La Pequena Luz & Deanna Frost vs. The European Fiery Nation (Theron/Erikson)

[Wisteria Waltz]

One benefit to Breakdown taking place in Los Angeles this week is the fact that Anaheim is only about an hour drive away, pending traffic, at best. This means that we find La Pequeña Luz in a place that we haven't seen in quite some time, that being her and Amelia's Anaheim home. Luz is currently seated at a little table on a balcony that we've seen The Light In The Darkness use before whenever they've gotten the chance to return home, though aside from her mask it's clear that the tank top and shorts she's wearing are workout gear and her sitting out in this heat gulping down a bottle of water might be part of her cooldown period after an intense workout. Given what awaits her in the coming weeks, it would be no surprise if Luz was training like never before. While it looks like Luz is looking at us, our position also means that she could just be taking in the beautiful view of Anaheim behind us, considering from our view we can see through the sliding glass door where we catch a glimpse of Amelia parked on the couch, also clad in a tank top and shorts and drenched in sweat from her own workout, seemingly in the middle of what we can only assume to be film study for her own next match. Luz turns her head, catching Amelia's gaze as the couple exchange smiles and nods before Luz's focus turns back to what we're certain is us now, her trademark beaming smile in place... albeit with a hint of nervousness that's hard to hide.

“I'm going to be honest with all of you for a moment. If any of you had told me, back when my career was first starting, that I would one day find myself going to SCW's biggest stage of Rise to Greatness to challenge for championship gold, I probably would have thought you were trying to mock me or play some cruel prank taking advantage of the high hopes and expectations I felt I had to live up to at first. True, Ames and I did win our third World Tag Titles at that same pay-per-view last year, but this year... this year it just feels different. I'd be lying if I said I believed this would be where the road to Rise to Greatness would take me this time around. Yeah, I have been sitting on a rematch for the interim U.S. Title for probably way too long at this point, between prioritizing trying to get the Tag Titles back and the mess I'll admit the U.S. Title picture started to become for a bit, but... I thought that Deanna's return would make it as simple as her vs. Asher to finally determine an undisputed champion and, maybe, I'd get lucky once that was settled and see if I could get that rematch, or even earn my way back into the picture if need be.

And yet, not only did Deanna go to bat for me, trying to insist I should have my rematch first, but even Asher admitted he wouldn't mind if I was just part of the unification match altogether.

Maybe a lot of you out there don't know why I'm struggling to comprehend being in this position, but... I've made no secret of the fact that I was bullied growing up, that no one ever believed I deserved anything, least of all just being the daughter of a lucha libre legend. When you're told for so long that you're not worth it, that you don't deserve anything because you're just 'too much' or 'too weird' or just plain 'unworthy,' those voices can easily get stuck in your head, and they're always louder than the voices telling you otherwise. Anyone who's ever been bullied or told they just 'aren't good enough' will know exactly where I'm coming from and how much it just sticks to your brain even years later, long after you've proven that you always were good enough and earned everything you have to your name. That's why it's hard for me to sit here and still wrap my head around the fact that, at Rise to Greatness, I'm going to get the chance to walk in with nothing and potentially walk out as the undisputed SCW United States Champion.

Of course, I still have to make it to Rise to Greatness first, as this road still has a few miles on it before we get to Houston, and as luck would have it, this year's road has offered me a very similar stop to last year's... albeit with a few notable differences that I know have a few eyebrows raised.”

Luz can't help but turn her head again to Amelia sitting inside, where we can see her jotting something down into a notebook on her lap as she continues to study whatever footage she's watching, her fingers twitching in a way that almost reminds us of an instinct to apply some sort of hold. Luz's lips curl into a smile before she turns back to face us, more confidence in that grin of hers now.

“Last year, after Amelia and I were stunned by the Stewards and watched our second run as World Tag Team Champions end by the hand of another newly-ascended Supreme Champion at our expense, we only had one other match along this same road before Rise to Greatness was upon us. Dakon, Ludvig, you guys remember that match, right? Despite the risk of doing so that close to such an important moment for our careers, Amelia and I stepped up to the plate to face the both of you as we sought to regain some of the momentum we'd lost. Not only that, but we also agreed to finally meet you on your terms, stepped into the underground and played by its rules, or lack thereof... and on that night, we beat you at your own game. That spark is what reignited the fire that led to us making last year's Rise to Greatness one to remember as we began our third reign, and arguably our greatest yet, as SCW's World Tag Team Champions.

In that way, it almost feels fitting to be retreading this old ground with the two of you once again.

Of course, it's not quite the same scenario, is it? For one thing, this match isn't Underground Rules this time, which I know the two of you are going to waste no time bringing up and trying to claim that I'm a coward for not meeting you in a scenario where I've already prevailed over you once before. I don't get it guys... if Amelia and I faced you time and time again in Underground Rules and managed to win every single time, would that be what it would take to finally get you to change your tune even a little bit and admit that we're not quite the cowards you always seem to think we are? I'd like to think by now that I've long since proven I'm not afraid of anything you both think you can do... Ames and I beat you in Underground Rules last year, as I said before, we've beaten you and four other teams to win the Chamber Match for the Tag Titles last year while having started the match, and I don't think anything I've had to endure while Amelia and I fought against the Fall of Man for months gives the indication that I'm afraid of getting a little battered and bloody if that's what's expected of me.

But it's not just that, is it? No... your biggest issue has always been both Amelia and I desiring to branch out and prove we're each just as capable on our own as we've already proven we are together. And I know that's going to come up again this time because of the other major difference from our little dance around this same point last year: this time, Amelia isn't going to be my partner.

