07-28-2024, 11:40 PM
If you had asked The Light In The Darkness how they would've preferred their road to Rise to Greatness XXI to go, they would've kept it simple:
Perform to the best of their abilities and build momentum while dedicating their free time to preparing for a match they knew was a long time coming: a World Tag Title clash with Twisted & Sadistic, a team they had yet to directly defeat.
As we now know, that is far from how things have played out, but if you were to ask Luz and Amelia is they were upset about this, they would admit that they might've been if asked that question weeks ago. Now, however? They would admit to learning from what had happened and devoting themselves to changes they knew would need to be made to get to where they wished to be.
For the longest time, The Light In The Darkness prided themselves as fighters who were willing to tackle any challenge put before them, even attempting to increase the difficulty if they could do so, to prove that they were constantly evolving and adapting. It was a mindset that had emerged not just throughout their wrestling careers, but born of matters beyond the ring as well. No one could argue that both women had issues from their pasts that still plagued them to this day, and the emotional scars that lingered would never fade that easily. It drove the young couple just as much as it burdened them, explaining why they constantly pursued greater and greater challenges even when that pursuit began to lead them into the realm of insanity.
A perfect example was that fateful Breakdown weeks ago when, fresh off of the end of their second run as World Tag Team Champions, Luz and Amelia had met CHBK in his office and insisted that they run the gauntlet of every single member of the SCW roster in order to prove not just to the company, but also to themselves, that they were worthy of being here and ready to hunt for gold once again. As ludicrous as it sounded to everyone else, it made perfect sense to them: the ultimate test that would leave no doubts about their abilities and prove that they were more than what they believed others would begin to see them as.
After that sanction was thankfully denied and they were pulled out of their own heads not just by CHBK but also by their loved ones, they began to really dig into what had made them this way. The answers weren't hard to find, but it was easy to remember why they had tried to bury them in the first place. Growing up, both girls were the targets of constant criticism and gaslighting, from bullies in Luz's case and her own parents in Amelia's. The question of whether or not they truly deserved to be here was so deeply rooted in both of their minds that it created this constant need for validation, no matter how high the stakes needed to be raised in order to prove that they weren't everything they were led to believe by the negative influences around them. The constant praise and validation from fans and those closest to them, while greatly appreciated, could only help so much.
While they may never be able to truly break themselves free of that trauma, they recognized that a lot of work was going to need to be done in order to give themselves a fighting chance.
Thoroughly studying their previous encounters with both Twisted & Sadistic and Team Desire, looking into other matches involving their Rise to Greatness opponents, working on both improving themselves and adding to their already impressive arsenals... they were all a great start that had been a huge focus of the past several weeks, and the day of the final Breakdown before all eyes would turn towards the biggest show of SCW's calendar year would arguably yield the greatest opportunity they could ask for to finally make some significant strides in their mental recovery.
Most people would immediately assume they were referring to the events of Breakdown itself, and that'd be an easy assumption to make. Not only were the couple honest and upfront about where their heads were at and what winning at Rise to Greatness would mean to them, but they were also the only team heading into that event with any momentum behind them. They had overcome the European Fiery Nation the previous week in an Underground Rules match and looked no worse for wear speaking their piece backstage at the Little Caesars Arena, a stark contrast to both teams they'd be facing who had fallen short in their respective matches. Glory and Brittany could argue the semantics of their DQ loss to the Shining Maidens, but they weren't the ones with the upper hand when interference cost them the match, and Katie and Gigi had lost clean to the Dangerous Minds on a night where they needed to make the biggest statement possible.
As much as that gave Luz and Amelia more to learn from as they prepared for the fight of their lives, the opportunity in question had come earlier that very same day. Adrian Verner, the lawyer for Aleister and Ophelia Blythe, had tried for one last hail mary in keeping his clients out of prison for their involvement in The Empire over the past year and likely longer. Knowing full well Amelia and Luz would never take the stand to try and defend the former's parents, especially upon the revelation that the date trial was supposed to resume would have been the day of the Rise to Greatness pre-show, he had attempted to exploit everything that had been weighing on their minds lately to record enough that he could edit together to get the testimony he needed... a plan that had ultimately blown up in his face and opened the door for perhaps his greatest nightmare.
July 23rd, with five days to go afterward until Rise to Greatness, the trial of Aleister and Ophelia would finally continue after much stalling on Adrian's part... and The Light In The Darkness would be testifying against them.
Shortly after that confrontation in the gym, Evie had wasted no time in calling Darius to inform him of what had happened, and the two of them quickly reached out to the judge overseeing the trial to bring him into the loop as well. Seeing as how the witnesses Adrian had been stalling to get agreed to take the stand, even if it wasn't in his favor, the judge saw no point in delaying any further, especially out of respect to the schedules of the witnesses in question.
Amelia could only imagine how her parents were going to respond to the news of just how royally their loyal slimeball of a lawyer had screwed up, and the thought brought a smile to her face every single time.
Unsurprisingly, Luz and Amelia had to get packing as soon as their role in Breakdown was done, and the very next day they were ready to catch their flight back to England. What was surprising, however, was when they had politely asked everyone else not to waste the time and money to come with them. Naturally, there was a lot of concern because of the emotion that would be involved in this whole experience, but while the couple were very clear in how grateful they were for everyone's help and worries, Amelia was firm in her belief that this was a chapter of her and Luz's past that they needed to close the book on alone, to send a clear message to her parents that they held no power over her anymore and never would again. She wasn't exactly fooling any of them, or even herself for that matter, but as long as her parents were dragged away believing that, then she was hopeful they would never continue to be a thorn in her and Luz's sides ever again.
“You sure you guys want to go it alone on this?” Ivy had asked at the airport.
“We're sure Ivy,” Amelia firmly stated. “We have each other, we have Darius and Evie, and even if you guys won't be there with us in person, we know you're all still with us.”
“You guys deserve to head down to St. Louis and start getting in the Rise to Greatness spirit,” Luz had added. “Save your money for that spectacle.”
“It's not a matter of money Luz,” her mother said. “We just want you both to be alright. Not that those cabróns would dare to try anything I would hope, but...”
“All three of them really tried to grill us when we made our own cases,” Emily chimed in. “We just don't want to see them get to you guys and somehow get what they want out of this anyways.”
“Or really screw you both over with Rise to Greatness on the horizon,” Edward added.
“We've been talking over how deep they could dig, trying to prepare ourselves for this...” Luz carefully said.
“We can't make any promises,” Amelia lamented. “Lord knows they aren't going to make it easy to keep any promise we could make, but if what we have to say will guarantee they're put away for everything they've done...”
“We have to free ourselves from their chains while the chance is there,” Luz finished for her fiancée. “It's the only way we can truly start to move on from everything and hopefully have everything we've been fighting for at long last.”
Those words had lingered with their loved ones as preparations were finished and they were ready to board, but before they started to join the queue for security, Ivy had stopped them one last time, surprising them both with little friendship bracelets with colored beads representing everyone in their little found family.
“I know this may not seem like much,” she told them, “but consider it my way of saying that the both of you deserve nothing but the best, after everything you've gone through and how much you've given just so any of us... especially myself... can even be where we are now. You are exactly what your tag team name says you are, and that means you not only deserve to be champions again after Sunday, but you both deserve to be free to decide where to go next. If they start to make you forget that... hopefully... hopefully this will help remind you of that.”
It had been a touching gesture that had really stuck with Amelia and Luz on the entire flight over and as they'd gotten settled in and prepped for the trial. They had passed the time talking about it and all the other things their found family had gone out of the way to do in recent weeks in an effort to prove to them they were worth so much more than they may think of themselves sometimes. Gage had shared with them the public change of heart that Jacob Harrison seemed to have regarding his belief that they were imposters and how he'd seemingly abandoned the whole thing. Valentina had made a point of checking in on her sister's old bullies and had passed along that for as many of them who had claimed they were 'more worthy' to follow in her father's footsteps, none of them had actually succeeded in getting their foot in the door and many of them had actually realized they'd been huge jerks to her and were hoping to apologize someday. Beyond that, everyone had shared stories to them of what it meant to have Luz and Amelia in their lives, determined to make sure they never found themselves lost to that darkness ever again if they could help it.
All of it had actually inspired the couple to come up with a few ideas for how they could make sure those efforts were publicly acknowledged, an endeavor that had led to them sinking quite a bit of time into a video game they hadn't touched in a little while which only fueled their ideas and helped remind them of the kind of life they were hoping to have when all of this was set and done.
It had served as a great distraction to help clear their heads about what was on the horizon, and with plans in place to try and make their message loud and clear at Rise to Greatness, that only left one last obstacle to clear.
It hadn't been a surprise when they'd felt an oppressive atmosphere all around them upon entering the courtroom, especially considering its source. As Darius and Evie led them to their seats right behind team of prosecutors they'd been working with, both women turned to the counsel table to meet the cold and furious glares of Aleister and Ophelia. Adrian had shot a glare in their direction as well, but he had quickly turned his attention away to focus on frantically trying to organize his notes. Amelia could pick up almost instantly on the fact that her parents had likely increased the pressure on him to fix the blunder he'd made, and whatever notes he had were no doubt their ammunition to try and either spin her and Luz's words in their favor or try and perhaps drag them down as well in a last ditch effort to gain some sort of victory out of this.
The pressure had been relieved somewhat when the judge had entered the courtroom and directed everything to get things in motion. Anyone who knew the legal system in the UK knew that Circuit Judge Martyn Barklem was a man who could both bring a lot of levity and command a lot of respect in his courtrooms, his vast experience and understanding being why he had been sworn in to this role all the way back in 2012 and remained here ever since. The look in his eyes as he turned his attention to the defendants was clear as things got underway: he was in no mood for fun and games today.
“Mr. Verner,” he spoke, “you have held up this trial for almost a month, claiming that you needed the time to deliver proof that your clients are innocent of the charges they stand accused of. And yet, it is to my understanding that those who have brought these charges against your clients have managed to secure the cooperation for the testimonies you promised to deliver. What do you have to say about this?”
“Your Honour Judge Barklem,” Adrian rose to a stand, a nervous laugh in his voice. “I can assure you that the testomonies that will be heard here today will still paint a very clear picture of my clients' innocence and that these circumstances are only the result of the authorities simply speaking with them first. It is hardly the fault of myself or my clients that the witnesses in question have been very busy lately...”
“Something you also failed to inform this court of, I believe,” Judge Barklem responded before Adrian could speak any further. “Consider yourself lucky that your attempts to delay this trial have created enough leeway for us to be able to rearrange the schedule and accommodate everyone involved, otherwise you would have been held in contempt.”
Adrian simply nodded in acknowledgment before slumping back down into his seat, grumbling something to himself. Aleister, who sat right next to him, offered no sign of support or concern, just an annoyed scoff.
“Your Honour Judge Barklem,” one of the prosecutors said as he rose to a stand. “In the interest of wasting no more of the valuable time of anyone in this room, may we proceed to call the last of our two witnesses?”
“You may,” the judge allowed.
“In that case, I would like to call La Pequeña Luz to the stand.”
