Light in the Darkness vs. Hollywood

[Kemal Yilmaz]

4 RP Limit for tag

3500 word limit

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET THURSDAY, June 4, 2026

[Wisteria Waltz]

OOC: Decided that since I've got LITD separated right now in the story I'm trying to tell and this is the best way I can try to get things to where I want them to be for THOTF, I'm going to do separate RPs for Amelia and Luz for this match instead of a joint effort to cover the both of them as a team. This is Amelia's effort, and I'd recommend reading this one first in terms of chronological order as something that happens in this one will play a role in Luz's CD that will be posted shortly.
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She had done it...

Amelia Nevado was finally the SCW World Champion...

She knew people would probably try to dig for any sort of excuse to diminish the accomplishment, but anyone who watched Hubris saw it clear as day: Amelia was the only one in that match that ultimately didn't have someone helping her specifically, and she was the one who found a way to get the win. She had even choked out Selena Frost to cement her victory... sure it entitled Gavin to a rematch and left the door open for Syren to potentially have an argument if she so chose, but Selena? The one who had been the most vocal about how much Amelia didn't belong in this position at all?

She no longer had any excuses to fall back on.

No longer could anyone make the argument that Amelia was the weak link in The Light In The Darkness. Sure, maybe Luz had more singles title reigns to her name, and all of them had been pretty decent in length, but Amelia had been the first between them to hold SCW's top prize, beating arguably three of the best wrestlers in the entire company right now to make this moment a reality.

So why did she feel so hollow?

A big part of her wanted to blame the way everything had unfolded in the aftermath of Hubris, and the Glimmer Sisters were at fault for that. She couldn't blame Gina for wanting to use her Trios contract to go after the World Title... that would be the pot calling the kettle black, and there was an odd catharsis to being the World Champion being cashed in on after she had been the one cashing in and calling her shot. That was the only credit she would give Gina and her twin sister, though, because everything else about what they had chosen to do made her skin crawl and had her wishing there was some way to nullify the cash-in and just let her deal with Gavin one last time to punch her ticket for the main event of Rise to Greatness.

At Taking Hold of the Flame, the narrative she had lost herself to of proving she, like Luz, could succeed on her own without her wife's help was now out the window, because she was going to need Luz's help in order to retain the title she had just fought so hard to finally earn, simultaneously blowing up Luz's plans by forcing her to use the Tag Title shot she'd been sitting on since Fatal Fortunes, and Amelia knew Luz well enough to know she was waiting for one specific partner to be ready and willing before she pulled the trigger. Making things worse was the fact that the Glimmers didn't care about actually proving their claims of being superior to The Light In The Darkness fair and square, instead making a whole unnecessary spectacle out of it that was going to require Amelia and Luz to not only prove they could still work together, but also force them to wrestle in nothing but their underwear while being judged like prized cattle.

The Glimmers could spin their version of 'fairness' all they wanted, but Amelia wasn't stupid. The whole setup was designed to reward them with every advantage they could get to try and steal everything they did not deserve and sweep the details under the rug by just pointing to a result that claimed the twins had beaten the tag team that breathed new life into that division and elevated it to a point it hadn't reached in some time.

As irritated as Amelia was about all of this, the hollow feeling only resonated within her whenever her thoughts focused on one specific element to this, and that was the woman she loved despite everything.

If she was being honest with herself, Amelia was... baffled, to say the least, by Luz's reaction to everything. She could tell her wife was upset by the revelation of her alliance with Frank Delatosso and the path she was walking, that much had been obvious, but while Amelia had done everything in her power to avoid Luz when the camera weren't rolling, desperately trying to hide the other “deal with the devil” she'd struck recently, she had expected Luz to be a little more... determined, maybe, to try and convince Amelia that she was making a mistake? And yet, Luz met her on the stage as Hubris went off the air, genuinely applauding her title win. She had tried to make it clear, both to Amelia and to anyone who asked, that she was legitimately proud of her wife for reaching this point and that was that. Even when she had broken the news that Mr. Delatosso wanted Amelia to have the ring alone to celebrate her title win before the Glimmers ruined everything, Luz had taken it somewhat in stride.

Luz was obviously not alright with Amelia's alliance or the justification she had given the night it had been revealed, so why was she just seemingly accepting it or trying to ignore it and just focusing on her win?

In Amelia's mind, she needed to figure this out, especially if her and Luz were going to have to return to their roots just to prove that the Glimmers could stack the deck in their favor all they wanted, they were not going to beat the team that, even now, Amelia would still proudly admit has earned the right to call themselves the greatest tag team of SCW's modern era.

And also because if she couldn't get a read on how Luz was trying to play this, then she was worried about where things might go from here regarding the other alliance that she absolutely regretted, but was determined to see it through if it ultimately resolved arguably her biggest problem once and for all.

'You're still worried about her? After deceiving her about everything? After venting your frustrations on her for your own failures? After throwing away everything in a desperate bid to try and prove something? As far as I'm concerned, you've only proven that you're finally the Blythe you were always destined to be.'

Amelia's sigh was so audible, she swore she could hear it echo throughout her hotel room. It was a lavish hotel, far fancier than she would normally care for even with her newfound World Champion status, but she kept that to herself since Caleb had somehow manage to get himself, her, and all of his elites rooms at this particular hotel in Washington, D.C. without any sort of issue, given that The Empire was essentially recognized worldwide now as a religious extremist group at the very least. Part of her wouldn't be surprised if Caleb was taking full advantage of how much the United States government was falling apart right now, courtesy of a man who felt like a more unpredictable and unhinged version of the deranged zealot, to fly under the radar without a care in the world.

Her thoughts on that were second only to the concern of Luz finding out the truth behind why she'd tried to completely disappear beyond her obligations to SCW, or what that might mean for her in regards to the NCA. There was no way Avery, Darius and Evie still weren't traveling as a part of their found family, especially to protect Luz now that she had tried to disappear. Of the three of them, Darius was the only one she hoped would have any idea of what she was hoping to pull, but her note had been so vague so as to not tip her hand in case anyone else happened to see it besides him.

'You're right where you should've been all along, and yet you're still trying to manipulate things to take even more. You really are just like your mother...'

“Absolutely not,” Amelia growled, seemingly to no one if she wasn't all alone in the room. She, of course, was the only one who could hear the voice of her inner critic, still tormenting her even after all this time. “Why won't you just leave me alone? I've already proven I can be everything I've worked for without becoming anything like her or dad!”

