teams seemed to be under the impression that The Light In The Darkness had some semblance of authority despite their repeated statements to the contrary, the idea of them telling the rest of the division to back off and properly sort out who would be next in line after this issue with Twisted & Sadistic was finally resolved didn't sound unreasonable, especially when those teams could always step up and face them in the ring if they disagreed.

It seemed like the newer teams to the fold, however, could care less about their status as the champions or any preconceived notions about whether or not they did have some sort of secret booking power. The Cowgirls From Hell made that perfectly clear on the last Breakdown, using a koala of all things as a blockade of sorts to deny Twisted & Sadistic the confrontation everyone had been wanting in favor of starting a fight with them, and then trying to start a fight with Luz and Amelia right after. The sight of the group calling themselves the Phantom Troupe also staring down Glory and Brittany irregardless of officials trying to maintain order wasn't lost on the couple either, and the thought of them joining the fray had David Striker not still been recovering from his insane match at Taking the Leap was a viable one.

If they weren't so dedicated to the craft they love and proud of the work they were still putting in as champions, the poor women would have contemplated the idea of asking for some time off to take a well-deserved vacation.

Thankfully, SCW was able to provide them with just that opportunity while also letting them do what they loved most.

This “workation” of sorts was because the next Breakdown was set to take place in Saitama, Japan, allowing them the chance to explore one of their favorite cultures before they would have to take care of business against the European Fiery Nation. While they were hesitant to admit it, the chance to spend time somewhere that was outside of the borders they had frequented quite often by this point was a welcome relief. Not that they didn't love the places they've visited throughout Europe and North America, it's just something they've done so often now and going to Japan was a rare experience by comparison. The thought of a fresh experience might just be what the doctor ordered to clear their heads and help them figure out what they were going to do about their current SCW conundrum.

The one downside to this excursion was that they wouldn't have any of their found family joining them. As much as all of them would've loved the chance to visit and explore Japan in their own right, it was understandable that most of them were busy with other matters, be it their own wrestling careers or running a wrestling school or even needing to help solidify the evidence that would truly close the book on the monster who had tried to seize their lives and mold them into his own twisted picture of purity. Not to mention their loved ones were all doing an admittedly poor job of hiding just how much they felt the couple deserved some proper alone time at long last... granted, it had been hard for everyone to let go of the mindset of needing to watch their backs and stick together as much as possible after spending so long doing it to defend themselves from The Empire.

That's how Luz and Amelia found themselves in Saitama well before the May 2nd Breakdown, taking advantage of the opportunity to just be tourists and immerse themselves in a culture that they had only admired from afar, but still had a hand in shaping who they were even in that respect.

After a few days of enjoying the sights of Saitama and freeing their minds of the burden of being SCW World Tag Team Champions, even if for a little while, the tandem had decided to end this day by visiting an onsen, hoping to use a dip in the calming hot waters as a way to help wash away all of the stress and aches that had been building up both physically and mentally for far too long. Considering they had taken a break from touring the city to actually get some training in for their upcoming match, it felt like the best way to end today so that tomorrow they'd be rejuvenated enough in all respects to shift gears and make sure they were absolutely ready for the fight they knew was coming.

They had ended up paying for a private onsen, both because they were still very self-conscious about their bodies in any state of revealing attire (or none at all in this case) in a public setting even if there were rules in place meant to allow them to be as comfortable as possible, and because of a respectful exchange of cultural values to ensure that Luz didn't break the onsen rules by wearing her mask while in the water but also didn't feel like she was breaking lucha libre tradition by allowing her face to be seen in public.

“Ahhhhh...” Amelia let out a sigh of relief as she sank her body into the water, feeling every muscle in her body start to relax for the first time in what felt like ages as even her thoughts began to feel clearer. “This... I needed this...”

“I think we both did,” Luz admitted as she slowly untied the strings of her mask and carefully pulled it off, gently laying it on top of her towel before she climbed into the water right next to Amelia. “Ay dios mío! This feels... soooooo goooooood...”

Luz began to sink further into the water, but stopped just before her head started going under as Amelia gently tapped her shoulder.

“Don't forget about the rules just because of how good this feels, hermosa,” Amelia playfully scolded her fiancée. “Our hair can't touch the water in order to maintain its purifying effects. We don't want to seem like disrespectful guests, now do we?”