Luz nodded as she stood up from her seat and started to move towards the witness stand. Before she got too far, she was stopped as Amelia grabbed her hand, the two of them engaging in a silent conversation that amounted to Amelia nodding and showing faith in her beloved. Luz's eyes slowly moved down to their joined hands, seeing Ivy's friendship bracelets tucked beneath the sleeves of their respective suitcoats as she returned Amelia's smile. On her way up to the stand, she glanced over and almost let out an audible sigh at the very clear disgust in the glare Opehlia was giving her, almost as if her stare alone would somehow cause the luchadora to combust into flames on the spot and prevent her from saying what she needed to say. Unfortunately for her, Luz settled into the stand with no sign of any flames igniting as she was asked to repeat the witness affirmation.
“I, La Pequeña Luz, do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare-”
“Objection!” Adrian shot up out of his chair like a jack-in-the-box. “Your Honour Judge Barklem, 'La Pequeña Luz' is not her full legal name, it's her wrestling name! If she's going to swear the affirmation, she must do so properly or her statement cannot be trusted!”
Amelia had to suppress a growl as she glared at the scumbag from her seat, taking note of the smug grin her father was wearing in contrast to the death glare her mother had refused to cease giving Luz. Evie wasn't as quiet about this next to her, but a hand on her shoulder from Darius kept her from doing anything rash. Amelia honestly couldn't say she was surprised after all this time and every underhanded thing her parents had done to maintain any semblance of superiority for all these years, and attempting to force Luz to break her oath as a luchador felt like only the beginning of this game.
Amelia glanced up at Luz, who met her gaze and offered a reassuring smile as she folded her hands.
“Your Honour Judge Barklem,” Luz carefully said, having been given the full run-through beforehand of how to properly address the judge in this country's court because of his status. “Lucha libre is such an important part of my culture in Mexico that it transcends the wrestling ring and has become a part of everyday life. For that reason, until the day comes where I either choose to upon my retirement or am forced to by losing a match where it is at stake, La Pequeña Luz is, as far as the public is concerned, my legal name, and the government of Mexico recognizes that.”
“The government of the United Kingdom certainly does not!” Adrian retaliated, but Luz seemed to be prepared as she motioned to the prosecutors and one of them pulled out some paperwork that was ultimately handed to the judge. He gave them a thorough look-through for a minute before locking eyes with Adrian, who practically shrank under the gaze.
“Mr. Verner,” he stated, unamused, “you do not have the authority to speak on what is or isn't recognized by our government or the crown. In this courtroom, that is up to my determination and mine alone. These documents I've been handed do, in fact, verify Miss Luz's claim that her wrestling identity is recognized as her current full legal name for the purpose of all public appearances. Miss Luz, I apologize for the interruption, and would like to ask you to resume your affirmation, if you please.”
Amelia breathed a sigh of relief as the documents were returned to the prosecution team and Adrian angrily sat back down, and she could see her father silently berate the man for a failure that, honestly, was probably more his fault for coming up with the idea than it was his lawyer. Still, Luz finished giving her affirmation before the prosecutor who had called her to the stand approached.
“Miss Luz,” he started, “could you tell the court about your relationship with Aleister and Ophelia Blythe.”
“Well,” Luz replied, “I am currently engaged to their youngest daughter and they would become my in-laws once we finally have our wedding. Beyond that, I have come to know them over the course of the past five or so years through interactions while I have been both a fellow wrestler to, and in a relationship with, Amelia.”
“And how would you describe your interactions with them?” she was asked next.
“Miserable,” she bluntly stated, taking note of Ophelia's nostrils flaring in response to the truth. “Ophelia and Aleister never once approved of me being in their daughter's life at all, not just as her partner in a wrestling or romantic sense. They have never hidden how much they believe themselves superior and believed their daughter could, and I quote, 'do so much better' than me purely because of the fact that I am Latina. In both wrestling and in general, they have tried for years to remove me from Amelia's life.”
“How so?” the prosecutor asked.
Luz took a deep breath before she began listing off the various schemes Amelia's parents had attempted over the years, some of which were familiar to any wrestling fans in the courtroom who were only just now realizing the angle regarding that was anything but, though most of them were focused specifically on a lot of the attempts that had been made after the couple had returned to SCW. She held nothing back as she recounted each and every attempt, not bothering to hide her disdain for any of it despite her usual cherry demeanor, and the jury looked more and more appalled with each new example given.
Through it all, Luz and Amelia both noted that Adrian was growing more and more panicked while Aleister looked about ready to break the counsel table in half. Ophelia, however, just maintained her hateful glare.
“There is one incident that stands out above the rest to me personally, however,” Luz began to wrap up, “besides the time when Aleister actually held the both of us and some of our friends at gunpoint after we had just finished a show.”
“An incident we do have documented through prior testimony,” Judge Barklem confirmed, “but thank you for further verifying its legitimacy.”
“I mentioned earlier about how sacred lucha libre and everything about it is to the culture of my home country of Mexico,” Luz continued. “While serving The Empire, Aleister and Ophelia were part of the conspiracy to sabotage my identity through an imposter that they had personally trained. While this imposter and I have since resolved the matter on our own terms, said imposter proceeded to do everything in her power to ruin and disgrace my name and my mask, and while Caleb White may have been the man calling the shots on that particular scheme, it never would have gotten off the ground if Aleister and Ophelia hadn't willingly trained her to become a wrestler in the first place.”
With no further questions and feeling satisfied with everything Luz had said, the prosecutor thanked her before returning to his seat. With the judge's approval, Adrian now stood up, as recomposed as he could possibly be despite the sweat still visibly rolling down his face.
“So, Luz,” he grinned. “How can you possibly confirm that last statement of yours, that my clients 'willingly' trained this so-called doppelganger of yours to try and ruin your reputation? How do you know that this person simply wasn't trained by anyone else with a similar style?”
“Because first of all,” Luz responded, “Amelia was trained by her parents and she's been teaching me ever since we first started teaming together, so I know what to look for. And secondly, they admitted on camera, in front of the entire world, the pride they felt at personally training my doppelganger to serve The Empire and be, and I quote, 'exactly the kind of wrestler that could represent the Blythe name and style for the greater good.' Despite it all being in the name of The Empire, not once did they mention The Empire directly in that entire speech.”
“She made for a much better and more appropriate wrestler than you ever did,” Ophelia audibly spat, “even though your kind doesn't deserve to desecrate the sport or this world with anything you-”
“Mrs. Blythe!” Judge Barklem sternly cut her off. “Mr. Verner, I'd advise you to control your client before she speaks out of turn again.”
Ophelia's only response to this was to stand up, which prompted the bailiff to put himself between her and the witness stand. Adrian quickly moved to try and get her to sit back down, with Luz and Amelia audibly hearing him ask “What do you think you're doing?” and a hushed argument breaking out between them about whether or not he had the situation under control. Luz bit her bottom lip at how unhinged Ophelia was starting to look.
“Enough! Order in this courtroom!” the judge roared, immediately silencing everyone. “Mr. Verner, since it seems like you cannot control your client, then I'm afraid for the safety of Miss Luz that you are going to have to forfeit your right to any further questioning, unless there is anything more she needs to share.”
“I've said my piece, Your Honour Judge Barklem,” Luz confirmed, and with his approval she stepped down from the stand and quickly moved back to her seat, escorted by another bailiff when Ophelia looked like she was going to attempt to make a move towards her. Amelia immediately pulled Luz into a hug once she returned, staring down her mother in the process.
“I didn't think she'd lose her composure like that,” Darius admitted in surprise.
“Neither did I,” Luz agreed. “I know she and Aleister hate me, but I would've figured they'd be more composed given the circumstances.”
“Hopefully my turn goes just as smoothly,” Amelia mumbled.
“It will, mi amor,” Luz replied, giving her a kiss to help ease her nerves.
It took several minutes, but ultimately Ophelia seemed to calm down and order was restored, though not without one final warning from the judge to the defendants about the outburst. The couple could see a quiet argument ignite between her and Adrian, with Aleister chiming in to seemingly back up his wife, but that conversation ended pretty quickly when Amelia was called to the stand and asked to give her affirmation.
“I, Amelia Blythe, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
“Miss Amelia,” the prosecutor began, “you are the daughter of the defendants, is that correct?”
“It is,” Amelia confirmed.
“What was it like to be their daughter?”
“It...” Amelia started, only to feel herself freezing up as she met her father's glare. She'd seen it time and time again, that clear and painful disappointment in his eyes. She knew it should mean nothing to her anymore, but clearly he knew how she'd react to it as his lips slowly curled into a smirk, expecting her to fall in line and see Adrian's original plan through.
As she lowered her gaze, almost in a symbol of obedience to the silent command, her eyes glued themselves to the friendship bracelet, the reminder of the friend that her parents had separated her from and all the pain and hardship that followed. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her resolve and lifted her defiant gaze back to her parents.
“It was a living hell,” she said resolutely, causing the members of the jury to murmur to one another as Aleister's smirk fell. “I was never a daughter to them... just an extension of our family name, the next link in the proverbial chain. I was meant to be their 'perfect prodigy' and nothing more. I had no say in how my life was supposed to go, even when I was legally an adult. I had to be the top of my class, who I could associate with was decided for me... even the concept of losing a wrestling match deemed me a failure in their eyes.”
“What happened if you couldn't live up to such expectations?” the prosecutor asked carefully.
“They... abused me,” she choked out. “My father had no qualms about treating me, when I was still a child, like an adult opponent in the ring to make sure I 'understood' how to apply our family's signature submission hold. My mother has hit me, refused to allow me to eat... on my 7th birthday, they blackmailed me into cutting ties with my best friend, all because she had two fathers. Luz told you about all the racist remarks they've made about her... something she didn't get the chance to mention was how homophobic my parents are as well, the mere thought of two people of the same gender being in a relationship disgusting them. All of that was just as much a reason why they didn't want me to associate with Luz, why they saw her defeating me in the ring as the ultimate failure, why they wanted so badly to 'cure' me of the 'disease' of being a lesbian. In that regard... it's no wonder why they joined Caleb and his Empire.”
“According to the defense, Aleister and Ophelia Blythe were manipulated by Caleb into joining his cult,” the prosecutor noted, mostly as a reminder to everyone present of the main reason why this trial was happening in the first place.
“They were never manipulated,” Amelia spoke defiantly, giving her parents a look that almost dared them to try and deny the next words out of her mouth. “They'd been working with Caleb in the name of furthering their own fortunes and names long before The Empire was ever even a concept. Before I was even born, they willingly signed a contract with him to place me into an arranged marriage with his own heir-”
“Because we knew you'd be an absolute disappointment if we let you make any decisions for yourself, and lo and behold, we were right!” Ophelia yelled as she stood up, her chair being knocked to the floor in the process.
“Mrs. Blythe, I've warned you-” Judge Barklem tried to cut in.
“No, I know exactly how this is going to go!” Ophelia screamed. “Our incompetent lawyer bungled the one job we asked him to do, my daughter is going to keep spinning this sob story and my husband and I are going to be put away for trying to be better parents than anybody in this courtroom could ever possibly hope to be!”