'Have you, though?' Other Amelia prodded from within her thoughts. Amelia could practically feel her grin, and it drove her mad. 'Because from where I'm standing, you almost finally followed the blueprint they laid out for you the day you were born. You're not quite perfect yet, though, especially since you could still stray from-'

“I don't want to hear it,” she spat at herself, turning her glare towards a nearby mirror. Maybe it was the frustration of everything taking hold again, but she swore she saw her reflection smirking, as if daring her to break hotel property just to try and shut her up. “I earned the right to call myself World Champion, and nobody can deny me that. I knew the risks of what I was getting myself into, but I swore I would make it work and I did. I may hate what awaits me in Las Vegas, but like it or not, there's nothing Mr. Delatosso or CHBK could have done to stop this mess and I just have to suck it up and deal with it, no matter how much I hate it. Not even Caleb or those two I once called my parents could get me out of this either-”

'Funny that you say CHBK couldn't have done anything about it,' Other Amelia teased, and Amelia clenched her trembling fists tightly, determined not to let that aggravating voice in her head win now that she finally had things going her way. 'Not once did he ever give you the same opportunities he gave to Luz when you both began focusing on singles exploits. Tell me... if you had been at Breakdown in Milwaukee, would you have insisted that Polly step aside so that you could have been the one to piledrive him?'

Amelia's breath hitched, and she found herself coughing as a result as she tried to pull herself together after that little jab. She knew that when she showed up to Breakdown this week, there were going to be a lot of questions about how she felt about that, considering she'd been absent last week when it had all gone down. Mr. Delatosso had insisted she earned the night off, likely to keep her away from the Glimmers and any games they may have wanted to play while he still desperately looked for any way to try and cancel Gina's Trios cash-in. Luz had been there, but only to give her one interview as far as Amelia saw. Not even she had run down to try and help save CHBK, which raised a ton of questions in and of itself.

There was a very strong part of Amelia that felt disgusted at seeing what happened. Had she been frustrated by CHBK seemingly overlooking her in favor of Luz? Absolutely, she'd be lying to herself if she thought otherwise. Just because Mr. Delatosso had offered her the opportunities she felt CHBK had been passing her over for didn't mean she wanted CHBK to actually get hurt. She'd been paying attention two weeks ago, and it was clear he, like Mr. Delatosso, wasn't a fan of the Glimmers' gambit, and Luz being caught in the crossfire because Gia and Gina needed every advantage possible was proof that even if the man had something against her for the choices she'd made, Luz's involvement meant he had nothing to be happy about either.

'Back to worrying about Luz,' Other Amelia scoffed, and seeing this play out in the mirror was only driving Amelia closer to the brink. 'I'm curious... after everything you've sunk into this little scheme of yours, how do you think she's going to react when she finds out exactly why you've been avoiding her?'

Amelia opened her mouth, ready to tell her inner critic off because Luz wasn't going to find out about this, especially after she'd explicitly struck the deal with Caleb to leave Luz alone because he'd gotten at least one of them finally, but the words died in her throat as she saw her reflection hold up her left arm, reminding her of what was scarred into her wrist now. They had all become far too familiar with the symbol by this point, leaving no room for interpretation so she could deny why she had it. The proof of her betrayal was sitting right there on her wrist, and sooner or later, Luz was going to know.

Potentially even as soon as this Breakdown if she wasn't careful. After all, Mr. Delatosso had scheduled her and Luz for  tag team action against Hollywood, calling them a 'warm-up' for Taking Hold of the Flame. While she wasn't 100% sure on where he stood regarding Luz, he was at least very much aware that, like it or not, Luz was going to need to be in sync with Amelia again if she wanted to keep the World Title. Finally giving the Tag Titles a proper set of champions again seemed like a bonus on paper, but Amelia needed to figure out where things even stood with Luz first.

Before anything could come of Amelia's argument with herself, she heard a knock at her door. She glanced towards it in confusion, knowing she hadn't ordered room service and knowing that Caleb had asked not only his elites, but also any other Empire members who were also hanging around for 'security reasons,' to leave her be. She looked back at her reflection, but Other Amelia seemed to be done trying to plague her for the moment as the Amelia she saw in the mirror perfectly matched her movements.

Huffing to herself at the thought of Other Amelia believing she'd won this round, she finally moved towards the door and opened it. She didn't recognize the man on the other side at first... at least, not until she saw the Empire pin he was wearing, as Caleb had actually forbidden any members of the cult who had come with them to D.C. from wearing their usual cloaks and masks so as not to draw any unwanted attention.

“Can I help you?” she eventually asked him.

“I, uh... just wanted to check on you,” the man said, and something about it was already raising some red flags in Amelia's mind. “I know Lord Caleb said to give you privacy, but I heard you coughing and got concerned.”

“I'm alright,” she reassured him, her gaze never leaving his just in case something about this was as wrong as she felt it was. “Just got too lost in thinking about something and let some water accidentally go down the wrong pipe.”

“Ah,” the man responded, nodding as though he understood. “You really should be more careful. You're important to Caleb and we wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you.”

Amelia just eyed the man carefully, noting that he didn't refer to him as 'lord' or any other title the man truly didn't deserve. As far as she was aware, unless something in the conversation prevented him from being referred to so highly, Caleb had gotten so egotistical lately that he now insisted that anyone within The Empire, save for his elites (of which she was apparently considered one now), refer to him in any way that implied he was the true second coming of Jesus like he truly believed he was. Not to mention the subtlety of the threat he tried to hide within his tone.

Without addressing him any further, Amelia started to close the door, though she kept a careful eye on him as she did so. The moment the door was almost closed and he wasn't visible anymore, she instinctively took a step backward, which turned out to be the right choice as he tried to force his way into her room, the door impacting against the wall as he lunged for her. She caught the glint of the knife he was aiming at her chest, hoping to impale her lungs, but whatever clever quip he clearly had waiting on the tip of his tongue that was probably about giving her something to really cough about quickly died as she caught his arm, wrenching it and forcing him to drop the knife. He tried swinging with his other arm, but Amelia ducked and immediately pulled him to the floor, her wrestling instincts snaring him in the Blight Choke. He frantically flailed, his free arm desperately reaching for the knife, but Amelia kicked it towards the door so it was well out of his reach. He kept trying to fight, but it wasn't long before his arm went limp and she could feel him passing out in her grip, which is when she finally let go and tossed his body off of her.

As she stared down at his unconscious body, she slowly rose to her feet, her body trembling. She didn't know if it was the rush of adrenaline from defending herself or the fact that someone had once again made an attempt on her life and her nerves were shot, but any thoughts she wanted to dedicate to what just happened faded as she heard a slow clapping of hands coming from the doorway. As she turned her gaze in that direction, she saw Caleb standing there, a proud smile on his face that made her want to vomit.

“Excellent work, Amelia,” he praised her with that same caring tone that she hated hearing from him so much. She watched as he slowly bent down and picked up the knife, examining the blade and finding it just as pristine as it had been when one of his supposed minions had whipped it out at her. “Although, you would be much better off finishing the job while he's out. You can't be too careful-”

“Don't... even...” she growled at the man she was supposed to acknowledge as her leader now, slowly catching her breath.

