Meghan Strader vs. La Pequena Luz

[Wisteria Waltz]

OOC: In terms of chronological reading order regarding my characters for this PPV, Amelia's CD takes place first, then Luz's (this one) is second.
----------------------------------

If La Pequeña Luz had one wish about this time of year, it would've been for things to have been quiet and, ideally, more successful.

It was hard to ignore how important this period was for Luz for a number of reasons. For one thing, Día de Muertos, one of the most important holidays in her culture, was almost here. Unfortunately, Luz would have to miss the usual festivities in her hometown because Under Attack just so happened to fall on November 2nd this year, and while last year she'd been able to swing a short notice trip from Tulancingo to Detroit with enough time to spare after celebrating to get ready for battle (thanks in large part to Selena Frost and her private jet), trying to do the same to Minneapolis this year seemed unreasonable with a shorter window.

Perhaps just as importantly, November 2nd officially marked her one year anniversary of being married to Amelia.

Now, normally that thought would have Luz over the moon and planning something big to celebrate the occasion, but once again, Under Attack landing on that specific day kind of threw a wrench into things, and as much as Luz wanted to celebrate one year of being married to the most incredible woman she'd ever known, she was at least aware enough to not want to risk compromising their focus. As per usual, Under Attack was going to be a big night for them, as while Amelia was looking to repeat their huge tag team victory over Syren at this very same event two years ago except one-on-one this time, Luz was going to have to survive the challenge of Meghan Strader for her United States Title.

If Luz had her way, maybe things could have turned out a little differently. Maybe her Trios team could have found a way to make it to the finals, maybe she and Amelia could've had a bizarre anniversary by facing off in the finals and throwing everything they had at one another like only they could. Truthfully, she could've done without the absolute chaos that had erupted at the start of last Breakdown that saw CHBK get injured by Waylon Creek and had ultimately led to Meghan banging on their door to not only challenge Luz, but also give her plenty of reason to want to prove to the Cowgirl From Hell that just because The Light In The Darkness did things their own way didn't make them weak.

It was a lesson they had taught two other Straders, Veronica and Cara, last year on multiple occasions, but it seemed that respect did not carry over to the family matriarch, despite Amelia proving she had been a trustworthy partner during the two's Trios run, even with Gavin and his antics in the equation as well.

As much as it hurt her to admit, a small part of Luz was a little glad that she didn't have to worry about Trios anymore for this year. Trying to navigate her team had been difficult all on its own, from Ryan trying to take her out so she could be replaced by an alternate to herself being taken out and Simon Lyman, the man responsible, conveniently taking her place. It was also hard not to feel the tension from having to work with Chris Cannon, who was at least willing to cooperate if it meant getting that contract even if he had every reason to not be a fan of Luz after Amelia had beaten him back at Rise to Greatness and then used her contract she'd won last year to take a shot at the prize they knew Chris wanted.

Luz had also made it pretty clear she was a little put off by what Simon had done and the fact that he'd conveniently benefited from it, even if it meant she actually had a more cohesive team in the aftermath. All in all, it was one big awkward mess and she hoped that if she got another opportunity in next year's tournament, things would hopefully go much smoother like her prior two teams had been.

She really didn't like that all of this was juggling around in her brain after she and Amelia had left Pittsburgh, taking a huge detour so they could head down to Tulancingo. Even if they couldn't be a part of the proper celebration this year because of where Under Attack fell on the schedule, that didn't mean they still couldn't embrace the spirit of the holiday beforehand while they had the chance. That was why they were still heading down, with the plan being to help Camila and Valentina in setting up the ofrenda around the grave of El Espíritu Angélico and then speaking with his spirit before they walked into a night that promised tough challenges and hopefully huge boosts if they were both able to win this time.

If Luz was being honest with herself, she knew that she needed this chance to talk with her father. Finally being able to meet with Dr. Celine Bolton, the NCA-contracted therapist, a few days ago and technically have their first session with her had already helped immensely, even if all they'd really done was give their perspective on the issues she already knew she would be handling with them. She'd explained it still went a long way in helping her understand their experiences to know what was going on in their heads, which was why she was now working on a plan to help them based on what she'd learned. Admittedly, trying to make that happen in the first place had been a bit of a hassle because of the constant travel for SCW, but now that the ball was rolling, hopefully they could figure out a schedule to make sure the couple got the help they sorely needed.

If Luz felt she'd made any blunders with that first session in their hotel room, it was the fact that she had abstained from wanting to explain her past like Amelia had. She hadn't been lying when she told Celine that she would prefer if her mom was present when she explained herself, as despite things improving immensely between them it still felt like that old rift between daughter and mother in the wake of her father's passing needed to be addressed once and for all, but she hadn't entirely been truthful either. Of equal importance to her in that moment was letting Amelia take the lead as Luz was downplaying her issues by comparison... again.