“Ophelia!” Aleister growled as he stood up and grabbed his wife before turning to glare at his daughter. “You really think this is going to accomplish anything Amelia? That you and that filthy mongrel sitting over there are going to get your happy ending? That the both of you are going to walk into your big wrestling show this weekend, the one that this very court bent over backwards for and proved how biased it truly is, and the both of you aren't going to embarrass yourselves?”
“All you've ever been in as embarrassment to our family name!” Ophelia shrieked as she tried to pull away from her husband, but by this point the bailiffs had enough and moved in to drag the both of them out of the courtroom.
“That's enough! I will have order!” Judge Barklem called over the chaos.
“I apologize, Your Honour Judge Barklem,” Amelia said, bowing her head to him as he turned to look down at her.
“You were simply giving your testimony, Miss Blythe,” he told her.
“No,” Amelia shook her head before turning to look at her parents one last time as Adrian pleaded desperately with them to calm down. “It won't be Miss Blythe for much longer... and after everything Luz and I have shared with the court today, I have no regrets about taking her last name and being a Blythe no longer once we finally tie the knot.”
Ophelia's response was an ear-piercing shriek as she spiraled even further, but neither she nor Aleister were afforded any chance to try and break through the human wall that had formed between them and the two people they seemed fully willing to take down with them by any means necessary. Adrian could only watch in disbelief as his clients tore apart any hope they may have had at somehow salvaging this if they had just let him do his job, even as they accosted him for being at fault for allowing this to happen in the first place before they were finally removed from the room. As the judge called for a recess to decide how to continue from here, he shot one last glare in the direction of Amelia and Luz as the former walked back over to her future wife before he removed himself to deal with his clients.
“You did great, querida,” Luz told Amelia as she held her close, feeling her trembling in her arms.
“I wasn't going to let them have their way... not this time,” Amelia shakily said. “I wish it didn't have to be like this, but...”
“They deserve it,” Darius told them both.
“They were never going to be the parents you deserved to have Amelia,” Evie sadly nodded in agreement. “But I doubt you'll ever have to worry about their threats ever again after today.”
“I'm just... surprised at how this went down,” Amelia admitted. “I wasn't expecting my parents to...”
“Truth be told, I could tell the mere idea of possibly losing everything they believe they deserved and built for themselves was causing them to slowly unravel as this trial went on.”
All eyes turned in surprise as Judge Barklem had stepped down and approached them.
“Your Honour Judge Barklem,” Amelia said breathlessly.
“Please,” he held up his hand. “Court isn't in session at the moment, so I won't be offended if you break formality.”
“I think we've known for a long time that Amelia's parents were control freaks, but...” Luz openly pondered.
“I could see they were struggling to control some of their outbursts the more evidence was presented against them, despite their lawyer's best efforts to argue against them,” the judge revealed. “In hindsight, I shouldn't have humored Mr. Verner's attempts to stall this trial for so long, but I had hoped that a lengthy break from the proceedings might help them regain their composure when we resumed. Unfortunately, I had hoped for too much by the look of things, and I apologize on behalf of the entire circuit judiciary for any danger you may have found yourselves in here today.”
“Honestly?” Luz admitted. “After everything we've been through, I can't say that something like this wasn't out of the ordinary.”
“It's still shocking to see my parents fall apart just like that all over a lack of control,” Amelia repeated.
“I know Aleister grew a little unhinged when he was imprisoned for holding you all at gunpoint,” Darius revealed uncertainly, but I guess the man I thought I knew a long time ago really did lose himself to the idea of everything he had going for him if he just maintained control.”
“Will these two be needed any more?” Evie asked Judge Barklem, who shook his head.
“They've testified, and even if Mr. Verner feels entitled to a chance for cross-examination at this point, I think the jury already has their verdict and anything beyond this point is a formality. There's no reason to keep them any longer, especially if any harm could come to them.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Luz and Amelia both said.
“Thank you both for agreeing to come here today, despite everything that happened,” the judge responded before sighing. “I can promise you that this is not how trials are supposed to go, but if it's any consolation... I'd like to wish you both the best of luck at your show this Sunday.”
With nods exchanged, the judge headed off to speak with his one of his bailiffs on the situation regarding the Blythes, but Luz and Amelia didn't bother to spare the two of them any more thought as Darius and Evie guided them back to their hotel so they could pack up and prepare for arguably the biggest night of their lives to date.
It hurt to think about how everything had gone down as the couple ultimately made their way to St. Louis to reunite with everyone and put Rise to Greatness at the forefront of their focus. How this had gone down conflicted with how they thought it would go in their heads, but it also helped them to remember and fully understand that nothing is ever truly set in stone and things don't always go how you want or think they'll go. That had happened with their road to get to this point, after all, and they had still hopefully gained something they truly wanted out of all of this: Amelia's parents no longer being a threat to them in any form and finally paying for all the atrocities they'd committed over the years.
They knew there was still work to be done, though... after all, getting to this point was only the first step.
The next one? With any luck, earning back the World Tag Team Titles for a third time and silencing any doubt, especially their own, that they well and truly belong in the conversation as perhaps one of the greatest tag teams in SCW history.
The Gateway Arch, arguably the most recognizable landmark that everyone immediately associates with the city of St. Louis, Missouri, is where we find ourselves today. Often billed as “The Gateway to The West,” the historic landmark has garnered a lot of symbolism over the years in various different forms, and we're getting the honor of seeing this impressive sight early in the morning as the sun is beginning to rise, standing tall and proud in silhouette against the dawn of a brand new day and reflecting that golden light as we move closer, inviting us through to explore all that the city has to offer. As we do close in, however, we pick up the sound of music, which feels odd given how early in the morning it must be. Sure enough, the source turns out to be an old boombox with a cassette playing in it, churning out a tune that we can feel in our bones.
As we look around, we find two figures that seem to be taking in the music along with the incredible sight of the city bathed in the golden light of dawn, looking like they're fresh off of finishing a workout. It's hard to tell at the moment how close this was filmed to the day of Rise to Greatness, but one thing is clear: Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz are focused like we've perhaps never seen before. As the boombox continues to belt out lyrics that we can just feel line up with where The Light In The Darkness are mentally right now, we watch as they both take deep breaths before sharing a kiss filled with all the love and passion that has come to define them up to this point. They don't look ashamed, or embarrassed, or even broken or doubting themselves in any way, and that doesn't change as they seem to realize our presence and part only so Luz can lean down and turn off the music, giving them the chance to absorb the peace and quiet of the busy city before the day truly gets underway as she steps back beside her beloved, joining hands with her as their forms are further illuminated by the rising sun.
“Rise to Greatness is almost upon us, and we know that many of you have questions... questions about us, whether or not we're ready for this, where our heads are at, and so on. It's hard for us to ignore any of that considering how the road to get to this point has gone for us, but in a way, it ultimately makes a lot of sense. Nothing is ever easy in SCW, and we should have never expected that it would ever be as simple as walking into the biggest show of SCW's calendar year and defending our titles against a team that many would consider the greatest question we haven't answered yet. We found ourselves questioning if we truly belonged here, if we were really good enough... it's easy to try and shove all of that to the back of your mind and forget it even exists because anybody who tells you there isn't a single doubt in their mind when they step into that ring, we can confirm they're lying to you. It's in our nature as humans to have those doubts, those fears... but Amelia and I will be the first to openly and honestly admit that our doubts will always define who we are and how we approach this business, whether we like it or not.”
“When you saw us walk into CHBK's office several weeks ago and ask to prove ourselves by going through the entire roster to earn the right to pursue championship gold ever again, Luz and I were dead serious and more than willing to endure such a gauntlet, no matter how absurd the whole idea might sound to any of you. We've made it no secret that our respective upbringings were not as pleasant as we wished they could have been, but one thing that I think many often overlook in stories like ours is the lasting trauma that never truly goes away even as we get older and find ourselves in healthier surroundings. Between everything my parents expected of me and the ways I was punished if I didn't live up to such impossibly high standards, the bullying Luz endured from children her age who refused to believe that she would ever be capable of amounting to anything, much less following in her father's footsteps... perhaps even the expectations that some of you have for us given what we've accomplished so far in SCW and hope to keep accomplishing. Anyone else in the position we found ourselves in might be able to brush themselves off, pick themselves back up and waste no time in trying to rebound even knowing that history was made at their expense... but that's not how our brains are hardwired at this point, especially when we've refused to be anything other than who we truly are in front of all of you.”
“That night wasn't our greatest moment, but CHBK wasn't wrong when he told us that we had proven ourselves to be one of the top tag teams in all of professional wrestling and that was what he wanted for Rise to Greatness, regardless of how the World Tag Title match now looked without us as the champions. He was blunt with us... which is exactly what we needed in that moment to wake up and realize just how bad this whole issue truly was. Alex, thank you for the wake-up call we so desperately needed, because you're right: being the final victims of two brand new Supreme Champions bothered us on a level we can't even describe, and the arrow of time doesn't change its course once it's fired. But that doesn't mean we can't still take control of our destinies and decide for ourselves how our story ends, because when you really think about it... no matter how much Katie wants to present this whole thing as her grandest presentation, or Glory wants to remind the world of how tall she's stood time and time again, the two of us have always been at the very heart of this matter, and this match that awaits us is proof of that.”
“SCW didn't have to give us another chance after our first run was derailed only a few matches in due to injuries, but they took that gamble and we have busted our behinds to make sure they would never regret it. It's been almost two whole years since we announced our return to the entire world, and look at everything we've done in that time span. We've both held the Television Championship, we're former two-time World Tag Team Champions together, we competed in and won SCW's first ever twelve-person tag match, we've stood toe-to-toe with some of the greatest teams to ever set foot in an SCW ring like the House of Frost and Dark Fantasy, putting on such an incredible show that it helped to reignite the fires of tag team wrestling and show the world that SCW was the place to be if you wanted to prove yourself as one of the best tag teams in the business today. All the new teams that have come to SCW to try and stake their claim, every team that has formed or stepped up in this past year... we really don't want to sound egotistical about this, but we'd like to believe we had a hand in all of this being where it is today, not because it was necessary but because we wanted to put in the work to show the world what tag team wrestling is all about and how much it truly means to us. We laid the groundwork for what we wanted to accomplish, and SCW simply responded in kind by providing the challenge.”
“It was never going to be easy, and we've both faced our fair share of setbacks that have rocked us, but at the end of the day... we're still here, fighting for the chance to dictate our story.”
“And yeah, there's the argument that we may be too nice to be doing this... but when you look back on all that we've accomplished since coming back in spite of that, is it really a flaw that proves anything?”
The couple stand there for a moment, almost as if they're waiting for a rebuttal they know they won't actually get. Maybe the response they're awaiting is meant to come from the doubts they've both admitted still linger in their minds, but it doesn't change how focused and energized they seem to be in the slightest. If anything, we watch as they take another deep breath of the early morning air before glancing around at the arch that towers over them.