“I'm willing to let your reluctance slide... for now,” he chuckled to himself as he turned and motioned behind him. Two of the elites, the one who had branded her (who she had since learned was named Mason) and Vladimir, shuffled their way past Caleb and grabbed the unconscious Empire member before carrying him out of the room, making sure that to anyone who might pass by that it looked like something had happened to him and they were taking him to get some help.

“What was that all about?” Amelia demanded. “Some kind of sick test of loyalty? I'm already branded with The Empire's sigil for life.”

“You are correct about a test of loyalty, but rest assured... yours was never in doubt,” Caleb smugly replied, and Amelia's blood only boiled more. “Having you finally embracing salvation has provided our humble group with one very important blessing, Amelia. I am, unfortunately, very well aware that Stephen's splinter cell did not fully die with him, nor did I suspect that what happened in our home country was the end of it either. They may believe themselves smart, staying quiet and pretending to be loyal to my mission, but you... your mere presence is perfect for drawing them out so we can cleanse ourselves of their misguided efforts for good.”

“Is that all I'm good for?” Amelia dared to ask, wanting to test and see how Caleb would respond, especially since he surely had some sort of bigger plan in mind now that he finally had her within his ranks.

Caleb simply continued offering that 'sincere' smile that made her skin crawl as he put a hand on her shoulder, and she had to resist the instinct to either shove it away or try and break it. “Oh, you have a far greater purpose than you know,  Amelia, and I promise you will understand soon enough.”

That was all he was apparently going to give her before he took his leave, closing the door behind him and leaving her alone in her room with her thoughts once more, and all she could do was take a deep breath and try to pull herself together. She knew the risk she was taking here, just like she had taken a risk in letting Mr. Delatosso guide her to the top. She had told herself repeatedly that she needed to make this work, and that was true now more than ever. This Breakdown would simply be the latest test she had to endure to finally settle everything hanging over her head once and for all.

Unfortunately, Amelia had no idea that the splinter cell member she had just uncovered and subdued had a backup plan in case his efforts had failed... and while he would no longer live to see it through, his phone and what he had on it was about to serve the next phase of Caleb's plan perfectly.

[Wisteria Waltz]

OOC: And here's my first for Luz.
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To some degree, La Pequeña Luz had an idea of what her wife must have felt like she was going through now.

If anything, it only made the burden on her own mind even worse.

On the SCW front, she had only competed in one match since losing the United States Title to Meghan Strader inside the Thunderdome. All the talk that Meghan and many others had put forth about Luz deserving a spot in the discussion for the World Title picture, and she'd been given barely any opportunity to prove it, or at the very least start working her way towards something else. She tried to justify it to herself as needing to recover from the injuries she sustained in that match, but she proved with her win over Chris Lawler, even despite her mind being elsewhere for a majority of that match, that she was ready and raring to go. And yet, she had nothing on the Hubris card, nor had she been booked until now heading into Taking Hold of the Flame. It rang almost eerily similar to how desperate Amelia had grown to try and prove herself only to seemingly be ignored.

The fact that Lawler had now seemingly made the same decision Amelia did and went all-in on an alliance with a CEO that clearly had his own agenda didn't help, as it had Luz wondering if that was her fault as well. Never mind the fact that she had been looking to rebound, but that win had come at the expense of a man she once respected who seemed like his own frustrations were eating him alive.

Just like what had happened to Amelia while she had just been trying to be the best U.S. Champion she could possibly be.

Honestly, Luz wished that this was as complicated as everything got, but somehow it never seemed to be that easy when it came to Supreme Championship Wrestling.

Fans have likely been confused about why Luz was still trying to be supportive of Amelia when it was painfully clear she had issues with the path her wife was walking, but Luz had her reasons and a plan to go along with it, and she was hopeful that plan would work. Ideally, despite the questions surrounding the couple, Luz was already mentally preparing herself for what she was certain had to happen come Taking Hold of the Flame, that being Amelia retaining the World Title in the obvious rematch with Gavin that was in the plans (which she knew her beloved could pull off) while she found a way to win the battle royal. With the main event of SCW's biggest show pitting the couple against one another for the first time in an SCW ring, she knew in her heart that she could capitalize on the support she was still showing for Amelia and, through hopefully one of the greatest matches in SCW history that she knew they were capable of putting on together, she could once again pierce through the darkness and help Amelia remember who she truly was.

Obviously, she knew that her part of making that happen was going to require a Herculean effort on her part to actually win the infamous battle royal against who knows how many other people who were simply hungry for a World Title opportunity and a Rise to Greatness main event... but she'd have felt more confident in her chances of finding a way if two women she knew she wasn't a fan of from the moment she first crossed paths with them hadn't decided to throw a giant wrench into everything for their own twisted pleasure.

From the moment Luz and Amelia had that brief encounter with the Glimmer Sisters last year, it had taken all of her willpower to not just be outright disgusted with them, and having a front row seat to see Gina steal a win from Amelia under rules that were already questionable during Fatal Fortunes at the start of the year had only deepened those feelings. Given how much of a ray of sunshine Luz was, there was a very good reason why the list of people Luz genuinely hated barely existed at all and was only reserved for people who were truly irredeemable, but this latest stunt the Glimmers wanted to pull? It had put them on the list.

It wasn't lost on Luz that they shared a place on that list with a man who would absolutely detest everything the Glimmers stood for and would no doubt try to end them the first chance he got, but they were two extremes on opposite ends of the spectrum and Luz was growing to hate the arrogant twins as much as she hated the religious zealot who, arguably, felt like the heart of all her problems.

As Luz sat in her hotel room in Washington, D.C., she couldn't help but feel bothered by how quiet things had been outside of SCW. Obviously, the fact that Amelia wasn't here was painful enough, and it didn't help that Luz still had no idea where her wife was disappearing to beyond shows. She had tried following her after Hubris went off the air, but had to step away when Amelia met up with Frank Delatosso and hadn't been able to find her again afterward, nor could see find her after the Seattle Breakdown had gone off the air to discuss the mess they were now in together. Last week had Luz feeling even more conflicted, considering Amelia had been given the night off altogether and apparently hadn't even traveled to Milwaukee at all. It had Luz wanting to desperately grasp at any hope she could find right now that despite being a part of the group of wrestlers siding with Delatosso, Amelia had wanted no part in what had happened to CHBK after the main event had concluded.

Her wife aside, the fact that things had been so quiet in regards to a certain major issue they'd all been dealing with had her more on-edge than usual.