'I know I need to stop doing that,' she reasoned with herself on the flight. 'I just... I think Amelia needs her past addressed more than I do. She may hide it, but I know she's been struggling with that World Title loss and me being U.S. Champion while singles gold still eludes her. Oh Amelia... why couldn't you have parents that didn't royally suck?'

No matter how much she thought about it, that seemed like one of those questions that just couldn't be answered.

Even still, it seemed like their first session had still yielded some results. In the training they had gotten in between that day and coming down to Tulancingo, Amelia seemed to be more radiating a new confidence in herself that had been shaky at best before. It wasn't perfect, as Luz knew her beloved well enough to still see the doubt that crept in every now and then, but it was already a vast improvement from whenever Amelia trained during a time where she'd been struggling in the face of failures. To that end, Luz could only hope to further empower her as she pushed herself as well, the two of them now in the middle of the embers of the war between Syren and Meghan Strader and looking to simply make the most of it to keep pushing themselves forward.

That said, Celine wasn't simply going to go radio silent while she forged a plan to help them, as evidenced by the fact that Amelia was currently texting with her while Luz drove them to the cemetery where her father rested, and the very same cemetery where their matrimony had been blessed by the spirits of the departed giving them strength and guidance.

“So, Celine actually raised an interesting point,” Amelia suddenly said.

“¿Ah, sí?” Luz replied in Spanish, which immediately got Amelia's attention. “¿De qué se trata?”

“...before I tell you,” Amelia carefully said as she reached over, her free hand resting on Luz's against the steering wheel even as she continued to drive. “Talk to me. I can hear the nerves in your native tongue, hermosa.”

Luz let out a bitter chuckle. “Nothing gets past you, huh Ames?”

“When it comes to you? Never,” Amelia smiled softly. “Now spill.”

“It's just... I'm nervous,” Luz admitted. “Not about Under Attack. I promise you I'm focused on Meghan and can beat her, just like I know you can beat Syren. But... about... talking with papá.”

“Why would you be nervous?” Amelia asked, her thumb gently rubbing circles into the back of Luz's hand as she returned the favor of comfort that Luz had given her during their therapy session days ago.

“I know, in my head, that he won't think any less of me if I tell him about what happened around Rise to Greatness,” Luz admitted. “Heck, I'm sure he already knows and he was watching over us that day.”

“You're still struggling with the nightmares,” Amelia said, not as a question, but as a firm statement because she was well aware that it was true.

“Being able to explain my point of view to Celine helped,” Luz admitted. “It's just... I don't know... it feels hard asking my dad if he thinks I actually have blood on my hands from that day.”

“Which you don't,” Amelia reassured her. “And as luck would have it, Celine's point actually ties into this. She texted me asking if we'd taken any time to ourselves without SCW or our loved ones being the focus.”

“Does this early Día de Muertos trip not count?” Luz asked, a bit confused.

“I'd say it does,” Amelia reassured her. “But she's referring to more like a vacation, some time where it's just you and me without anything else to bother us.”

“We haven't, and you know the reason why,” Luz lamented, and Amelia couldn't help but sigh in agreement.

“Yeah, I texted as much to Celine,” she admitted. “She had a pretty... powerful response, I must say.”

“Hit me,” Luz tried to smile, and Amelia was happy to see her wife shake off some of her nerves at least.

“She said, and I quote,” Amelia began reading. “'Take one anyway. You both deserve a break, and I think it would actually help your mental states immensely. Don't let The Empire dictate your ability to enjoy life because they you do not answer to them. If you take a trip despite their fear tactics, it shows that you are done letting them win even the small battles. And if they do try anything? They'll regret it.' Apparently Darius and Evie are more than happy to set some traps and go hunting for Empire goons around wherever we decide to go if we pull the trigger.”

“Well, when she puts it like that,” Luz chuckled. “Kind of hard to argue against that kind of logic. We're definitely long overdue for a honeymoon, and we'll have a bit of a break after Under Attack...”

“You thinking of us winning at Under Attack as motivation for a well-deserved vacation to celebrate one year of marriage?” Amelia grinned.

“Heck yeah!” Luz whooped, earning a laugh from Amelia. “You know... I do recall Derek Adonis offering us a honeymoon suite as a peace offering last year during the chaos with the Fall of Man during Fatal Fortunes.”

“Are you seriously considering having KABLAMia be our honeymoon spot just in time for a show where we could maybe end up involved if we're not careful?” Amelia raised an eyebrow.

“It's just a convenient suggestion!” Luz pleaded. “Besides, we absolutely would not be wrestling if we don't have to. Just relaxing, like we're supposed to.”

“Uh huh...” Amelia said, not convinced, but it was at least an idea to contemplate once they hopefully walked out of Under Attack both victorious.