“The Gateway Arch means a lot of different things to a lot of different people... to us, walking through it symbolizes the steps we're willingly taking towards improving ourselves in every aspect, from how we view ourselves to what we're willing to do to evolve with the shifting tides of SCW as this journey continues. After all, we'd been telling everyone we've faced to step up and give us their absolute best, and sooner or later what had been working for us for so long was going to be figured out. That's what Team Desire did on that fateful Breakdown the night of June 20th, and we thank Katie and Gigi for redirecting our road to this moment because it gave us the chance to take a step back after we got our heads screwed back on straight and re-evaluate how approach. Before any of you begin to worry, you can rest assured that nothing has changed as far as who we are is concerned. Our light may dim, but it will never be swallowed by the darkness completely. But there is a lot we can still improve upon, and one of the first things we've truly realized because of all of this... is just how much we've truly been taken advantage of time and time again because of who we are.”
“Katie and Gigi may never admit to it, but CHBK wasn't wrong when he pointed out how much the two of you took advantage of where we were at all those weeks ago. Maybe against our better judgment because we knew it was only right to properly defend those titles when we hadn't done so at Taking Hold of the Flame, you challenged us at just the right moment and took advantage of how divided our focus still was... and now, here we stand, champions no more. Congratulations again Katie on achieving Supreme Champion status... as much as we mean it when we say that, though, now the question truly becomes where your focus lies. Perhaps the two of you repeated our mistake in worrying so much about Rise to Greatness and what you want it to be, because that loss last Breakdown to the Dangerous Minds? Even if you managed to leave St. Louis with those titles, you have to know that now you're in the crosshairs and you've got one team that can already stake a claim to having the next shot against you. This doesn't seem like something we should be telling the both of you considering how long you've been in this business and everything you both have accomplished up to this point, but... everybody makes mistakes. Again, we're only human.”
“And yes, that does include the both of you. No matter how much you consider yourselves royalty or goddesses, you're still truly human and all of this could end in the blink of an eye if you take your eye off the ball. That's what happened with us, focusing so much on trying to prevent history at our expense again that we let ourselves become a self-fulfilling prophecy. At Rise to Greatness, we know better now. We know that you're not the same Team Desire that we've beaten several times before, we know you're ready for what we bring to the table, and you've made it clear that you think this is ultimately about repeating that mistake of overlooking the both of you just because of who else is in this match. No, you two... all eyes are on you, just like you truly wanted. You may think this is your movie, that you call the shots, but you aren't the only ones who can write a plot twist, and the longer you assume that nothing has changed in the few weeks we've been without those titles, the more you've already bought so much into your own hype that this movie might not have the happy ending you two are hoping for.”
“Maybe this isn't how you truly wanted any of this to go. Maybe you were certain that once the two of you dethroned us that The Light In The Darkness would no longer be in the picture, that you were free to forget about us and move on. Perhaps, in your ideal movie, you would've gotten that wish. But we honestly have to ask... if Luz and I hadn't pushed ourselves to do what we've done for SCW's tag team division, if we weren't the kind of people who wore our hearts on our sleeves and gladly accepted any challenge even if it wasn't in our best interest in hindsight, then would the two of you have even tried to make this happen in the first place? For as important as this was to Katie, for as much as Gigi's been wanting to prove herself, it's hard to ignore how convenient it all is that the two of you didn't step up to the plate when the titles belonged to the Frosts or Dark Fantasy or even Twisted & Sadistic. Admit it, Team Desire was inspired by The Light In The Darkness, and deep down it scares you that we've managed to put in so much work in a comparatively short amount of time. Maybe neither one of us will ever reach Supreme Champion status, certainly not to the level that Katie has or Gigi still could one day... and we'd be alright with that, because we can stand here right now and acknowledge the impact we've had on SCW thus far and how much work we can still do, regardless of where our story goes next. And if that road should lead us away from the tag division to pursue other opportunities around here... can the two of you truly hold down the fort like we have?
The same question can be asked of Twisted & Sadistic.”
Amelia and Luz exchange looks, any hints of a smile starting to fade now. Something about the sight is a little unnerving, especially when juxtaposed against the scene around them and the way they'd addressed the champions just moments ago. There's no hint of doubt or concern, but a closer look almost makes it clear that there's some sense of frustration they're struggling to manage, and hints of it linger even when they seem to have calmed themselves down enough to continue.
“You want to know something funny? I spoke earlier about how much the two of us have been gaslit in one form or another throughout our lives, manipulated and made to feel as though we were never meant to get to where we are now and having to fight to prove otherwise in spite of how it affected us. Even now, we've found ourselves constantly having to fend off attempts to get into our heads and dictate our actions by outside forces with ill intentions. But while the news may cover those incidents, one that flew so far under the radar that even we missed it after all this time was the machinations of Glory Braddock and Brittany Lohan. While we know the latter would probably take pride in that, perhaps the former either didn't realize how much she was stringing us along or thought it was too well hidden beneath the respect she constantly said she had for us. Make no mistake, both of you: we do respect what you both are capable of in that ring. If that wasn't the case, then we wouldn't have willingly fought alongside you at Taking Hold of the Flame when we really didn't have to, or be so focused on preparing for the two-on-two match we thought we'd have with you that Team Desire took advantage and caught us.”
“How did you respond to our defeat, by the way? If I'm remembering correctly, your disappointment over not getting to face us at first was pretty brief, because despite the mountain you made out of a molehill, at the end of the day this was never about proving anything against us, it was about the two of you becoming World Tag Team Champions once again. The only reason we were important wasn't just because we had what you wanted, but because even during the few weeks you had usurped us as champions, everyone still saw Amelia and I as the heart of the tag team division, still giving our blood, sweat and tears to not only build ourselves back up but keep elevating everything and everyone around us in the process. We were caught in the middle of the beef you had with Dark Fantasy all because despite what it meant for the both of you to be World Tag Team Champions, we couldn't be brushed aside as everyone waited with bated breath to see if, when and how we'd choose to invoke our rematch.”
“And when we did and won back the titles, that's where the real problems started. We all know the story by now: Twisted & Sadistic raise issues about the fact that they lost the titles without actually being beaten, which we won't argue with, but you did so knowing you'd get our attention so you could dictate how you could try to get those titles back. Honestly, it probably would have worked had Chance and Kelsai not been so aggressive about calling their shot. We tried to find a solution that would appease everyone... which didn't appease you and led to the two of you causing chaos, and even when we stood our ground and told you we weren't giving in to your antics, you still had exactly what you wanted. You had an opportunity to quickly get back to the front of the line, and that's exactly where you ended up. You earned it, we're not going to deny that, but what happened next? That title match got pushed back because some of the teams you attacked on your rampage weren't so willing to let it end just because you survived the consequences of your actions. We interjected ourselves, knowing that if we left you to your fate then you'd criticize our integrity and use it as an excuse if you didn't get what you wanted again.”
“For months, Twisted & Sadistic played us like a fiddle, and whether you did it knowingly or actually didn't mean to, that's exactly what happened. We've been at the heart of everything the two of you have done for so long, all the way back to Glory beating Amelia last year for the Television Title and only needing that one missing piece of the Supreme Champion puzzle, a goal that you knew full well would mean crossing paths with us again. We wouldn't go as far as to say that there would be no Twisted & Sadistic without The Light In The Darkness, but whether you admit to it or not, we've been stuck cleaning up your messes for months, doing our part to try and allow for us to determine, once and for all, who is truly better between us with no excuses... a courtesy we doubt you would have offered us if the roles were reversed. We saw it when you tried to move on from us so quickly after we lost the titles weeks ago, and we should've seen it sooner when we think back to the tag team turmoil last year where this whole dance between our two teams really heated up. After all, you pinned the fact that you two were eliminated by Bree and Datura—proof that the two of you are not as unbeatable as you believe yourselves to be—on the fatigue of having gone through multiple opponents before that point, only to turn around and brush us off when we could rightfully make the exact same argument.”
Both women look up at the arch once again, taking in the progress of the sky now that the sun has risen enough that we can hear people in St. Louis beginning their days all around them. They turn to look at one another before the smiles return, and Luz proceeds to walk back over to the boombox. Instead of grabbing it, however, she instead ejects the cassette tape it was playing before she steps back, with Amelia taking her hand as they both hold up the tape for all to see.
“At Rise to Greatness, there will be no more games. There will be no more excuses. This is about as level a playing field as you can get. Elimination rules means two teams will have to fall for one to stand tall. Team Desire is vulnerable after being upset last Breakdown. Twisted & Sadistic, despite what you two might think, are more vulnerable than you realize based on what we did see in that match before it was interrupted. And us? We're vulnerable too... we did go through an Underground Rules makes just two weeks ago, after all, despite our victory. We know that no matter how you frame it, Amelia and I have been at the very heart of all of this since the beginning. We know what we mean to SCW and its tag division, and you better believe we're going to fight like hell to remind all four of you exactly why everyone still associates us with the renaissance of tag team wrestling on the stage where it matters most.”
“We're not perfect, but nobody is. The difference is that we proudly wear every chip and crack that makes us who we are, because it's proof that no matter what about us you see as a weakness, it hasn't truly stopped us yet and it's not going to anytime soon. We know the role we play now, and we know what we need to do if we're going to dethrone Team Desire and prove that Twisted & Sadistic is not as invincible as they'd like to believe. Sunday night, right here in St. Louis, you all will hear our song, and you will understand exactly what makes us who we are and why we will be walking out of The Dome at America’s Center as your three-time SCW World Tag Team Champions, your heart and soul of tag team wrestling in SCW, and one of the very best teams to ever come together. We could put out the call to both teams to give us their very best... but we know by now to expect a war from all of you, and we plan on responding in kind.”
“After all, at the end of the day...”
“...it's the same old story.”
With one last nod to us, the couple take a bow before moving to retrieve the boombox and head back to their hotel, likely to get ready for what they know awaits them. As we watch them join up with a group of people that had been watching them from a distance in quiet support, it becomes more and more clear that any concerns about whether or not they're truly ready for this are unfounded. Even if Rise to Greatness doesn't turn out in their favor, they know where they stand and how much everyone believes in them, and perhaps, for right now, that's all they could ever ask for.
It was when Luz and Amelia were in their locker room, getting dressed for the battle they knew they were in for, that they received word of another battle that was finally over.
A good luck text from Darius and Evie was accompanied by the news that Ophelia and Aleister Blythe had been found guilty not just for all the crimes they'd committed as part of The Empire, but also several new ones that had come to light because of Luz and Amelia's testimonies.
Both ladies almost wanted to cry, feeling the relief wash over them.
They were finally free...
Now, all there was left to do was to make the most of it.
With the last of their lingering distractions gone, for perhaps the first time ever, The Light In The Darkness marched to the ring without a doubt in their mind that they could truly do this.
And they weren't looking back.
Perform to the best of their abilities and build momentum while dedicating their free time to preparing for a match they knew was a long time coming: a World Tag Title clash with Twisted & Sadistic, a team they had yet to directly defeat.
As we now know, that is far from how things have played out, but if you were to ask Luz and Amelia is they were upset about this, they would admit that they might've been if asked that question weeks ago. Now, however? They would admit to learning from what had happened and devoting themselves to changes they knew would need to be made to get to where they wished to be.
For the longest time, The Light In The Darkness prided themselves as fighters who were willing to tackle any challenge put before them, even attempting to increase the difficulty if they could do so, to prove that they were constantly evolving and adapting. It was a mindset that had emerged not just throughout their wrestling careers, but born of matters beyond the ring as well. No one could argue that both women had issues from their pasts that still plagued them to this day, and the emotional scars that lingered would never fade that easily. It drove the young couple just as much as it burdened them, explaining why they constantly pursued greater and greater challenges even when that pursuit began to lead them into the realm of insanity.
