Deanna Frost vs. La Pequena Luz vs. Kimberly Williams vs. Adam Allocco

[Wisteria Waltz]

Over the years, La Pequeña Luz had found herself in plenty of tough situations, a fair amount of them even being ones she'd gotten herself into. That said, she could confidently claim that she had yet to meet a situation she couldn't get herself out of, a true testament to her ridiculous resourcefulness that had left many in awe throughout her wrestling career. Even before she was old enough to compete, Luz had a knack for constantly finding ways out of rough spots that had even her most persistent bullies baffled. The benefits of an overactive imagination, she had always believed.

That said, even though she'd willingly put herself in this position and was confident that her plan would succeed, it was hard to ignore the fact that she felt more pressure than she ever had before.

Luz had wrestled her fair share of big matches over the years, all dating back to the very first one where she had become the first blemish on the then-undefeated record of her now-girlfriend Amelia. The two of them had put on an instant classic for the ages, pushing themselves farther than they'd ever gone before, and considering the friendship that formed after all was set and done it was hard to say that either one of them had truly lost on that night. In the years that followed, she'd competed in her fair share of title matches that all carried that aura associated with a big fight, including her and Amelia's attempt to become SCW World Tag Team Champions and her stab at trying to win the Underground Title. She'd even dare to say that her next match for the upcoming Breakdown in Cleveland felt like a big one, considering she was going up against three people she had a bit of history with and all of them still had uncertain paths with only about two weeks to go until Rise to Greatness, meaning a win for her could go a long way either for the big event itself or for whatever awaited The Light In The Darkness in the aftermath.

And yet, none of them held a candle to what she was about to do.

The day after the Breakdown in Buffalo, Luz had immediately caught the first flight she could book that morning and headed back to Mexico. This time, however, she wasn't alone. Despite the pain her recovering knee was in courtesy of Religious Wright and his affront to God by targeting her injury using the Bible he carried around, of all things, Amelia had insisted that she still be by Luz's side for the major challenge she was about to face and insisted that she could watch her back regardless of her injury. It had been extremely tempting for Luz to do the right thing and try to convince Amelia not to risk further injury by doing this, but she knew her girlfriend wouldn't be swayed and she'd be lying if she said she didn't appreciate the extra pair of eyes looking out for her.

As much as she wanted to believe she had plenty of those already, it never felt like enough when they were dealing with The Empire.

Just days prior, her plan had gone into effect. She'd convinced her old promoter to give The Empire what they wanted and allow Valentina to resume competing under her name and mask without restriction. Almost immediately, she had shown up to compete at the promotion's final show before their big event that Sunday, winning her match in convincing fashion before The Empire's Golden Prodigy had immediately demanded that she be booked for the one coming up. That was when Luz struck, surprising the entire live crowd and confirming once and for all that there had been two different versions of La Pequeña Luz and the one fighting for The Empire was a fraud, something the fans immediately got behind as they picked up on all the things that truly made Luz who she was and realized The Empire were the kind of group that would have the audacity to spit in the face of all of lucha libre's most sacred traditions. From there, Luz baited the trap by challenging her doppelganger to a lucha de apuesta, calling for the loser to forfeit both their mask and any right to the name and identity of La Pequeña Luz. Unsurprisingly, Henry White had taken the bait and immediately accepted on behalf of The Empire's Luz. Before Luz had left them that night, she and Valentina had locked eyes and the latter seemed to understand exactly what Luz was planning through that silent conversation, though they both knew it wouldn't be that easy.

Now, Luz found herself getting ready in her locker room at Arena México, the legendary arena also known to many as “The Cathedral of Lucha Libre.” It was an arena her father had main evented in plenty of times and now she found herself in that very same position for the first time. After all, in lucha libre there was no championship gold that could ever mean more than a luchador's mask, the very symbol of who they were, and she was about to end this show putting hers on the line in hopes of finally setting her forced twin free from The Empire's shackles. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that The Empire would do whatever it took to finally reveal her face to the world and claim full control of everything that she was trying to be... before her thoughts could start to spiral about what that scenario would look like in the months to come and how that would affect her in SCW, she felt a familiar hand take hold of hers, threading their fingers together before a soft pair of lips gently pressed against the back of it.

“I know what you're doing, mi amor,” Amelia gently said, “and I'm here to remind you that whatever you're thinking about won't happen. Valentina knows what you're aiming to do, and I'll be right there with you to help make sure these clowns don't try anything. You can do this... your mask, your name, everything that makes you who you are, it will still be yours by the end of this night.”

Luz silently nodded, taking a deep breath to help clear her head. “Thank you Ames... you have no idea how much it means to hear you reassure me with those words. But... what if...?”

“No 'what ifs' Luz,” Amelia firmly told her as she gently held Luz's face between her palms so she had no choice but to lock eyes, her fingers gently tracing along the sides of the mask she knew meant everything to her beloved. “You knew what you were getting into, and unlike any other time you've been in this position, this time you've got a plan. Even if that plan goes off the rails, I know you well enough to know that you'll make a way out that gets you the win and brings this mess to an end once and for all.”

Luz couldn't help but let her lips curl into that familiar smile that she knew Amelia loved to see with all her heart. “On the off chance this doesn't go the way we want it to... would you still love me if I no longer had this mask?”