“Absolutely not,” Luz replied as she lifted herself up enough that she could at least rest against the edge of the bath while keeping everything from the chest down submerged, her face a shade of red that Amelia knew was more from embarrassment rather than the heat.

Then again, the situation was a good excuse to justify the blushing messes they were anyways. Sure, they were familiar with one another's bodies and had been intimate before, but never in a public setting. Even then, there was usually a ton of reassuring that came first before anything happened, a reminder of how perfectly imperfect they were because of all that had endured to be where they are right now.

“I wish SCW would do these international excursions more often,” Luz admitted after a few minutes of silence. “I know we're familiar with Mexico and Europe at this point, but it feels good getting to see some new sights outside of the U.S. and Canada... no disrespect to those countries, of course!”

“I know what you're getting at, Luna,” Amelia smiled, putting her partner's amusingly nonsensical worries to rest. “Traveling for our job is nice, but eventually there comes a point where you feel like you've seen it all, no matter how large the country may be.”

“...is it weird that being able to explore Saitama with you and not have to worry too much about SCW for the past few days has made me think about what we should do for our honeymoon once we're finally married?” Luz suddenly asked.

Amelia glanced at Luz with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile, and in response, Luz slowly looked away from her and tried to focus her gaze on the water. This didn't last long, though, before Amelia gently took Luz's chin between her fingers and turned her head back to they could lock eyes and the latter could see all the love and care in her beloved's gaze.

“It certainly isn't,” she firmly replied. “I know we're champions and have proven how dedicated we are to the sport, but I don't think anyone on the roster has any right to disagree with the idea that even we deserve to have more moments like this from time to time. Just you and me, enjoying some time together without any worries about who's coming for us or how we're going to navigate the turbulent waves that have formed lately.”

Luz just stared into Amelia's eyes for a moment, reminding her almost of a lovesick puppy dog with the look of adorable admiration she wore. She couldn't help but silently think that they deserved more moments like this particular one as well... she loved Luz with or without her mask and held a great deal of respect for its meaning in the culture of lucha libre, but she secretly enjoyed these rare moments where she could enjoy just how much more expressive and detailed Luz's face was without the mask hiding most of it.

“It does sound nice,” Luz admitted as she gently grabbed Amelia's hand and moved it from her chin to her bare cheek before her own hand found its way to Amelia's cheek. “It's hard to remember that sometimes, even after everything we've been through together.”

“Any thoughts on what we can do about it?” Amelia grinned, and Luz quickly picked up on the playful challenge in her tone.

“Well, we're the ones in control of our own destinies,” she grinned back. “The Empire has collapsed, your parents no longer have any power over you, we've mended so many bridges and built new ones in the past few years, and that's not even getting into all we've done to finally earn our place in SCW's history books. It's not always easy, and we may keep forgetting this fact, but as long as we have each other and the people who care about us... we'll find a way.”

“That is such a 'Luz' answer, and I love it,” Amelia giggled before she gently kissed Luz's lips. “Just like I love you and everything that you are, mi amor.”

“Yo también te amo, Amelia,” was Luz's response before they kissed once more. They kept it soft and made sure they pulled apart before any tempting thoughts crept into their mind, refusing to disrespect and defile this sanctuary.

Several minutes passed after this where the two just sat there, closing their eyes and letting their naked forms be cleansed by the onsen waters and the calm night air as they held each other close, enjoying the moment.

“You know where I think we should visit tomorrow?” Luz suddenly asked.

“Hm?” was Amelia's reply as she opened an eye to glance at her partner.

“I was thinking we could pay a visit to the Akasaka Hikawa Shrine over in the Tokyo area,” Luz told her, a soft smile gracing her lips as she opened her eyes to meet Amelia's gaze. “I've heard the shrine gives special blessings to ward off bad luck and bring good luck in marriage. I know we're not officially married yet, but...”

“It wouldn't hurt to receive a blessing from the gods to make sure our marriage is a long and healthy one,” Amelia noted, earning a nod from Luz.

“I know we're had our worries over the past few weeks,” she admitted, “given how some of the other couples in SCW seem to be having issues because of the business itself. Maybe it seems silly, but... any reassurance that we won't fall victim to that ourselves might help.”