A perfect example was that fateful Breakdown weeks ago when, fresh off of the end of their second run as World Tag Team Champions, Luz and Amelia had met CHBK in his office and insisted that they run the gauntlet of every single member of the SCW roster in order to prove not just to the company, but also to themselves, that they were worthy of being here and ready to hunt for gold once again. As ludicrous as it sounded to everyone else, it made perfect sense to them: the ultimate test that would leave no doubts about their abilities and prove that they were more than what they believed others would begin to see them as.
After that sanction was thankfully denied and they were pulled out of their own heads not just by CHBK but also by their loved ones, they began to really dig into what had made them this way. The answers weren't hard to find, but it was easy to remember why they had tried to bury them in the first place. Growing up, both girls were the targets of constant criticism and gaslighting, from bullies in Luz's case and her own parents in Amelia's. The question of whether or not they truly deserved to be here was so deeply rooted in both of their minds that it created this constant need for validation, no matter how high the stakes needed to be raised in order to prove that they weren't everything they were led to believe by the negative influences around them. The constant praise and validation from fans and those closest to them, while greatly appreciated, could only help so much.
While they may never be able to truly break themselves free of that trauma, they recognized that a lot of work was going to need to be done in order to give themselves a fighting chance.
Thoroughly studying their previous encounters with both Twisted & Sadistic and Team Desire, looking into other matches involving their Rise to Greatness opponents, working on both improving themselves and adding to their already impressive arsenals... they were all a great start that had been a huge focus of the past several weeks, and the day of the final Breakdown before all eyes would turn towards the biggest show of SCW's calendar year would arguably yield the greatest opportunity they could ask for to finally make some significant strides in their mental recovery.
Most people would immediately assume they were referring to the events of Breakdown itself, and that'd be an easy assumption to make. Not only were the couple honest and upfront about where their heads were at and what winning at Rise to Greatness would mean to them, but they were also the only team heading into that event with any momentum behind them. They had overcome the European Fiery Nation the previous week in an Underground Rules match and looked no worse for wear speaking their piece backstage at the Little Caesars Arena, a stark contrast to both teams they'd be facing who had fallen short in their respective matches. Glory and Brittany could argue the semantics of their DQ loss to the Shining Maidens, but they weren't the ones with the upper hand when interference cost them the match, and Katie and Gigi had lost clean to the Dangerous Minds on a night where they needed to make the biggest statement possible.
As much as that gave Luz and Amelia more to learn from as they prepared for the fight of their lives, the opportunity in question had come earlier that very same day. Adrian Verner, the lawyer for Aleister and Ophelia Blythe, had tried for one last hail mary in keeping his clients out of prison for their involvement in The Empire over the past year and likely longer. Knowing full well Amelia and Luz would never take the stand to try and defend the former's parents, especially upon the revelation that the date trial was supposed to resume would have been the day of the Rise to Greatness pre-show, he had attempted to exploit everything that had been weighing on their minds lately to record enough that he could edit together to get the testimony he needed... a plan that had ultimately blown up in his face and opened the door for perhaps his greatest nightmare.
July 23rd, with five days to go afterward until Rise to Greatness, the trial of Aleister and Ophelia would finally continue after much stalling on Adrian's part... and The Light In The Darkness would be testifying against them.
Shortly after that confrontation in the gym, Evie had wasted no time in calling Darius to inform him of what had happened, and the two of them quickly reached out to the judge overseeing the trial to bring him into the loop as well. Seeing as how the witnesses Adrian had been stalling to get agreed to take the stand, even if it wasn't in his favor, the judge saw no point in delaying any further, especially out of respect to the schedules of the witnesses in question.
Amelia could only imagine how her parents were going to respond to the news of just how royally their loyal slimeball of a lawyer had screwed up, and the thought brought a smile to her face every single time.
Unsurprisingly, Luz and Amelia had to get packing as soon as their role in Breakdown was done, and the very next day they were ready to catch their flight back to England. What was surprising, however, was when they had politely asked everyone else not to waste the time and money to come with them. Naturally, there was a lot of concern because of the emotion that would be involved in this whole experience, but while the couple were very clear in how grateful they were for everyone's help and worries, Amelia was firm in her belief that this was a chapter of her and Luz's past that they needed to close the book on alone, to send a clear message to her parents that they held no power over her anymore and never would again. She wasn't exactly fooling any of them, or even herself for that matter, but as long as her parents were dragged away believing that, then she was hopeful they would never continue to be a thorn in her and Luz's sides ever again.
“You sure you guys want to go it alone on this?” Ivy had asked at the airport.
“We're sure Ivy,” Amelia firmly stated. “We have each other, we have Darius and Evie, and even if you guys won't be there with us in person, we know you're all still with us.”
“You guys deserve to head down to St. Louis and start getting in the Rise to Greatness spirit,” Luz had added. “Save your money for that spectacle.”
“It's not a matter of money Luz,” her mother said. “We just want you both to be alright. Not that those cabróns would dare to try anything I would hope, but...”
“All three of them really tried to grill us when we made our own cases,” Emily chimed in. “We just don't want to see them get to you guys and somehow get what they want out of this anyways.”
“Or really screw you both over with Rise to Greatness on the horizon,” Edward added.
“We've been talking over how deep they could dig, trying to prepare ourselves for this...” Luz carefully said.
“We can't make any promises,” Amelia lamented. “Lord knows they aren't going to make it easy to keep any promise we could make, but if what we have to say will guarantee they're put away for everything they've done...”
“We have to free ourselves from their chains while the chance is there,” Luz finished for her fiancée. “It's the only way we can truly start to move on from everything and hopefully have everything we've been fighting for at long last.”
Those words had lingered with their loved ones as preparations were finished and they were ready to board, but before they started to join the queue for security, Ivy had stopped them one last time, surprising them both with little friendship bracelets with colored beads representing everyone in their little found family.
“I know this may not seem like much,” she told them, “but consider it my way of saying that the both of you deserve nothing but the best, after everything you've gone through and how much you've given just so any of us... especially myself... can even be where we are now. You are exactly what your tag team name says you are, and that means you not only deserve to be champions again after Sunday, but you both deserve to be free to decide where to go next. If they start to make you forget that... hopefully... hopefully this will help remind you of that.”
It had been a touching gesture that had really stuck with Amelia and Luz on the entire flight over and as they'd gotten settled in and prepped for the trial. They had passed the time talking about it and all the other things their found family had gone out of the way to do in recent weeks in an effort to prove to them they were worth so much more than they may think of themselves sometimes. Gage had shared with them the public change of heart that Jacob Harrison seemed to have regarding his belief that they were imposters and how he'd seemingly abandoned the whole thing. Valentina had made a point of checking in on her sister's old bullies and had passed along that for as many of them who had claimed they were 'more worthy' to follow in her father's footsteps, none of them had actually succeeded in getting their foot in the door and many of them had actually realized they'd been huge jerks to her and were hoping to apologize someday. Beyond that, everyone had shared stories to them of what it meant to have Luz and Amelia in their lives, determined to make sure they never found themselves lost to that darkness ever again if they could help it.
All of it had actually inspired the couple to come up with a few ideas for how they could make sure those efforts were publicly acknowledged, an endeavor that had led to them sinking quite a bit of time into a video game they hadn't touched in a little while which only fueled their ideas and helped remind them of the kind of life they were hoping to have when all of this was set and done.
It had served as a great distraction to help clear their heads about what was on the horizon, and with plans in place to try and make their message loud and clear at Rise to Greatness, that only left one last obstacle to clear.
It hadn't been a surprise when they'd felt an oppressive atmosphere all around them upon entering the courtroom, especially considering its source. As Darius and Evie led them to their seats right behind team of prosecutors they'd been working with, both women turned to the counsel table to meet the cold and furious glares of Aleister and Ophelia. Adrian had shot a glare in their direction as well, but he had quickly turned his attention away to focus on frantically trying to organize his notes. Amelia could pick up almost instantly on the fact that her parents had likely increased the pressure on him to fix the blunder he'd made, and whatever notes he had were no doubt their ammunition to try and either spin her and Luz's words in their favor or try and perhaps drag them down as well in a last ditch effort to gain some sort of victory out of this.
The pressure had been relieved somewhat when the judge had entered the courtroom and directed everything to get things in motion. Anyone who knew the legal system in the UK knew that Circuit Judge Martyn Barklem was a man who could both bring a lot of levity and command a lot of respect in his courtrooms, his vast experience and understanding being why he had been sworn in to this role all the way back in 2012 and remained here ever since. The look in his eyes as he turned his attention to the defendants was clear as things got underway: he was in no mood for fun and games today.
“Mr. Verner,” he spoke, “you have held up this trial for almost a month, claiming that you needed the time to deliver proof that your clients are innocent of the charges they stand accused of. And yet, it is to my understanding that those who have brought these charges against your clients have managed to secure the cooperation for the testimonies you promised to deliver. What do you have to say about this?”
“Your Honour Judge Barklem,” Adrian rose to a stand, a nervous laugh in his voice. “I can assure you that the testomonies that will be heard here today will still paint a very clear picture of my clients' innocence and that these circumstances are only the result of the authorities simply speaking with them first. It is hardly the fault of myself or my clients that the witnesses in question have been very busy lately...”
“Something you also failed to inform this court of, I believe,” Judge Barklem responded before Adrian could speak any further. “Consider yourself lucky that your attempts to delay this trial have created enough leeway for us to be able to rearrange the schedule and accommodate everyone involved, otherwise you would have been held in contempt.”
Adrian simply nodded in acknowledgment before slumping back down into his seat, grumbling something to himself. Aleister, who sat right next to him, offered no sign of support or concern, just an annoyed scoff.
“Your Honour Judge Barklem,” one of the prosecutors said as he rose to a stand. “In the interest of wasting no more of the valuable time of anyone in this room, may we proceed to call the last of our two witnesses?”
“You may,” the judge allowed.
“In that case, I would like to call La Pequeña Luz to the stand.”
Luz nodded as she stood up from her seat and started to move towards the witness stand. Before she got too far, she was stopped as Amelia grabbed her hand, the two of them engaging in a silent conversation that amounted to Amelia nodding and showing faith in her beloved. Luz's eyes slowly moved down to their joined hands, seeing Ivy's friendship bracelets tucked beneath the sleeves of their respective suitcoats as she returned Amelia's smile. On her way up to the stand, she glanced over and almost let out an audible sigh at the very clear disgust in the glare Opehlia was giving her, almost as if her stare alone would somehow cause the luchadora to combust into flames on the spot and prevent her from saying what she needed to say. Unfortunately for her, Luz settled into the stand with no sign of any flames igniting as she was asked to repeat the witness affirmation.
“I, La Pequeña Luz, do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare-”
“Objection!” Adrian shot up out of his chair like a jack-in-the-box. “Your Honour Judge Barklem, 'La Pequeña Luz' is not her full legal name, it's her wrestling name! If she's going to swear the affirmation, she must do so properly or her statement cannot be trusted!”