The fun energy that had been brewing between the couple in the car began to slowly fade once Luz pulled up to the cemetery, however, and Amelia was willing to accept that. During this upcoming period of time especially, she had seen and felt just how sacred it was to be in the presence of the dearly departed during a time that not only celebrated their memory, but also life as a whole.

In a way, just being here helped Luz realize that maybe their new therapist was on to something, considering it felt like she hadn't truly lived since she and Amelia tied the knot here last year. They had tried without the threat of The Empire hanging over their heads, but the moment Caleb had broken out of prison and the war they wanted no part of resumed, they had spent so long treading lightly and watching their backs.

It reminded her of when she'd had that run-in with Paul back around Apocalypse, the SCW fan who was seemingly being targeted by the cult for reasons even he didn't seem to know. Despite the off vibe she got from him in previous encounters, she recalled clearly that The Empire had apparently been ordered by Caleb to leave her and Amelia alone for the time being... if there was any truth to that, or if it was a ploy meant to lower their guards, remained to be seen, but it almost felt amusing thinking about truly taking advantage of that opportunity and putting it to the test no matter what they decided to do.

“Mija, Amelia, so glad you could make it.”

Luz was pulled from her thoughts by the voice of her mother, and she was grateful that her smile remained as she and Amelia joined hands and approached where Camila and Valentina were already starting to set up the ofrenda.

“Under Attack may have gotten in the way this year, but we wouldn't miss this for the world as best as we could, Camila,” Amelia nodded.

“You guys have already done such a great job!” Luz chuckled at the sight of what had been put together thus far.

“Thanks,” Valentina chuckled. “We still saved plenty of roses and candles for you guys, though.”

“Before we pitch in though,” Luz proclaimed, “I, um... I need to have a talk with dad first.”

The sudden change in her tone of voice definitely threw her mom and stepsister for a loop, but one look at Amelia warranted a nod that said all that it needed to. With that, Camila and Valentina stepped back, moving to stand beside Amelia as Luz slowly approached her father's grave and the in-progress ofrenda, kneeling down in front of it.

“Hola papá,” she quietly began. “I'm... sorry it's been a year since I last visited you. I'm sure you remember that night... the night I married the most amazing girl in the world.”

Luz heard Valentina giggling and could only assume Amelia's face had turned as red as a tomato at hearing that.

“I'm also sure you've been watching over me, guiding me... guiding us,” she continued. “You've seen me become the U.S. Champion in SCW again, outright this time. You've seen Amelia push towards becoming World Champion, where I know she deserves to be. But I also know you've seen the darker parts... the ordeals with The Empire when I know you'd hoped I would never have to deal with Caleb and his twisted obsession the way you did.”

Luz sniffled a bit, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“I know you were watching over Mamá, V and I going into Rise to Greatness,” she managed to keep going, “as we dealt with that madman Crane. I... I'm sorry, dad. I keep trying to tell myself that whatever happened to him, whoever shot him and saved us that day... Stephen Crane's blood is not on my hands, but I... I can't help but feel like it is. He was a terrible, awful, hateful man, and yet I didn't want him to have to die...”

“Sometimes, Mi Pequeña Luz, death is unfortunate but necessary.”

Luz's breath hitched as the familiar voice greeted her ears, feeling like it was being carried on the wind. Even without tearing her gaze away from the grave, Luz knew her father was present now, holding her tightly and comforting her with his presence.

“I know it is hard... you were not the one who ended him, but it is easier to blame yourself. It is one of the many unfortunate things about life. But know that no good people truly died that day. I would have never allowed for any of you to be joining me on the other side so soon. But hear me now, Luna... it is not your fault, but the demise of Stephen Crane was, ultimately, his own doing. Sometimes, bad people dig their own graves. I saw you that day, mija... fighting for your life with everything you had, and I will warn you that it will not be the last time you will need to do that. But you are strong... stronger than you believe, as is your beloved. Do not be afraid, do not let others dim your light for their own ends. Show them what it means to be La Pequeña Luz... and please give the same message to Amelia and tell her she will always have me watching over her, as the father figure she always deserved.”

“I will, papá,” Luz chokes out. “I will.”

Before she knows it, she's being held by her wife, with her mom and sister joining them. She shares what she heard from her father, feeling the weight slowly beginning to lift from her chest and her mind. She's not quite free of the terrible burden yet, but she can feel the spark, and deep down, she knows his words are true.

Lost in this moment, however, none of them notice a familiar face watching them from across the street, maintaining a safe distance. As “Paul,” who had followed the couple all the way out here, stares at them before shifting his gaze to the grave of a man he once knew, he thinks better of intruding upon the moment. To do so now would likely blow his cover and unravel his carefully laid ruse.

Still, he can only view them with disdain, hopeful for the day when he would be able to break these souls he truly believed were tainted and reforge them, saving them from damnation and granting him the absolution he sought, no matter who else would need to be cut down in order to make it happen.