“I don't think it's silly at all, honey,” Amelia told her, turning and leaning in so their foreheads were touching. “Well... the old me might've thought it was dumb or something like that, but that's not who I want to be. Just being able to enjoy a lot of the things we've done together while we're here in Japan wouldn't have been possible without you barging into my life and melting the walls of ice I kept around my heart just to survive. Thank you, Luna.”

“Aw, Amelia,” Luz cooed. “That might be one of the cheesiest things I think I've heard you say... but I love it so much.”

Amelia giggled and was about to respond, but both women's attention was suddenly diverted towards the sliding doors that led out to their private onsen. It sounded like there was some sort of commotion going on inside the building, and while it was hard to keep up with the frantic Japanese language that they could hear from it despite how fluent they had started to become, there was one voice that stood out to them amid the cacophony, mostly because it didn't sound like it belonged at all.

“Where are they!? I know they're here! Get your hands off me! I'm telling you, they need to be exposed for the greater good!”

Amelia and Luz exchanged concerned glances, worried about whatever was going on and definitely involving some tourist who didn't understand and/or respect the cultural rules of a Japanese onsen. Before they could even contemplate the idea of trying to ignore it and resume their well-earned relaxing bath, the sliding door was harshly thrown open. Both women screamed and covered their chests with their arms as Amelia instinctively positioned herself in front of Luz, determined to keep her face hidden from public view as best as she could despite the situation.

“Ah ha! Found you, vile imposters!”

Standing in the doorway was a caucasian man who looked to be in his mid-to-late 30s if they had to guess, with slicked back brown hair, a soul patch and mustache stubble to go along with the glasses over his blue eyes. He was dressed almost like a private investigator, but his mannerisms made it clear rather quickly that this buffoon was anything but. He immediately raised a camera he had around his neck and started snapping pictures, causing Amelia and Luz to further try and cover themselves while hiding the latter's face as best as they could.

“¿¡Quién eres!?” Luz yelled.

“What the heck are you doing!?” Amelia joined in.

“Exposing you for the frauds you are!” the man yelled as he kept snapping pictures, only to lower his camera when he seemed to spot something. Amelia carefully followed his gaze with her eyes and realized what had grabbed his attention: Luz's mask. “And this will prove it!”

The man made a beeline for the mask, with Amelia and Luz frozen in place as they were afraid to expose themselves, especially Luz in the face of what should've been a safe place to not have to worry about breaking a luchador's most sacred rule. Thankfully, the commotion the man had caused before came back to bite him in the ass as a pair of police officers quickly rushed in and tackled him to the ground, his fingertips just shy of being able to grab the mask or even the towel it was resting on. Even that effort was finally cut off as his arms were forced behind his back and he was cuffed, the officers reading him his rights in both Japanese and English only for the man to virtually waive them as he kept ranting and raving about needing to be let go because “he's the good guy” and “those imposters need to be exposed” and other such nonsense.

Luz and Amelia were given enough privacy to pull themselves out of the bath and at least wrap themselves up in their towels, with Luz also putting her mask back on. Amelia held her close and did their breathing technique together as they talked with the onsen operator and one of the officers, making it clear that they had no idea who than man was or what he was talking about. After reassuring them that the pictures he took of them were illegal and his camera would be wiped, the officer left them to try and enjoy the rest of their evening while the operator apologized for the incident and offered to not only comp their bath tonight but also allow them to have one more free private onsen visit while they were still in the country to make amends, an offer that the couple gratefully took him up on.

That still didn't calm their nerves from what had happened, though. The onsen staff couldn't be blamed because no one could've seen this coming, especially considering Luz and Amelia were certain they'd never have to deal with anyone basically stalking their every move ever again when Caleb was finally arrested. They had no idea who this lunatic was or why he was rambling about them being “imposters,” but it became an issue they decided had to be looked into if he'd gone through all the trouble of desecrating the laws of an entire culture in pursuit of them, especially after he'd had the audacity to take naked pictures of them in what was supposed to be a private setting.

At least they'd have another chance to visit and hopefully have some actual peace next time... that seemed like a good plan for after Breakdown, since they had a feeling the European Fiery Nation weren't going to stick to the rules for very long and their bodies could use the soothing hot waters to rejuvenate them after whatever chaos they were hoping to add to the raging inferno that seemed to be fueling the entire tag division these days.