Considering the kind of brilliant strategist Caleb White liked to fancy himself as, and knowing full well he kept tabs on their SCW exploits considering the multiple times he'd offered, either directly or through someone acting as a proxy, to use his own wrestling experience and expertise to 'help' them when they'd found themselves in ruts before, the fact that The Empire had gone completely silent again when the unknown status of where exactly Luz and Amelia stood right now seemed like the perfect time to make a move was not sitting right with the luchadora at all. She didn't want to think the revelation of the cult's splinter cell still being active would have thrown them off that much, especially if they seemed to be operating without a leader at the moment.

Luz could only take a deep breath and try to ground herself. For all she knew, the lengthy period of inactivity was a trap Caleb was banking on to get her and everyone else to lower their guards... and if she was right, she could only hope Amelia was keeping her own eyes peeled for Caleb's 'holy army,' wherever she was.

“I really hope you're alright Ames,” she mumbled, her gaze locked onto her phone... specifically, the background of the two of them happily standing side-by-side on their wedding night. “I just... I wish I...”

Before Luz could figure out what she wanted to say, seemingly more to try and reassure herself right now, she heard a knock at the door. She quickly wiped away the tears that had been forming in her eyes and set her phone aside before standing up to answer it. She honestly hadn't known who to expect, though maybe she was blindly hoping to see the love of her life waiting for her on the other side, but she wasn't disappointed to see both Ivy and her mom as the ones who'd come to check on her, and they didn't even need to say a word before she stepped aside and let them in to get comfortable, closing the door behind her before she returned to her seat on the edge of the bed.

“How are you holding up, Luz?” Ivy broke the silence first as she leaned against the little desk in the corner of the room.

“And please be honest, mija,” Camila lightly scolded. “I know you don't want anyone to worry, but how can we not?”

Luz sighed, knowing she should have expected this. Her mom wasn't wrong... even since the reveal of Amelia's allegiance with this power-hungry CEO and her subsequent disappearance aside from at the shows (and even then, it was obvious Delatosso was trying to keep the two of them separated at much as possible), Luz had been trying desperately to keep up the illusion that she was alright when she very clearly wasn't. She had a feeling they weren't buying it, but had probably let her believe it was working just because they didn't want to make her feel any worse.

In a weird sort of way, she couldn't blame them... after all, she was trying the exact same strategy with Amelia right now, albeit with an entirely different endgame in mind.

“I... could be doing better, to be honest,” she finally admitted, and doing so already felt like it had removed a heavy weight that had been crushing her lungs for months now. “I just wish things in SCW weren't such a mess right now, mostly...”

“No sé qué estaban pensando,” Camila growled, her instincts as a mother bearing their fangs. “I don't care if they're letting you keep your mask on for the sake of tradition, there is no reason my little girl should have to be so exposed in public like this! How could they let this happen?”

“That's the unfortunate reality of a Trios contract, mamá,” Luz lamented, the disgust in her voice impossible to miss. “As long as the Board of Directors approves it, that contract can literally be used for any match with any stipulations. It doesn't matter if it's as straightforward as when Amelia used hers to take a shot at the World Title or as... 'elaborate' as this estúpido game the Glimmers want to play. And the worst part is that I have to play along, no matter how much I wish I didn't, because if I don't...”

“Then Amelia loses her title,” Ivy finished for her, having also paid attention to the exact terms of the match that had been laid out.

Luz nodded at that. “I hate that those two get to use their contract to dictate the terms of the title shot I won months ago, the one I wanted to wait on until things got better because there's nobody I want to hold those titles with but Ames, but... I just know that if I don't bite my tongue and just deal with this, things could be so much worse if my refusal to participate costs her the title that should finally be undisputed proof that there never was a 'weak link' between us, and there never will be.”

“I want to say that Mr. Delatosso person at least has a good head on his shoulders about taking issue with this, but after what happened at your last show...” Camila openly pondered.

Luz couldn't keep herself from sighing at that.

“He's probably just trying to protect his vision of how things should be and his investment in Amelia to be the face of it going forward,” she managed to say after a moment. “I have my issues with how much CHBK overlooked Ames despite all the hard work she was clearly putting in, and I could tell by the tone of his voice he wasn't too happy with having to let the Glimmers make their Trios announcement and was just doing his job, but he didn't deserve to be attacked like that... and I can only hope Amelia doesn't agree with that happening either., given that she wasn't even there last week.”

“Speaking of Amelia...” Ivy cut in, and she immediately saw the apprehensive look Luz shot her in response to just that. Ivy's response was a sigh of her own. “I know you probably don't want to talk about this Luz, but I just want to understand what you're planning so we can all try to support you as best as we can.”

“Planning? What makes you think I've got some sort of plan?” Luz replied, definitely a little too quickly and awkwardly to be convincing in any way.

“Luz...” Ivy just gave her a blank stare, immediately making it obvious that she wasn't buying it. “In the time I've known you since you went out of your way to try and repair my friendship with Amelia, you're always coming up with plans, or schemes, or plots, or ruses, or anything else you like to call some of your antics to get around when people tell you not to do something.”

“She's got a point, cariño,” Camila added with the amusement of a mother who's played that game with her daughter far too many times over the years, which helped bring some much-needed positive energy into the room.

“We've all seen the way you've been acting in regards to Amelia on shows,” Ivy pressed onward. “We also know that there is no universe that exists where you would ever actually agree with any of what Ames has done, especially when she's been acting so much like the kind of person you both fought so hard to keep her from becoming.”

“I know...” Luz said before Ivy could keep going. Her tone was wary, but neither Ivy nor her mother pushed her into answering until she was comfortable doing so. “I've just been thinking back on how this got so messed up in the first place. Amelia fighting her heart out only to fall short time and time again, me trying to prove myself a worthy U.S. Champion and getting all this praise about how I'm supposedly a World Champion in the making. I know she got so frustrated over all of it that she's doubted herself so much more than usual, and I know Delatosso's preying on that just like her parents did with their constant gaslighting over how she was good but could still do better. I can't catch her to try and talk things out, and I'd prefer not to have to use SCW air time to finally do that... as much as I hate the path she chose to get there, she still earned the right to be World Champion, despite what she has in her corner now, on nothing more than those skills she's been working on all this time. I just...”

“You're hoping that if you show her that you're genuinely proud and supportive of her accomplishment, it might help her come back around,” Camila noted, picking up on where Luz was heading, and a nod from her daughter confirmed it.

“Maybe it's not the best plan, and for all I know Amelia might not see it that way,” Luz admitted, “but it's the best I could come up with until I can hopefully get a chance to try and finally talk this out. Despite everything, I truly am proud of her and she does deserve this... I just hope her head isn't so clouded that she knows I genuinely mean that.”