Amelia had to suppress a growl as she glared at the scumbag from her seat, taking note of the smug grin her father was wearing in contrast to the death glare her mother had refused to cease giving Luz. Evie wasn't as quiet about this next to her, but a hand on her shoulder from Darius kept her from doing anything rash. Amelia honestly couldn't say she was surprised after all this time and every underhanded thing her parents had done to maintain any semblance of superiority for all these years, and attempting to force Luz to break her oath as a luchador felt like only the beginning of this game.
Amelia glanced up at Luz, who met her gaze and offered a reassuring smile as she folded her hands.
“Your Honour Judge Barklem,” Luz carefully said, having been given the full run-through beforehand of how to properly address the judge in this country's court because of his status. “Lucha libre is such an important part of my culture in Mexico that it transcends the wrestling ring and has become a part of everyday life. For that reason, until the day comes where I either choose to upon my retirement or am forced to by losing a match where it is at stake, La Pequeña Luz is, as far as the public is concerned, my legal name, and the government of Mexico recognizes that.”
“The government of the United Kingdom certainly does not!” Adrian retaliated, but Luz seemed to be prepared as she motioned to the prosecutors and one of them pulled out some paperwork that was ultimately handed to the judge. He gave them a thorough look-through for a minute before locking eyes with Adrian, who practically shrank under the gaze.
“Mr. Verner,” he stated, unamused, “you do not have the authority to speak on what is or isn't recognized by our government or the crown. In this courtroom, that is up to my determination and mine alone. These documents I've been handed do, in fact, verify Miss Luz's claim that her wrestling identity is recognized as her current full legal name for the purpose of all public appearances. Miss Luz, I apologize for the interruption, and would like to ask you to resume your affirmation, if you please.”
Amelia breathed a sigh of relief as the documents were returned to the prosecution team and Adrian angrily sat back down, and she could see her father silently berate the man for a failure that, honestly, was probably more his fault for coming up with the idea than it was his lawyer. Still, Luz finished giving her affirmation before the prosecutor who had called her to the stand approached.
“Miss Luz,” he started, “could you tell the court about your relationship with Aleister and Ophelia Blythe.”
“Well,” Luz replied, “I am currently engaged to their youngest daughter and they would become my in-laws once we finally have our wedding. Beyond that, I have come to know them over the course of the past five or so years through interactions while I have been both a fellow wrestler to, and in a relationship with, Amelia.”
“And how would you describe your interactions with them?” she was asked next.
“Miserable,” she bluntly stated, taking note of Ophelia's nostrils flaring in response to the truth. “Ophelia and Aleister never once approved of me being in their daughter's life at all, not just as her partner in a wrestling or romantic sense. They have never hidden how much they believe themselves superior and believed their daughter could, and I quote, 'do so much better' than me purely because of the fact that I am Latina. In both wrestling and in general, they have tried for years to remove me from Amelia's life.”
“How so?” the prosecutor asked.
Luz took a deep breath before she began listing off the various schemes Amelia's parents had attempted over the years, some of which were familiar to any wrestling fans in the courtroom who were only just now realizing the angle regarding that was anything but, though most of them were focused specifically on a lot of the attempts that had been made after the couple had returned to SCW. She held nothing back as she recounted each and every attempt, not bothering to hide her disdain for any of it despite her usual cherry demeanor, and the jury looked more and more appalled with each new example given.
Through it all, Luz and Amelia both noted that Adrian was growing more and more panicked while Aleister looked about ready to break the counsel table in half. Ophelia, however, just maintained her hateful glare.
“There is one incident that stands out above the rest to me personally, however,” Luz began to wrap up, “besides the time when Aleister actually held the both of us and some of our friends at gunpoint after we had just finished a show.”
“An incident we do have documented through prior testimony,” Judge Barklem confirmed, “but thank you for further verifying its legitimacy.”
“I mentioned earlier about how sacred lucha libre and everything about it is to the culture of my home country of Mexico,” Luz continued. “While serving The Empire, Aleister and Ophelia were part of the conspiracy to sabotage my identity through an imposter that they had personally trained. While this imposter and I have since resolved the matter on our own terms, said imposter proceeded to do everything in her power to ruin and disgrace my name and my mask, and while Caleb White may have been the man calling the shots on that particular scheme, it never would have gotten off the ground if Aleister and Ophelia hadn't willingly trained her to become a wrestler in the first place.”
With no further questions and feeling satisfied with everything Luz had said, the prosecutor thanked her before returning to his seat. With the judge's approval, Adrian now stood up, as recomposed as he could possibly be despite the sweat still visibly rolling down his face.
“So, Luz,” he grinned. “How can you possibly confirm that last statement of yours, that my clients 'willingly' trained this so-called doppelganger of yours to try and ruin your reputation? How do you know that this person simply wasn't trained by anyone else with a similar style?”
“Because first of all,” Luz responded, “Amelia was trained by her parents and she's been teaching me ever since we first started teaming together, so I know what to look for. And secondly, they admitted on camera, in front of the entire world, the pride they felt at personally training my doppelganger to serve The Empire and be, and I quote, 'exactly the kind of wrestler that could represent the Blythe name and style for the greater good.' Despite it all being in the name of The Empire, not once did they mention The Empire directly in that entire speech.”
“She made for a much better and more appropriate wrestler than you ever did,” Ophelia audibly spat, “even though your kind doesn't deserve to desecrate the sport or this world with anything you-”
“Mrs. Blythe!” Judge Barklem sternly cut her off. “Mr. Verner, I'd advise you to control your client before she speaks out of turn again.”
Ophelia's only response to this was to stand up, which prompted the bailiff to put himself between her and the witness stand. Adrian quickly moved to try and get her to sit back down, with Luz and Amelia audibly hearing him ask “What do you think you're doing?” and a hushed argument breaking out between them about whether or not he had the situation under control. Luz bit her bottom lip at how unhinged Ophelia was starting to look.
“Enough! Order in this courtroom!” the judge roared, immediately silencing everyone. “Mr. Verner, since it seems like you cannot control your client, then I'm afraid for the safety of Miss Luz that you are going to have to forfeit your right to any further questioning, unless there is anything more she needs to share.”
“I've said my piece, Your Honour Judge Barklem,” Luz confirmed, and with his approval she stepped down from the stand and quickly moved back to her seat, escorted by another bailiff when Ophelia looked like she was going to attempt to make a move towards her. Amelia immediately pulled Luz into a hug once she returned, staring down her mother in the process.
“I didn't think she'd lose her composure like that,” Darius admitted in surprise.
“Neither did I,” Luz agreed. “I know she and Aleister hate me, but I would've figured they'd be more composed given the circumstances.”
“Hopefully my turn goes just as smoothly,” Amelia mumbled.
“It will, mi amor,” Luz replied, giving her a kiss to help ease her nerves.
It took several minutes, but ultimately Ophelia seemed to calm down and order was restored, though not without one final warning from the judge to the defendants about the outburst. The couple could see a quiet argument ignite between her and Adrian, with Aleister chiming in to seemingly back up his wife, but that conversation ended pretty quickly when Amelia was called to the stand and asked to give her affirmation.
“I, Amelia Blythe, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
“Miss Amelia,” the prosecutor began, “you are the daughter of the defendants, is that correct?”
“It is,” Amelia confirmed.
“What was it like to be their daughter?”
“It...” Amelia started, only to feel herself freezing up as she met her father's glare. She'd seen it time and time again, that clear and painful disappointment in his eyes. She knew it should mean nothing to her anymore, but clearly he knew how she'd react to it as his lips slowly curled into a smirk, expecting her to fall in line and see Adrian's original plan through.
As she lowered her gaze, almost in a symbol of obedience to the silent command, her eyes glued themselves to the friendship bracelet, the reminder of the friend that her parents had separated her from and all the pain and hardship that followed. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her resolve and lifted her defiant gaze back to her parents.
“It was a living hell,” she said resolutely, causing the members of the jury to murmur to one another as Aleister's smirk fell. “I was never a daughter to them... just an extension of our family name, the next link in the proverbial chain. I was meant to be their 'perfect prodigy' and nothing more. I had no say in how my life was supposed to go, even when I was legally an adult. I had to be the top of my class, who I could associate with was decided for me... even the concept of losing a wrestling match deemed me a failure in their eyes.”
“What happened if you couldn't live up to such expectations?” the prosecutor asked carefully.
“They... abused me,” she choked out. “My father had no qualms about treating me, when I was still a child, like an adult opponent in the ring to make sure I 'understood' how to apply our family's signature submission hold. My mother has hit me, refused to allow me to eat... on my 7th birthday, they blackmailed me into cutting ties with my best friend, all because she had two fathers. Luz told you about all the racist remarks they've made about her... something she didn't get the chance to mention was how homophobic my parents are as well, the mere thought of two people of the same gender being in a relationship disgusting them. All of that was just as much a reason why they didn't want me to associate with Luz, why they saw her defeating me in the ring as the ultimate failure, why they wanted so badly to 'cure' me of the 'disease' of being a lesbian. In that regard... it's no wonder why they joined Caleb and his Empire.”
“According to the defense, Aleister and Ophelia Blythe were manipulated by Caleb into joining his cult,” the prosecutor noted, mostly as a reminder to everyone present of the main reason why this trial was happening in the first place.
“They were never manipulated,” Amelia spoke defiantly, giving her parents a look that almost dared them to try and deny the next words out of her mouth. “They'd been working with Caleb in the name of furthering their own fortunes and names long before The Empire was ever even a concept. Before I was even born, they willingly signed a contract with him to place me into an arranged marriage with his own heir-”
“Because we knew you'd be an absolute disappointment if we let you make any decisions for yourself, and lo and behold, we were right!” Ophelia yelled as she stood up, her chair being knocked to the floor in the process.
“Mrs. Blythe, I've warned you-” Judge Barklem tried to cut in.
“No, I know exactly how this is going to go!” Ophelia screamed. “Our incompetent lawyer bungled the one job we asked him to do, my daughter is going to keep spinning this sob story and my husband and I are going to be put away for trying to be better parents than anybody in this courtroom could ever possibly hope to be!”
“Ophelia!” Aleister growled as he stood up and grabbed his wife before turning to glare at his daughter. “You really think this is going to accomplish anything Amelia? That you and that filthy mongrel sitting over there are going to get your happy ending? That the both of you are going to walk into your big wrestling show this weekend, the one that this very court bent over backwards for and proved how biased it truly is, and the both of you aren't going to embarrass yourselves?”
“All you've ever been in as embarrassment to our family name!” Ophelia shrieked as she tried to pull away from her husband, but by this point the bailiffs had enough and moved in to drag the both of them out of the courtroom.
“That's enough! I will have order!” Judge Barklem called over the chaos.
“I apologize, Your Honour Judge Barklem,” Amelia said, bowing her head to him as he turned to look down at her.
“You were simply giving your testimony, Miss Blythe,” he told her.
“No,” Amelia shook her head before turning to look at her parents one last time as Adrian pleaded desperately with them to calm down. “It won't be Miss Blythe for much longer... and after everything Luz and I have shared with the court today, I have no regrets about taking her last name and being a Blythe no longer once we finally tie the knot.”
