The Glimmer Sisters vs. Xander Valentine & Selena Frost

[Xander Valentine]

Vanity is what drives us most in this sport, isn’t it?

Not many of us could consider their aspirations lofty. We’re competitive. We want to be the best. And the victories. The championship belts. All the fucking accolades are us simply seeking that ego stroke. Continue to build our self-image. Create a sense of self-importance.

I can’t lie to say I’m above that. That I’m some support of a different breed. I glance over at my rivals’ resumes, and I detest how, somehow, there are more World Championship reigns than I do. Others might hold winning records against me, the person whom I have long called the gold standard of this sport. The measuring stick that just happens to hit you back. For years, I’ve acted as the gatekeeper. Barring the unfit from ascending to the pinnacle of this sport.

So, does it feel right that for the first time in my career, I have one half of the Tag Team belts hoisted over my shoulder? It feels good. I can’t lie. One accomplishment that eluded me was achieved in the most unorthodox way. Never in a hundred years would I, or anyone, guess that I would gain these belts by teaming with Selena Frost. We hate each other. We have fought so many wars. Left so many wounds, scars externally, but more serious damage underneath the skin. If there’s a Paratheon of Wrestlers, we’re both eternal rivals, forever scheming and battling against each other.

But our paths intercepted, our goal aligned. We were brought together, against our wills, to take care of the Glimmer Sister problem. Now, the Glimmer Sisters are not the root cause of everything that’s wrong with this new generation of wrestlers. They simply are the face. They found success quickly, and they proved to be one of— if not the best tag team in the world. But having reached the summit so easily has truly tainted their perception. Hard work and hard times create character. And since they skipped the process and went straight to the end result, they are truly incapable of showing respect for this sport and for those who have come before them.

So, Selena and I had to put aside our differences. They spat in our faces, and we returned the receipt. They were no match for the raw firepower of history’s greatest wrestlers. They were simply outgunned. Outmatched. And it’s not because they lacked heart. It’s not because they don’t have the potential to one day ink their names in the history book. No, it’s because they still haven’t matured enough and developed enough to become our equals. Plain. Simple.

An honest review. Not an attack.

It’s why Selena and I, the unlikely duo, hold the World Tag Team Championship. Despite the odds. Despite the struggles. We prevailed. And the Glimmer Sisters fell short— but their vanity refused to accept that result. They cannot grasp the gap between the premier wrestlers of this sport and two upstarts armed with a dream. So we dance again at Retribution. One last time. They get their rematch. Selena and I once again get to punish the sisters for their lack of awareness and utter disrespect.

But it’s more than that to me now. Sure, I want to taste victory. Sure, I want to savor being Tag Team Champion, even if my partner is my enemy— but more than ever, it is because Selena Frost is my partner that I have to ensure that this venture continues.

At a certain point, Selena Frost’s achievements— her legacy. Our rivalry. She gave me a purpose to keep fighting. To keep striving. As long as the question stands, whether or not Selena Frost is the greatest of all time, I have a reason to continue wrestling. Fight through the aches and pains. Fend off father time. She inspires me in a very petty fashion.

Before her? I languished. I stumbled. I took my top spot for granted. But never again. And for that, I owe her.

And I will repay her.

When I look in her eyes and see the darkness, I know that she’s on the path to self-destruction. I’ve seen that look. In the mirror. Years ago. When I question life, battling an existential crisis. Unable to find an answer, I lash out at everyone I love and start digging my own early grave. By some miracle of God, I survived those dark times, perhaps because of that purpose given to me by Selena Frost.

I can’t let Selena destroy herself. I can’t have her throw away everything she built. I bet people are confused why I care so much. Wouldn’t it benefit Xander Valentine if Selena Frost went ahead and tarnished her legacy? Throw everything away. Lose herself. Couldn’t I play catch-up? Couldn’t I try to lap her? Couldn’t I take advantage of her dwindling presence?

But there’s a difference between most people and me. I don’t want the easy way out. I don’t want to win by default. I don’t want anything to fall into my lap. Syren. Selena. They did take advantage of my misfortune and the distractions that came with it. They rose in my absence. So I have every right to take advantage if Selena falls to ruin— but there’s this gut feeling, this sense of guilt, this shame. I want to earn that top spot in the history books by my own strength, not the weakness of my arch-nemesis.

So I have thrown on an unfamiliar cape— I have decided to be her savior. Her hero. And these titles are the only lifeline left connected to Selena. The only anchor that is grounding her. As long as I have her in my grasp, the more opportunity I have to pull her back from the edge. Once this reign ends, she could be gone forever. And I can’t allow that.

So this Sunday, the Glimmer Sisters once again found themselves in a very opportune position. If they can manage the upset, if they can successfully drive that wedge in between Selena and I, they could be that first domino that leads to the fall of Selena Frost. The end of her career. They could very well kill a wrestling deity. And from what I gathered, they sense the blood in the water. They salivate. Their ambition is boundless.

And I am Selena’s last line of defense. The sad thing is, she doesn’t even know it. I am that last tether. And damn, is it hard holding onto her with her fighting me every step of the way. But I’ll shield her until she can come around and realize the error of her ways. I’ll help her find the path back from the blink… and if that means the annihilation of two young and upcoming stars, then so be it. I’ll devour the universe if I have to.

For there to be the yin, there has to be the yang.

Your vanity won't trump my noble cause. I'm fighting to protect far more important than a pat on the back.

Fade to black.