While Camila walked over and gave her daughter a hug, praising her to try and help reassure her efforts, Ivy just sat there for a moment in contemplation. She recalled the conversation she had with her old friend back in New York City on the night she revealed her alliance with SCW's CEO, and just a week later, Amelia had suddenly disappeared on them with the only trace of her being to fulfill the obligations of her SCW bookings. Something had seemed off to her back then, especially when she'd found that note Amelia had left for Darius specifically, but even now, she had a strange feeling the thing Amelia was doing that not even Darius would've approved of wasn't simply turning to a more questionable path just to finally get to where she believed she belonged. Even still, she had no idea what Amelia could be up to outside of SCW, nor did she feel any better about doing exactly what Amelia was doing when it came to keeping things from Luz. All she could do was trust in her old friend that whatever it was, she knew what she was doing.

“For what it's worth,” she finally said as she stood up and walked over to where Luz and her mom were hugging, placing a firm hand on Luz's shoulder. “I think she knows and appreciates it far more than she's probably been instructed to show. Who knows? Maybe this week's Breakdown will prove that you two are still the queens of tag team wrestling when you face those Hollywood guys again. For now, though, I say the play should be to get something to eat.”

Luz opened her mouth to argue against Ivy's suggestion, but the words died in her throat as her stomach betrayed her with a loud and desperate groan that had her thankful that her mask hid her blush fairly well. It didn't stop Ivy from putting on a knowing grin as the three women left Luz's room behind and made their way down to the lobby, figuring they could take advantage of the restaurant attached to this hotel since that's probably where everyone else was right now, hoping that Ivy and Camila would succeed in getting Luz to join them.

Sure enough, by the time they made it down to the first floor, the rest of their found family was gathered near the doors that led into the attached restaurant.

What surprised the trio, though, was the familiar face talking with them they weren't sure they would be seeing again anytime soon.

“Paul?” Luz called out as they approached, and the familiar bearded face turned to offer her a weary smile. “I thought you were making sure your family was alright?”

“Ah, Luz!” he chuckled, though nobody missed how tired it sounded. “They're safe and sound, and I made sure they're someplace The Empire could never think to find them to use for any sort of leverage. It's so good to see you again, and that you still seem to be in good spirits despite everything.”

“I mean... things I could certainly be better, but we're working on it,” Luz claimed, though Paul didn't seem to share her enthusiasm, even if it was much weaker than usual.

“Have... have you not heard?” he finally said, and something about it seemed to negatively resonate with the entire group as they all felt on-edge now.

“Heard what?” Luz asked nervously before looking back at Ivy and her mom, neither of whom seemed to know any more than she did. She looked past Paul at the others before addressing them. “What is he talking about?”

“We've got just as much of a clue as you do,” Avery was the one to answer, but the concern in their voice made it clear they had a bad feeling about whatever bombshell Paul was about to drop.

“Oh dear, I had hoped you already knew...” Paul lamented, though something about the way he said it rubbed Luz the wrong way and she didn't know why. She shelved that issue, though, as Paul pulled out his phone and scrolled to something. “I managed to capture this while I was on my way over here, just because it felt odd to see... I didn't think I'd be using it to break some truly awful news.”

Luz audibly swallowed, more worried than ever before about whatever Paul had to share with his sudden reappearance. Her hand was trembling as she took the phone from his hand, but the moment she saw what he'd pulled up, the phone slipped out of her hand as she began trembling.

“No...” was all she could find the energy to mutter, and as Paul shared the picture with everyone else, their reactions ranged from fear to concern to barely-restrained frustration.

There was no denying the clear image of Amelia Nevado, Luz's wife and the light of her own life, walking into a different hotel here in D.C. alongside Caleb White and his remaining collection of elites in The Empire.

[Wisteria Waltz]

OOC: Number two for Amelia
----------------------------------

Just across the Potomac River, overlooking both it and Washington, D.C., lies what is known as the Netherlands Carillon. While technically located in Arlington County, Virginia, the ridge and the park upon it not only house a musical marvel as a gift from the people of the Netherlands, but also offers an amazing view of many of the most well-known landmarks and tourist destinations in D.C. As we immerse ourselves in the incredible view, we find ourselves slowly panning across the beautiful fields of flowers surrounding the carillon, all while we listen to the 53-bell instrument play the familiar tune of the Westminster Quarters. As the tune slowly comes to an end and the chime of the bells fades into the echoes of the day, it almost feels fitting that we find someone who knows this song quite well standing among the flowers, gazing out at the city that will soon play host to the final Breakdown before Taking Hold of the Flame.

Amelia Nevado appears stoic, perhaps almost lost in thought as she stares out at our nation's capital, her hair untied for a change as it blows in the breeze on this beautiful day. The SCW World Championship rests proudly on her left shoulder, and as she adjusts it to make sure it's prominently displayed, we notice that despite dressing in what could best be described as “upscale casual” clothing, perhaps flaunting a bit of the wealth she came from despite being far more modest about it in the past, her left wrist still appears taped up as though she was either preparing to or coming from a training session. It's a curious little detail that stands out in comparison to how composed and well put together she appears otherwise, but if Amelia knows we've noticed it, she doesn't let us linger on it for too much longer as she turns her attention to us.

“I know I'm not exactly too high on many people's lists right now, nor was I probably your first pick to be standing here before you today with SCW's top prize resting over my shoulder. This sight, however, is living proof of exactly what I have been saying for what feels like forever at this point: there is no weak link in The Light In The Darkness. As much as I know none of you are very high on Mr. Delatosso right now, he saw what CHBK and so many others just didn't want to see. They were all focused on my wife making a name for herself while I scratched, and clawed, and fought with everything I had just to show that without a championship, I was her equal. As of today, she is the one without a title... while I can proudly call myself your World Champion.

And the most important piece of this puzzle? I did it with nothing more than my bare hands and every last ounce of experience and studying I put in to get to this point, to learn from my previous shortcomings and improve so that there would be no denying that I truly am ready to lead this company as its face. Mr. Delatosso simply gave me the opportunity I'd been fighting for and passed over on time and time again... I, and I alone, did the rest. And if you don't believe me, then just look back at Hubris. Syren needed Ravyn to show up out of the blue to help her, even if it was an attempt to level the playing field. You could argue that the Phantom Troupe got involved to her benefit as well, even if she didn't ask them to. Gavin, as much as I've played nice with him as someone else endorsed by our CEO, needed both his personal security team and the European Fiery Nation to try and retain this title. Selena, as much as she probably didn't ask for it, had Ryan LeCavalier trying to help her out, on top of willingly using this title as a weapon and trying to take advantage of what Chris Dumont did to Gavin just to call herself World Champion again.

I had no one helping me... not even Luz. She respected my wishes and let me do this all on my own. Anyone who got involved that's been vocal about their loyalty to Mr. Delatosso, they were assisting Gavin over me. I never touched a weapon despite it being legal by the rules of the match. I simply fought my heart out, as I've always done, and when I saw an opening, I took it. Every doubt that was ever levied against me... on that night, I erased all of it. I proved that Amelia Nevado belongs here, that she is good enough to stand at the top.”