I suppose I should probably address that, huh? Yeah, it won't be The Light In The Darkness tagging together again come Breakdown in Los Angeles this week. Instead, I'm going to be teaming with one of the people I'm going to be facing in just a few weeks' time to determine the undisputed United States Champion, that being the original champion herself in Deanna Frost. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't going to take a bit of getting used to, but the past two years of Trios tournaments have proven that I'm willing and able to adapt to such scenarios when push comes to shove, as any true competitor would be expected to do. Deanna, I mean it when I say it's going to be an honor getting to team with you and seeing what we can do together in that ring come Thursday night. Maybe it won't be pretty considering this is the first time we've done this, but you know I trust you to have my back and I will have yours without question. And if Jordan thinks she can try to play any games like she did with Asher last week? Well, that's exactly why Amelia will be keeping an eye out for us, making sure this match remains fair as it's intended to be.

But that's not going to sit well with Dakon and Ludvig, is it? No, sadly, I think I already have a pretty good idea of how this is going to go. They're going to use this as an excuse to claim superiority by default just because Deanna isn't my usual partner, because this proves that Amelia and I aren't a 'real' tag team because we have aspirations beyond just what The Light In The Darkness is as a tandem. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they try to drive a wedge between Deanna and I with questions about whether or not we can even co-exist because at Rise to Greatness we'll be facing each other along with Asher and Jordan in a four way dance. In that regard, allow me to pose an honest question for the two of you:

Not that I would ever wish this upon anybody, but... let's say, by some freak accident, that one of you got seriously hurt and had to be sidelined for quite some time. Or maybe some serious personal issue comes up and one of you needs to step away for SCW for a little bit to get it in order. Given how much the both of you love trying to shove it down everyone throats that you two are the only 'true' tag team in all of SCW and should be Tag Champs by default based on that claim alone... what happens in that scenario? Does whoever isn't sidelined just team with another member of the European Fiery Nation in the meantime? Do you actually take a stab at seeing where things might go in singles competition? Or would that just... be it? One of you is sidelined, both of you just disappear until everything's all sorted?”

Luz's fingers tap along the side of her empty water bottle as she sits there, giving the impression that she's waiting for an answer she knows she's not going to receive, at least not right now. As she offers this brief wait period, we do see a pained expression flicker across her face as something crossed her mind, which leads to a deep breath and a sigh before she resumes.

“This business takes a lot of twists and turns, and sometimes you don't expect where things could end up, just like how I admitted earlier that what awaits me at Rise to Greatness this year wasn't what I would've been expecting. I mean... when I first started my wrestling career, I was on my own, trying to basically fill the giant boots my father had left behind, and I never would've expected that crossing paths with Amelia in the ring would not only lead to a tag team partner for most of my career, but also the love of my life. That said, if the situation ever arose where we would have to face one another... you better believe we'd give each other our all and put on a show for the ages, because that's the kind of respect we have for one another. That, you two, is why I know Deanna and I can work together to take you both down without issue and still throw everything we have at one another when her title is on the line, because that's how deeply we respect both one another and this business. It's that same respect that's why, as bummed as I was to be eliminated by Asher in the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal, I didn't hold it against him. It's the nature of the match, after all.

That, I think, is the biggest reason why the two of you haven't been able to become the team you feel you deserve to be. I know you've got the talent, my past dances with you have left me with the battle scars I proudly wear as trophies for it. But, when push comes to shove... you're afraid to adapt. You prefer the bubble of the kind of matches you prefer, even if you know it's not always what you'll be expected to compete in. You prefer any scenario where you get to team together and refuse anything else, even when a golden opportunity is presented that you just need to reach for, even if it means stepping out of that comfort zone once. If you were to answer the question I posed to the both of you by saying you would both just step away to maintain that 'tag team or nothing' mentality... I actually wouldn't blame you. Lest we forget, when Amelia and I were both injured to end our first attempt at an SCW run, my injury was less severe and I could have returned on my own if I so chose... but I didn't. I wanted to wait for her before we took that shot together again.

But it's because we've been willing to branch out, to prove that we're just as good on our own as we are together, that's opened so many more doors for us and proven why we've been getting the attention that maybe you feel you deserve more. After all, SCW is bigger than just its tag division, and I haven't been shy about my biggest goal being to forge a legacy that is all my own to leave behind whenever I retire down the line, not one that was built solely on picking up where my father left off. It's why I'm not simply La Hija de Espíritu Angélico, but La Pequeña Luz, my own person. It's why I am a former interim United States Champion, why I hope to become the undisputed U.S. Champion at Rise to Greatness... no offense, Deanna. But, most importantly, that's why I know that Deanna and I can come together to overcome the European Fiery Nation come Breakdown just up the road from my current home here in Anaheim.

Dakon, Ludvig... know that it's nothing personal. But this time? I hope you take a step back and really listen to the words I've had to say, because sometimes this business isn't as kind as I've tried to be, and you never know how things will play out until you're forced to deal with them. All the same, I wish you the best of luck come Breakdown. And Deanna? Maybe, once Rise to Greatness is in the books... we can hopefully do this again, maybe even with Amelia teaming with us as well.”

There's hope in Luz's eyes as her smile seems to beam brighter than before, even as she stands up and stretches out with a few satisfying joint pops before she turns and slides the glass door open, stepping inside. She closes it behind her, so we don't get to hear anything of the conversation she almost immediately initiates with her wife, but it's not long before we fade out on this wholesome scene and the hope it leaves us with for a bright road to SCW's biggest show of the year, no matter what twists and turns it may still offer.