Ophelia's response was an ear-piercing shriek as she spiraled even further, but neither she nor Aleister were afforded any chance to try and break through the human wall that had formed between them and the two people they seemed fully willing to take down with them by any means necessary. Adrian could only watch in disbelief as his clients tore apart any hope they may have had at somehow salvaging this if they had just let him do his job, even as they accosted him for being at fault for allowing this to happen in the first place before they were finally removed from the room. As the judge called for a recess to decide how to continue from here, he shot one last glare in the direction of Amelia and Luz as the former walked back over to her future wife before he removed himself to deal with his clients.
“You did great, querida,” Luz told Amelia as she held her close, feeling her trembling in her arms.
“I wasn't going to let them have their way... not this time,” Amelia shakily said. “I wish it didn't have to be like this, but...”
“They deserve it,” Darius told them both.
“They were never going to be the parents you deserved to have Amelia,” Evie sadly nodded in agreement. “But I doubt you'll ever have to worry about their threats ever again after today.”
“I'm just... surprised at how this went down,” Amelia admitted. “I wasn't expecting my parents to...”
“Truth be told, I could tell the mere idea of possibly losing everything they believe they deserved and built for themselves was causing them to slowly unravel as this trial went on.”
All eyes turned in surprise as Judge Barklem had stepped down and approached them.
“Your Honour Judge Barklem,” Amelia said breathlessly.
“Please,” he held up his hand. “Court isn't in session at the moment, so I won't be offended if you break formality.”
“I think we've known for a long time that Amelia's parents were control freaks, but...” Luz openly pondered.
“I could see they were struggling to control some of their outbursts the more evidence was presented against them, despite their lawyer's best efforts to argue against them,” the judge revealed. “In hindsight, I shouldn't have humored Mr. Verner's attempts to stall this trial for so long, but I had hoped that a lengthy break from the proceedings might help them regain their composure when we resumed. Unfortunately, I had hoped for too much by the look of things, and I apologize on behalf of the entire circuit judiciary for any danger you may have found yourselves in here today.”
“Honestly?” Luz admitted. “After everything we've been through, I can't say that something like this wasn't out of the ordinary.”
“It's still shocking to see my parents fall apart just like that all over a lack of control,” Amelia repeated.
“I know Aleister grew a little unhinged when he was imprisoned for holding you all at gunpoint,” Darius revealed uncertainly, but I guess the man I thought I knew a long time ago really did lose himself to the idea of everything he had going for him if he just maintained control.”
“Will these two be needed any more?” Evie asked Judge Barklem, who shook his head.
“They've testified, and even if Mr. Verner feels entitled to a chance for cross-examination at this point, I think the jury already has their verdict and anything beyond this point is a formality. There's no reason to keep them any longer, especially if any harm could come to them.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Luz and Amelia both said.
“Thank you both for agreeing to come here today, despite everything that happened,” the judge responded before sighing. “I can promise you that this is not how trials are supposed to go, but if it's any consolation... I'd like to wish you both the best of luck at your show this Sunday.”
With nods exchanged, the judge headed off to speak with his one of his bailiffs on the situation regarding the Blythes, but Luz and Amelia didn't bother to spare the two of them any more thought as Darius and Evie guided them back to their hotel so they could pack up and prepare for arguably the biggest night of their lives to date.
It hurt to think about how everything had gone down as the couple ultimately made their way to St. Louis to reunite with everyone and put Rise to Greatness at the forefront of their focus. How this had gone down conflicted with how they thought it would go in their heads, but it also helped them to remember and fully understand that nothing is ever truly set in stone and things don't always go how you want or think they'll go. That had happened with their road to get to this point, after all, and they had still hopefully gained something they truly wanted out of all of this: Amelia's parents no longer being a threat to them in any form and finally paying for all the atrocities they'd committed over the years.
They knew there was still work to be done, though... after all, getting to this point was only the first step.
The next one? With any luck, earning back the World Tag Team Titles for a third time and silencing any doubt, especially their own, that they well and truly belong in the conversation as perhaps one of the greatest tag teams in SCW history.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gateway Arch, arguably the most recognizable landmark that everyone immediately associates with the city of St. Louis, Missouri, is where we find ourselves today. Often billed as “The Gateway to The West,” the historic landmark has garnered a lot of symbolism over the years in various different forms, and we're getting the honor of seeing this impressive sight early in the morning as the sun is beginning to rise, standing tall and proud in silhouette against the dawn of a brand new day and reflecting that golden light as we move closer, inviting us through to explore all that the city has to offer. As we do close in, however, we pick up the sound of music, which feels odd given how early in the morning it must be. Sure enough, the source turns out to be an old boombox with a cassette playing in it, churning out a tune that we can feel in our bones.
“All out, in practice
Get back on axis
Oh a seamless loop of seeds and sand
A timeless tide keeps pulling you under
All else turns to rain
Fall back in and find the exit
There’s no one else to blame
Can you give me all that you’ve got”
Get back on axis
Oh a seamless loop of seeds and sand
A timeless tide keeps pulling you under
All else turns to rain
Fall back in and find the exit
There’s no one else to blame
Can you give me all that you’ve got”
As we look around, we find two figures that seem to be taking in the music along with the incredible sight of the city bathed in the golden light of dawn, looking like they're fresh off of finishing a workout. It's hard to tell at the moment how close this was filmed to the day of Rise to Greatness, but one thing is clear: Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz are focused like we've perhaps never seen before. As the boombox continues to belt out lyrics that we can just feel line up with where The Light In The Darkness are mentally right now, we watch as they both take deep breaths before sharing a kiss filled with all the love and passion that has come to define them up to this point. They don't look ashamed, or embarrassed, or even broken or doubting themselves in any way, and that doesn't change as they seem to realize our presence and part only so Luz can lean down and turn off the music, giving them the chance to absorb the peace and quiet of the busy city before the day truly gets underway as she steps back beside her beloved, joining hands with her as their forms are further illuminated by the rising sun.
“Rise to Greatness is almost upon us, and we know that many of you have questions... questions about us, whether or not we're ready for this, where our heads are at, and so on. It's hard for us to ignore any of that considering how the road to get to this point has gone for us, but in a way, it ultimately makes a lot of sense. Nothing is ever easy in SCW, and we should have never expected that it would ever be as simple as walking into the biggest show of SCW's calendar year and defending our titles against a team that many would consider the greatest question we haven't answered yet. We found ourselves questioning if we truly belonged here, if we were really good enough... it's easy to try and shove all of that to the back of your mind and forget it even exists because anybody who tells you there isn't a single doubt in their mind when they step into that ring, we can confirm they're lying to you. It's in our nature as humans to have those doubts, those fears... but Amelia and I will be the first to openly and honestly admit that our doubts will always define who we are and how we approach this business, whether we like it or not.”
“When you saw us walk into CHBK's office several weeks ago and ask to prove ourselves by going through the entire roster to earn the right to pursue championship gold ever again, Luz and I were dead serious and more than willing to endure such a gauntlet, no matter how absurd the whole idea might sound to any of you. We've made it no secret that our respective upbringings were not as pleasant as we wished they could have been, but one thing that I think many often overlook in stories like ours is the lasting trauma that never truly goes away even as we get older and find ourselves in healthier surroundings. Between everything my parents expected of me and the ways I was punished if I didn't live up to such impossibly high standards, the bullying Luz endured from children her age who refused to believe that she would ever be capable of amounting to anything, much less following in her father's footsteps... perhaps even the expectations that some of you have for us given what we've accomplished so far in SCW and hope to keep accomplishing. Anyone else in the position we found ourselves in might be able to brush themselves off, pick themselves back up and waste no time in trying to rebound even knowing that history was made at their expense... but that's not how our brains are hardwired at this point, especially when we've refused to be anything other than who we truly are in front of all of you.”
“That night wasn't our greatest moment, but CHBK wasn't wrong when he told us that we had proven ourselves to be one of the top tag teams in all of professional wrestling and that was what he wanted for Rise to Greatness, regardless of how the World Tag Title match now looked without us as the champions. He was blunt with us... which is exactly what we needed in that moment to wake up and realize just how bad this whole issue truly was. Alex, thank you for the wake-up call we so desperately needed, because you're right: being the final victims of two brand new Supreme Champions bothered us on a level we can't even describe, and the arrow of time doesn't change its course once it's fired. But that doesn't mean we can't still take control of our destinies and decide for ourselves how our story ends, because when you really think about it... no matter how much Katie wants to present this whole thing as her grandest presentation, or Glory wants to remind the world of how tall she's stood time and time again, the two of us have always been at the very heart of this matter, and this match that awaits us is proof of that.”
“SCW didn't have to give us another chance after our first run was derailed only a few matches in due to injuries, but they took that gamble and we have busted our behinds to make sure they would never regret it. It's been almost two whole years since we announced our return to the entire world, and look at everything we've done in that time span. We've both held the Television Championship, we're former two-time World Tag Team Champions together, we competed in and won SCW's first ever twelve-person tag match, we've stood toe-to-toe with some of the greatest teams to ever set foot in an SCW ring like the House of Frost and Dark Fantasy, putting on such an incredible show that it helped to reignite the fires of tag team wrestling and show the world that SCW was the place to be if you wanted to prove yourself as one of the best tag teams in the business today. All the new teams that have come to SCW to try and stake their claim, every team that has formed or stepped up in this past year... we really don't want to sound egotistical about this, but we'd like to believe we had a hand in all of this being where it is today, not because it was necessary but because we wanted to put in the work to show the world what tag team wrestling is all about and how much it truly means to us. We laid the groundwork for what we wanted to accomplish, and SCW simply responded in kind by providing the challenge.”
“It was never going to be easy, and we've both faced our fair share of setbacks that have rocked us, but at the end of the day... we're still here, fighting for the chance to dictate our story.”
“And yeah, there's the argument that we may be too nice to be doing this... but when you look back on all that we've accomplished since coming back in spite of that, is it really a flaw that proves anything?”
The couple stand there for a moment, almost as if they're waiting for a rebuttal they know they won't actually get. Maybe the response they're awaiting is meant to come from the doubts they've both admitted still linger in their minds, but it doesn't change how focused and energized they seem to be in the slightest. If anything, we watch as they take another deep breath of the early morning air before glancing around at the arch that towers over them.
“The Gateway Arch means a lot of different things to a lot of different people... to us, walking through it symbolizes the steps we're willingly taking towards improving ourselves in every aspect, from how we view ourselves to what we're willing to do to evolve with the shifting tides of SCW as this journey continues. After all, we'd been telling everyone we've faced to step up and give us their absolute best, and sooner or later what had been working for us for so long was going to be figured out. That's what Team Desire did on that fateful Breakdown the night of June 20th, and we thank Katie and Gigi for redirecting our road to this moment because it gave us the chance to take a step back after we got our heads screwed back on straight and re-evaluate how approach. Before any of you begin to worry, you can rest assured that nothing has changed as far as who we are is concerned. Our light may dim, but it will never be swallowed by the darkness completely. But there is a lot we can still improve upon, and one of the first things we've truly realized because of all of this... is just how much we've truly been taken advantage of time and time again because of who we are.”