Amelia looks like she wants to continue, but she seems to cut herself off, as if thinking deeply about something. We can see her facial expression shift from concern, to perhaps a little bit of doubt, before finally settling on irritation as she lets out a sigh.

“Despite where I finally stand, I know that things could still be much better for SCW right now. I know that there will be plenty of questions for me, especially regarding what happened last week in Milwaukee to close that show, because I was nowhere to be found. I will say this: I knew nothing of what was planned to happen to CHBK. I was given the night off because Mr. Delatosso felt I deserved some time to myself, which I'll admit did help me in trying to figure a few things out. The bigger reason for his decision, however, was to deprive a certain duo of any opportunities they may have been looking for to continue making a mockery of everything that I have worked for, and that's something I'd hope most of you out there can at least agree with me on even if you disagree with the path I walked to get to this point.

At Taking Hold of the Flame, I am going to have to confront what I will honestly admit is one of the most awkward situations I'll have ever experienced in all the years I've been a professional wrestler. Not only will I have to defend this World Title in a tag team match, knowing full well my reign could come to an end without even being involved in the decision, but I will have to do so... in my underwear. I hope the Glimmer Sisters are happy, thinking that the biggest prize in this industry and all the work that not only I, but almost everybody else on this roster, have put towards trying to get to this point, all amounts to one big joke just because they're lying through their teeth about respecting people's boundaries, as is supposedly the number one rule of KABLAMia.

I will not be enduring this forced humiliation alone, however. Because the Glimmers' egos cannot handle the fact that even now, despite everything, people still refer to The Light In The Darkness as the greatest tag team of SCW's modern era, they're forcing my wife into this catastrophe they've cooked up as well. They think they're being cute by forcing the two of us to have to flaunt ourselves the way they do, but more importantly... they're looking for any advantage they can get to try and keep claiming that they're superior in any way. It's been no secret that I... haven't exactly been on the same page with Luz in quite some time. I know there's been some concerns about our relationship, but I can assure you that things are fine between us despite everything. I've let my frustrations slip through about how everyone put her on a pedestal as the success story of our tandem, I know that I've been trying to show that I can succeed on my own, just as she did, and make that clear to all of you. I also know that she doesn't agree with who gave me the chance no one else would, no matter how hard I worked to earn it... even if she's been adamant that she supports the fact that I can finally call myself World Champion.”

Amelia's voice starts to falter as she says that last line, as if she's struggling to make sense of what she's just said. She clearly saw Luz applauding her win as she stood on the stage and posed with her newly won title at Hubris, she watched Luz attempt to take it in stride when she broke the news that Mr. Delatosso wanted Amelia to stand alone out in the ring to acknowledge her new status, and even if she wasn't present in Milwaukee, she still saw the awkward interview Luz gave while she remained firm in her support of Amelia being World Champion despite everything else going on around her right now. Amelia remains silent, even noticeably biting her bottom lip as she tries to figure out where her wife's head is actually at. Eventually, she takes a deep breath to try and refocus, opting to shelve this puzzle aside to figure out later.

“Obviously, Mr. Delatosso has some concerns about the situation at Taking Hold of the Flame, especially since the Board has already signed off on Gina's cash-on for reasons I wish I could comprehend. That's why, as much as I know Luz isn't a fan of his no matter how much she's trying to hide it, our CEO felt the best course of action was to offer us a tag match this week on Breakdown... something to serve as a warm-up since we haven't teamed together in a while so we can prove we're still on the same page and work off any of the rust that may have built up. The Glimmers can consider it both a preview of what awaits them at Taking Hold of the Flame and a warning that any hope they may have had of fractures they could take advantage of do not exist, and no matter how much they tried to give themselves an easy night, they're in for a war where they're going to have to actually earn this title, like it or not.

That... brings me to Hollywood.

Chris, Ryan... it's been a while. Pretty sure the last time I crossed paths with either of you was inside the Chamber where Luz and I celebrated our then-recent marriage by going bell-to-bell in one of SCW's most grueling structures. We may not have eliminated you in that match, but I also haven't forgotten the Breakdown before that night... you know, the one where the two of you thought you had any right to insert yourselves into our relationship or essentially organize a bachelorette party for the two of us? Back then, you were both scandal-prone and acted like you were the very essence of Hollywood itself, believing you were always so much bigger than everybody else and could just jump into this without a care in the world and rocket all the way to the top. In the process, you made enemies out of most of SCW's tag division... a division that, around that time, Luz and I were busting our butts trying to elevate and rebuild into something worth watching, something that was just as enjoyable to watch and an honor to be a part of as the World Title picture or the hunts for any other title in SCW.

As far as I can see, the two of you have tried to be less scandal-prone since that time, but you also haven't struck me as two guys taking this any more seriously than you did back then, either.

That said, as much as many people were probably expecting me to, I'm not going to stand here and act like this match is a foregone conclusion before the bell even rings. As I said, Luz and I haven't teamed together since just after Under Attack of last year, so we've surely got a bit of tag team rust we need to work off. You also probably believe, just like the Glimmers, that we have some issues we need to work through as well, issues that you might be hoping to take advantage of. Believe it or not, I have been paying attention... I saw the fight the two of you gave to Xander and Selena when they were Tag Team Champions, I saw how close you came to dethroning them because they, particularly Selena, underestimated you. Technically, you do hold a victory over two of the biggest names in SCW history, even if it was because Selena got herself disqualified and that is the only reason you didn't win the titles. That, alone, is all I need to prove that taking the two of you lightly could be a costly mistake I can't afford right now.

I can't speak for my wife... but I will make this clear to the two of you: as far as I'm concerned? If you two think you're going to pull off an upset potentially even bigger than the one you technically got over Xander and Selena, then you're going to have to truly earn it. Show Luz and I how far you've come since the fall of 2024, prove to us that you deserve to be considered a threat still for the World Tag Team Titles.

Regardless of where things may stand between us right now... I know Luz will bring her best to this match. She always does. And I plan on doing the same, as it's only right that I step up and prove, regardless of the match I'm in, why I am SCW's World Champion now, why I am at the top and will fight to prove I belong here for a long time to come. Sorry Hollywood, but while I refuse to make the mistake of underestimating you, I also refuse to walk out of Washington, D.C. with a loss to my name... not before Taking Hold of the Flame, and especially not with two women you're more than familiar with waiting in the wings, watching in hopes of finding any weaknesses to exploit.

I hope you boys are ready, because the Amelia Nevado you'll meet in the ring come Thursday night? She far from the same women you last faced almost two years ago.

To the Glimmer Sisters, I hope the both of you actually pay attention... and understand the mistake you've allowed your arrogance to make for you.

And to Luz...”

Amelia pauses again, her mouth working soundlessly as she seems to struggle with figuring out what to say, looking around at the flowers around her before she finally seems to settle on something.

“...I'll see you Thursday night, cariño.”

It's short and simple, and there's definitely an edge of uncertainty tainting her final words, but Amelia can only take a deep breath and hope it works well enough as she turns her gaze back towards the incredible sight of Washington, D.C. spread out before her. We slowly pan around her to take in this view for ourselves one more time, with her still standing proudly as SCW World Champion despite whatever may be going on in her head, before the scene slowly fades out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amelia doesn't know exactly how long she stands out in that field, but she doesn't care.

The peace and quiet of the Netherlands Carillon is exactly what she needs right now to try and clear her head, especially knowing that Breakdown is no doubt going to bring its fair shares of headaches with it. Between the uncertainty of where exactly things stood with Luz right now, the questions she knew she was going to be grilled with despite what little she did have to say today in regards to the attack on CHBK to close out last week's show, whatever the Glimmer Sisters were no doubt cooking up to try and get any sort of last minute edge before the pay-per-view despite how heavily they attempted to stack the deck in their favor already, and none of that was even scratching the surface of the tension of being a member of The Empire now.

A fact that her wife was still unaware of.

Deep down, Amelia knew she wasn't going to be able to hide this from Luz forever. The best case scenario was that she could figure out a way to execute her plan before she found out so she could justify herself later once all was set and done, but knowing Caleb, she wouldn't be surprised if he was plotting to stage something intending to reveal her membership to his so-called cause to the rest of the world. Perhaps the only reason he hadn't already broadcast it was because doing so carried a risk to Amelia's SCW career if it became public knowledge that she was part of what the world acknowledged as, essentially, a terrorist organization of religious extremists, regardless of the truth behind her decision.

Regardless of how this played out, she could only hope Luz would understand why she did this... after all, she knew it was a page out of Luz's own playbook at the end of the day.

She heard the bells of the carillon chime once more, the familiar tune she had heard countless times from Big Ben back in her home country slowly helping to put her at ease for the time being. At least, until she heard the chime of her phone once the tolling of the bells began to fade. She took her time in retrieving the device from her pocket, figuring it was either Mr. Delatosso trying to organize plans for Breakdown regarding her or Caleb trying to see if she was done yet with her SCW business... as if she had done anything for The Empire thus far other than exist and have that apparently be bait for any hidden splinter cell members still trying to hide their betrayal and strike when they thought they could eliminate the crown jewel of Caleb's selfish ambitions.

She wasn't expecting to see a burner number, nor a message that clearly could've come from the only person in their found family she tried to entrust with a hint to her plan... nor the bombshell his message contained.

I think I see why you asked me to stay quiet. Unfortunately... our old friend Paul didn't get the memo.

The message that immediately followed that was an image, and Amelia felt as though the ground beneath her feet had shattered and left her falling into an endless void.

There, clear as the day around her, was a picture of her alongside Caleb and The Empire's elites checking into their hotel.

If the text preceding it was true, then Luz was now aware of where she'd been this whole time much sooner than she'd have hoped... and the revelation that Paul had apparently shared this made her feel like acid was bubbling in her throat. After all, the whole point of sacrificing herself to The Empire was to resolve the Paul issue before Luz realized her endearing kindness had allowed an Empire spy into their found family.

Given what she had pieced together about this man, Amelia only knew one thing: her new 'lord' owed her answers, and she was going to need them ASAP if she was to have any hope of not only keeping things together with Luz through Taking Hold of the Flame, but to also have anything to go back to once she made this work... a task that had now become infinitely more difficult.

[Wisteria Waltz]

OOC: And number two for Luz
----------------------------------

One of the most beautiful sights in all of Washington, D.C. is not any of the monuments or other landmarks or tourist attractions, even if they all possess a certain charm all their own. No, that honor instead goes to the various cherry blossom trees planted throughout our nation's capital. They line the water, decorate the paths between the various monuments, and in moments like this, when the sun is starting to set and the sky glows orange and purple with the day coming to an end, the light reflected through the cherry blossom petals bathes its surroundings in a beautiful pink hue like no other, trying helping anyone to feel at peace even despite the chaos of whatever may be going on around them or in their lives.

In that sense, perhaps it feels fitting that this is where we find La Pequeña Luz.

It's hard to tell exactly where in D.C. she is right now as she seems to be in the middle of a rather thick grove of trees, but the cherry blossoms dance through the air around her as she leans back against one of the trees. It's clear, even through her mask, that the young luchadora has a lot on her mind, and it's hard to argue given everything we know has been going on in SCW, even if she hasn't been the biggest player in any of it thus far. Still, it doesn't take her long to notice our presence, and when she does, she takes a deep breath to try and compose herself before she begins, though it's clear there's a weariness to her voice that she's unable to hide, despite her best efforts.

“I love cherry blossoms... they're probably one of my favorite things about America's capital, to be honest. I know there's not a lot around here to feel excited about, especially given the current political climate and the mess that's being made because of it, but at least I know I can trust the cherry blossoms to help keep things in perspective for me. A friend of mine who knows a lot about flowers once told me they symbolize rebirth and the fleeting nature of life... a reminder to cherish every moment we have and to live our lives without regret, because you never know when it might come to an end, or what awaits you in the next life. In a sense, they have a lot in common with how my culture has always treated life and death, with holidays like Día de Muertos where we honor and remember those we've lost and invite them back to share the stories of their lives, both old and new, with us so we can learn from them and appreciate everything that we have.

Maybe that sounds silly to a lot of you... after all, it doesn't feel like I have a whole lot lately, at least in regards to SCW. I'm no longer the United States Champion, I've barely been given chances to bounce back and fight my way back up the mountain since Retribution, things with my wife have been... up in the air, to say the least. There are a lot of questions, a lot of frustration, and expectations of people needing to pick sides and pledge their allegiance to somebody, as if things will only get worse if you don't or you're supposed to be afraid if you pick the wrong side. I suppose that raises the question... ¿Dónde encaja La Pequeña Luz en todo esto?”

Luz finds her gaze turning towards the ground, where the falling cherry blossoms have been gathering at her feet. She takes a moment to think about what she wants to say next, clearly uncertain about a lot of things going on right now as a lot has been weighing heavily on her.

“Truth be told... I don't know. This isn't a position I've found myself in despite how long I've been in this business by now. I've always stuck to the philosophy of resolving wrestling problems in a wrestling ring, keeping business straightforward and with no room for any doubt on that night once the bell rings. Any greater fights I've been a part of, especially since coming to SCW, have always been battles that directly targeted me or someone I cared about in some fashion... the ordeals with the entire tag division, especially during the days where Glory and Brittany were willing to destroy everything just to put themselves at the top by any means necessary, the war with the Fall of Man, my issues with the U.S. Title picture when Jordan Majors came back and tried to simply claim the title without having actually earned anything, all of those were fights where I was directly involved in one form or another, not because I had to pick a side, but because I had personal investment.