“Katie and Gigi may never admit to it, but CHBK wasn't wrong when he pointed out how much the two of you took advantage of where we were at all those weeks ago. Maybe against our better judgment because we knew it was only right to properly defend those titles when we hadn't done so at Taking Hold of the Flame, you challenged us at just the right moment and took advantage of how divided our focus still was... and now, here we stand, champions no more. Congratulations again Katie on achieving Supreme Champion status... as much as we mean it when we say that, though, now the question truly becomes where your focus lies. Perhaps the two of you repeated our mistake in worrying so much about Rise to Greatness and what you want it to be, because that loss last Breakdown to the Dangerous Minds? Even if you managed to leave St. Louis with those titles, you have to know that now you're in the crosshairs and you've got one team that can already stake a claim to having the next shot against you. This doesn't seem like something we should be telling the both of you considering how long you've been in this business and everything you both have accomplished up to this point, but... everybody makes mistakes. Again, we're only human.”
“And yes, that does include the both of you. No matter how much you consider yourselves royalty or goddesses, you're still truly human and all of this could end in the blink of an eye if you take your eye off the ball. That's what happened with us, focusing so much on trying to prevent history at our expense again that we let ourselves become a self-fulfilling prophecy. At Rise to Greatness, we know better now. We know that you're not the same Team Desire that we've beaten several times before, we know you're ready for what we bring to the table, and you've made it clear that you think this is ultimately about repeating that mistake of overlooking the both of you just because of who else is in this match. No, you two... all eyes are on you, just like you truly wanted. You may think this is your movie, that you call the shots, but you aren't the only ones who can write a plot twist, and the longer you assume that nothing has changed in the few weeks we've been without those titles, the more you've already bought so much into your own hype that this movie might not have the happy ending you two are hoping for.”
“Maybe this isn't how you truly wanted any of this to go. Maybe you were certain that once the two of you dethroned us that The Light In The Darkness would no longer be in the picture, that you were free to forget about us and move on. Perhaps, in your ideal movie, you would've gotten that wish. But we honestly have to ask... if Luz and I hadn't pushed ourselves to do what we've done for SCW's tag team division, if we weren't the kind of people who wore our hearts on our sleeves and gladly accepted any challenge even if it wasn't in our best interest in hindsight, then would the two of you have even tried to make this happen in the first place? For as important as this was to Katie, for as much as Gigi's been wanting to prove herself, it's hard to ignore how convenient it all is that the two of you didn't step up to the plate when the titles belonged to the Frosts or Dark Fantasy or even Twisted & Sadistic. Admit it, Team Desire was inspired by The Light In The Darkness, and deep down it scares you that we've managed to put in so much work in a comparatively short amount of time. Maybe neither one of us will ever reach Supreme Champion status, certainly not to the level that Katie has or Gigi still could one day... and we'd be alright with that, because we can stand here right now and acknowledge the impact we've had on SCW thus far and how much work we can still do, regardless of where our story goes next. And if that road should lead us away from the tag division to pursue other opportunities around here... can the two of you truly hold down the fort like we have?
The same question can be asked of Twisted & Sadistic.”
Amelia and Luz exchange looks, any hints of a smile starting to fade now. Something about the sight is a little unnerving, especially when juxtaposed against the scene around them and the way they'd addressed the champions just moments ago. There's no hint of doubt or concern, but a closer look almost makes it clear that there's some sense of frustration they're struggling to manage, and hints of it linger even when they seem to have calmed themselves down enough to continue.
“You want to know something funny? I spoke earlier about how much the two of us have been gaslit in one form or another throughout our lives, manipulated and made to feel as though we were never meant to get to where we are now and having to fight to prove otherwise in spite of how it affected us. Even now, we've found ourselves constantly having to fend off attempts to get into our heads and dictate our actions by outside forces with ill intentions. But while the news may cover those incidents, one that flew so far under the radar that even we missed it after all this time was the machinations of Glory Braddock and Brittany Lohan. While we know the latter would probably take pride in that, perhaps the former either didn't realize how much she was stringing us along or thought it was too well hidden beneath the respect she constantly said she had for us. Make no mistake, both of you: we do respect what you both are capable of in that ring. If that wasn't the case, then we wouldn't have willingly fought alongside you at Taking Hold of the Flame when we really didn't have to, or be so focused on preparing for the two-on-two match we thought we'd have with you that Team Desire took advantage and caught us.”
“How did you respond to our defeat, by the way? If I'm remembering correctly, your disappointment over not getting to face us at first was pretty brief, because despite the mountain you made out of a molehill, at the end of the day this was never about proving anything against us, it was about the two of you becoming World Tag Team Champions once again. The only reason we were important wasn't just because we had what you wanted, but because even during the few weeks you had usurped us as champions, everyone still saw Amelia and I as the heart of the tag team division, still giving our blood, sweat and tears to not only build ourselves back up but keep elevating everything and everyone around us in the process. We were caught in the middle of the beef you had with Dark Fantasy all because despite what it meant for the both of you to be World Tag Team Champions, we couldn't be brushed aside as everyone waited with bated breath to see if, when and how we'd choose to invoke our rematch.”
“And when we did and won back the titles, that's where the real problems started. We all know the story by now: Twisted & Sadistic raise issues about the fact that they lost the titles without actually being beaten, which we won't argue with, but you did so knowing you'd get our attention so you could dictate how you could try to get those titles back. Honestly, it probably would have worked had Chance and Kelsai not been so aggressive about calling their shot. We tried to find a solution that would appease everyone... which didn't appease you and led to the two of you causing chaos, and even when we stood our ground and told you we weren't giving in to your antics, you still had exactly what you wanted. You had an opportunity to quickly get back to the front of the line, and that's exactly where you ended up. You earned it, we're not going to deny that, but what happened next? That title match got pushed back because some of the teams you attacked on your rampage weren't so willing to let it end just because you survived the consequences of your actions. We interjected ourselves, knowing that if we left you to your fate then you'd criticize our integrity and use it as an excuse if you didn't get what you wanted again.”
“For months, Twisted & Sadistic played us like a fiddle, and whether you did it knowingly or actually didn't mean to, that's exactly what happened. We've been at the heart of everything the two of you have done for so long, all the way back to Glory beating Amelia last year for the Television Title and only needing that one missing piece of the Supreme Champion puzzle, a goal that you knew full well would mean crossing paths with us again. We wouldn't go as far as to say that there would be no Twisted & Sadistic without The Light In The Darkness, but whether you admit to it or not, we've been stuck cleaning up your messes for months, doing our part to try and allow for us to determine, once and for all, who is truly better between us with no excuses... a courtesy we doubt you would have offered us if the roles were reversed. We saw it when you tried to move on from us so quickly after we lost the titles weeks ago, and we should've seen it sooner when we think back to the tag team turmoil last year where this whole dance between our two teams really heated up. After all, you pinned the fact that you two were eliminated by Bree and Datura—proof that the two of you are not as unbeatable as you believe yourselves to be—on the fatigue of having gone through multiple opponents before that point, only to turn around and brush us off when we could rightfully make the exact same argument.”
Both women look up at the arch once again, taking in the progress of the sky now that the sun has risen enough that we can hear people in St. Louis beginning their days all around them. They turn to look at one another before the smiles return, and Luz proceeds to walk back over to the boombox. Instead of grabbing it, however, she instead ejects the cassette tape it was playing before she steps back, with Amelia taking her hand as they both hold up the tape for all to see.
“At Rise to Greatness, there will be no more games. There will be no more excuses. This is about as level a playing field as you can get. Elimination rules means two teams will have to fall for one to stand tall. Team Desire is vulnerable after being upset last Breakdown. Twisted & Sadistic, despite what you two might think, are more vulnerable than you realize based on what we did see in that match before it was interrupted. And us? We're vulnerable too... we did go through an Underground Rules makes just two weeks ago, after all, despite our victory. We know that no matter how you frame it, Amelia and I have been at the very heart of all of this since the beginning. We know what we mean to SCW and its tag division, and you better believe we're going to fight like hell to remind all four of you exactly why everyone still associates us with the renaissance of tag team wrestling on the stage where it matters most.”
“We're not perfect, but nobody is. The difference is that we proudly wear every chip and crack that makes us who we are, because it's proof that no matter what about us you see as a weakness, it hasn't truly stopped us yet and it's not going to anytime soon. We know the role we play now, and we know what we need to do if we're going to dethrone Team Desire and prove that Twisted & Sadistic is not as invincible as they'd like to believe. Sunday night, right here in St. Louis, you all will hear our song, and you will understand exactly what makes us who we are and why we will be walking out of The Dome at America’s Center as your three-time SCW World Tag Team Champions, your heart and soul of tag team wrestling in SCW, and one of the very best teams to ever come together. We could put out the call to both teams to give us their very best... but we know by now to expect a war from all of you, and we plan on responding in kind.”
“After all, at the end of the day...”
“...it's the same old story.”
With one last nod to us, the couple take a bow before moving to retrieve the boombox and head back to their hotel, likely to get ready for what they know awaits them. As we watch them join up with a group of people that had been watching them from a distance in quiet support, it becomes more and more clear that any concerns about whether or not they're truly ready for this are unfounded. Even if Rise to Greatness doesn't turn out in their favor, they know where they stand and how much everyone believes in them, and perhaps, for right now, that's all they could ever ask for.
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It was when Luz and Amelia were in their locker room, getting dressed for the battle they knew they were in for, that they received word of another battle that was finally over.
A good luck text from Darius and Evie was accompanied by the news that Ophelia and Aleister Blythe had been found guilty not just for all the crimes they'd committed as part of The Empire, but also several new ones that had come to light because of Luz and Amelia's testimonies.
Both ladies almost wanted to cry, feeling the relief wash over them.
They were finally free...
Now, all there was left to do was to make the most of it.
With the last of their lingering distractions gone, for perhaps the first time ever, The Light In The Darkness marched to the ring without a doubt in their mind that they could truly do this.
And they weren't looking back.
![[Image: uKMzpho.png]](https://i.imgur.com/uKMzpho.png)
Tag Team Record: 28-11-1*
La Pequeña Luz Solo Record: 19-10
Amelia Blythe Nevado Solo Record: 14-9-1
*The tag team turmoil on the 9/14/2023 Breakdown is counted in this record as the three separate matches LITD had in the gauntlet up until their elimination.
Breakdown 3/30/2023 - Kim Williams' Trios Cash-In
La Pequeña Luz: 3 Falls
Amelia Blythe Nevado: 2 Falls
*Neither one finished high enough to win any championships in this match
*Result listed separately and not counted in records due to lack of clarity on how to count falls
SCW Accomplishments
SCW Television Championship (Amelia Blythe Nevado - 29 Days)
SCW Television Championship (La Pequeña Luz - 98 Days)
SCW World Tag Team Championship [3] (1 - 81 Days) (2 - 109 Days) (3 - 231 Days)
SCW United States Championship (La Pequeña Luz) [2] (1/Interim Reign - 94 Days) (2 - Current)
2024 Trios Tournament Winner (Amelia Blythe Nevado, w/ Xander Valentine and Billy Heaven Jr.)
2023 Tag Team of the Year
2023 Match of the Year (Kim Williams' Trios Cash-In)
2024 Tag Team of the Year