The current situation with SCW... it's entirely uncharted territory for me. I know everyone has their questions, and I haven't been doing a very good job of answering them. The thing is... for me, this is a lot more complicated than anybody wants to recognize.

Do I agree with the things Frank Delatosso has done, especially when it comes to the people he's formed an army out of and especially after what he did to CHBK last week? Absolutely not, I'm not going to even pretend I'm anywhere close to being alright with any of that.

The problem is... one of the people who's bought into what the CEO's been selling is Amelia, my wife, the love of my life. Do I agree with that decision? No... but I also understand why she felt it was her only option. For as much as I hated seeing what happened to CHBK last week, I'm also more than willing to admit that he's made his fair shares of mistakes, much as Delatosso has. We're all human, after all, and none of us get it right 100% of the time. Our CEO took advantage of the fact that CHBK has been overlooking Amelia's efforts and gave her the opportunity she'd been working so hard to earn... everything else from there, however, has been Amelia proving herself all on her own, and despite the path she's chosen, she's still earned the right to call herself World Champion the right way, on nothing but the talent I know she possesses, and for that, I truly am proud of her. If you want to act like that's a sign I'm on Team Delatosso, then all I can say is meet me in the ring and we'll settle things fair and square.

At the end of the day, there's only one aspect of this brewing issue that matters to me, and that's my wife and her place in it. I mean it when I say that I want Amelia to have a long and prosperous reign as World Champion because she truly has earned it, and I know that deep down, the real Amelia I love and adore is still in there. My only goal right now is helping to guide her back from the brink before she falls too far into the darkness like all the others, because I know she's better than that and she's already proven what I've been saying all along: that there is no weak link between us, and her standing at the very top is inspiring me to push myself harder than ever so that maybe, if I'm lucky and skilled enough, I can meet her up there and we can enjoy that view together.”

Luz's voice starts to regain some confidence the more she speaks, her stance on everything sounding firm even if it might be confusing to most of us. Still, she seems certain in this endeavor... though whatever confidence she seemed to be building starts to disappear as she lets out a shaky sigh and turns her attention towards another topic she knows she needs to address.

“I know everything's been confusing so far and I have no idea what the future holds... and what doesn't help is knowing that soon, I'll be forced to invoke the Tag Title opportunity I've been holding off on using because I wanted to wait until Amelia had proven what she and I have known for a long time to ultimately be true. There is no one else in this business, even among those who I respect and can call my closest friends, that I would rather call myself a World Tag Team Champion with than the woman I will still stand here and say with absolute certainty is my soulmate. On top of that, I'm being asked to help defend a title that isn't mine, knowing that if I falter, that if I'm not ready to potentially call myself a World Champion in my own right, that I could be responsible for losing the title Amelia fought so hard to earn. Despite all the questions, we will have to come together and rise above all the childish games and hypocritical antics of the Glimmer Sisters.

For as much as I have to say to them about all of this... it can wait until Taking Hold of the Flame.

For now, I'm grateful that Amelia and I have an opportunity to get back into our groove and prove that, no mater where things stand, we still deserve the title we've earned as SCW's greatest modern day tag team.

I know it's been a long time since The Light In The Darkness faced off against Hollywood, and much like what these cherry blossoms symbolize, I know that Chris and Ryan have gone through a bit of a rebirth in their own right. I still remember almost two years ago now, when Amelia and I wanted to give you guys the benefit of the doubt and encouraged you to actually give us your best... you instead preferred to play games and didn't exact endear yourselves to us so close to our wedding, and it not only cost you on that night, but also shortly after when you fell short inside the Chamber and Ames and I earned our wedding present of a successful Tag Title defense that proved just how much tag team wrestling means to us and how hard we will fight to respect everything it represents. And yet, you guys stuck around, you've somewhat tried to shed this desire of immersing yourselves in scandals and trying to act like you've above this business.

Heck, you came close to actually calling yourselves World Tag Team Champions not that long ago! Yeah, you won by DQ because Selena... well, hopefully wherever her head is at now, she's able to take a good long look in the mirror and pull herself out of that headspace she was clearly drowning in, but the fight you still brought against her and Xander, two of the greatest of all time in SCW history, showed that you do have what it takes to be a top tier team someday. All it takes is focus and the willingness to step up and prove yourselves.

I can't speak on behalf of Amelia... but I personally hope that's what you guys bring to this Breakdown. We want the Hollywood that came close to beating Selena and Xander legitimately, the Hollywood that could potentially reach the top of the mountain someday. That's the kind of challenge Amelia and I need to reforge ourselves right now, because we know Taking Hold of the Flame isn't going to be easy on us for a number of reasons, but no matter what they try and throw at us, we will not let the Glimmer Sisters break us or keep spiting in the face of everything that we've fought so hard for. That's why we want you guys to step up and push us... we need this match, we need to earn this hard-fought win, so we can make it clear to the entire locker room that even if things look a little dim right now around us, The Light In The Darkness will still find a way to stand strong... and Amelia can still trust me to be the light that guides her back to who I know she truly wants to be.

I may not agree with who she's aligned herself with, but Amelia has one thing that no one else in Delatosso's entourage has: a wife who loves her enough to see beyond all of that and stand by her side when she needs a partner she can truly trust. Despite everything, I will support Amelia, and Breakdown this week in our nation's capital will prove that no matter what, she and I have a bond that transcends any other chaos trying to consume this company right now.”

Luz pauses as she feels something land on her head, and she reaches up and pulls a small cherry blossom branch out of her hair. Slowly, for perhaps the first time in a while, we see the familiar radiant smile that has defined Luz and her personality for her entire life, as she holds the cherry blossom branch up in offering.

“Consider this cherry blossom branch my peace offering, Ames, because I know that when this is all set and done, you will be reborn stronger than ever and with a brighter future than you ever saw for yourself. And one way or another, I will be right there with you, whether it be as your tag partner or even if it ultimately requires me to be an obstacle for you in that ring. We will reignite that fire we've always had and fight to prevail over Hollywood this week, just as we'll do at Taking Hold of the Flame, despite everything. And the future beyond that? It may be uncertain, but you can trust when I say I'll find my way to you, no matter what I have to do. As a song we both know so well goes: 'There's no thing that I won't go through, even if I have to die for you.'”

Luz nods to us, still keeping the tiny cherry blossom branch offered out, knowing her words will reach Amelia somehow, someway. Her faith may be a curiosity in its own right, but one thing she's clearly certain about is the strength of the bond between The Light In The Darkness above all else... a bond she's certain will show its strength despite everything against Hollywood come Thursday night.