Amelia looked like she was thinking that over, but barely ten seconds had passed before she seemed to reach a decision. “Luna Nevado, I love you. I've seen the beautiful face that lies beneath that mask, I know who you really are, and it doesn't matter to me what name you go by or if you wear a mask that symbolizes everything about you or not... nothing will change the fact that I love everything about you and you will always be everything to me.”

Luz let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, that reassurance having a much greater impact than she thought it would. Even though she knew Amelia had seen and known more about her beyond the figure she'd become in her culture, deep down there was always that little spark of doubt that had lingered for years, telling her that Amelia only loved La Pequeña Luz and not Luna Nevado. She knew it was ridiculous, but her brain always seemed hard-wired to take any self-doubt and magnify it into something that ate away at her until it felt like an undeniable fact of life. Amelia, however, knew this issue all too well and they had worked together to constantly help one another heal and move past this mindset, and it made Luz all the more excited for the secret project she'd been trying to work on in the times where the two had been apart in recent weeks.

All she needed now was a clear idea of what awaited the two of them at Rise to Greatness, something that she hoped would become clearer after this upcoming Breakdown. Having Amelia help her plan an elaborate entrance would be no trouble at all, considering they both wanted to make their first time competing at this event one to remember regardless of the end result. The challenge would lie in finding the perfect moment to pop the question that would ultimately bond them together for the rest of their lives, a thought that was equal parts terrifying and exciting all at the same time.

Before she could think about that, however, there was important business to take care of as she got word that her match was up next. With a deep breath to restore her focus, she and Amelia walked hand in hand to the gorilla position, her girlfriend giving quiet reassurances the whole way that she had this and they were going to pull this off. It was a little thing, but one that really helped Luz shut out the fears of this whole scheme blowing up in her face that would threaten to throw her off immensely when she couldn't afford to be anything less than her best.

“Ah, Miss Luz. And with the future Mrs. White by your side, I see.”

Both women froze, their skin feeling like it was crawling at the sound of a voice that Luz had only heard on TV up until now and Amelia had also heard over the phone, but hearing it in-person amplified the effect of how much it unnerved them. Finally taking full stock of the area around them, they found what looked like a rather large group of Empire members led by Henry crowded around their version of Luz, apparently going over final details of whatever plan they had hatched for this encounter. Standing in front of them, however, was the mastermind behind this whole operation, their very first face-to-face encounter with the mysterious Caleb White himself. Despite his age, the man clearly towered over both of them, the scars that were easily hidden by makeup in front of the cameras a lot easier to see up close, and the aura of confidence surrounding him was suffocating.

“It's a pleasure to finally meet you both in person,” he told them, extending his hand only to find that neither was keen on shaking it.

“We'd hardly call it a pleasure after everything you've done,” Amelia spat.

“Why, dear Amelia, all I've done is amass an army devoted to the noble cause of purifying the wrestling business from all these heathens who have corrupted what it means to be a wrestler,” he replied, the sheer sincerity in his voice shocking both women and making them want to throw up at how much he truly believed in every word that he spoke. His attention soon turned to Luz. “It's truly a shame what happened to your father, Luz, but I did promise him a long time ago that I would take good care of any protégé he found in this business and guide them down the correct path. That protégé being his own daughter truly couldn't have worked out any better... or, at least, it will once we eliminate this silly need for you to hide your face behind a mask and steer you away from the unnecessary acrobatics-”

“Not going to happen, anciano,” Luz sternly cut him off. “Just because you have a vision of how this business should be doesn't mean it's the only way. Why do you think every country across the globe has a different approach to this sport and all are accepted? That mish-mash of styles is what makes wrestling what it is today, why all those people out there pay their hard-earned money to watch us do what we do!”

Caleb simply scoffed at this. “You're too young to understand, but perhaps we can fix that once your both properly inducted into our little group.”

He looked like he was about to say more, but the familiar tune of “Believe In Tomorrow” by Sunflower’s Garden could be heard playing out in the arena, and with a snap of his fingers the group clad in white and gold parted in unison like the Red Sea, further unnerving both women as they cautiously made their way through so Luz could make her entrance. As they passed by Henry, he made an attempt to reach out and take Amelia's free hand, but she quickly snatched his wrist and gave him a very clear look that she wouldn't hesitate to snap it right then and there before letting go, Luz shooting him a disgusted glare of her own before Caleb said one final thing before she stepped out through the curtain and embraced the roar of the fans.

“There is only one proper way to define this business, and you'll find out the same way your father once did, Little Light.”

If Caleb was hoping the hints of his threat would get into Luz's head and throw her off her game, he would be surprised to find that they had only motivated her further to put an end to his entire mad scheme, starting with freeing Valentina from being forced to pretend to be her.

The match that would follow got off to a crazy start before the bell even rang when The Empire came out in full force for the entrance of their Luz, only to be cut off as virtually the entirety of the locker room emptied out to drag them backstage and leave only Caleb and his nephew to accompany Valentina for this tense matchup, the old veteran already visibly angry at the significant interference in whatever plans he'd hatched as Luz could hear him cussing out the culture of lucha libre and the people of Mexico anytime she ended up near that corner of the ring. It only added more fuel to the fire, however, as she threw everything she had at her doppelganger and took everything she had to throw back in return. A good amount of the match effectively felt like she was reliving her old clash with Amelia, using her speed and aerial tactics to counter her copy's more methodical technical style. Once it seemed like Valentina was starting to figure out a way to keep Luz grounded, however, the script would be flipped as Luz began busting out some submission holds of her own, many of which got the fans roaring as they recognized the submissions from Amelia's arsenal.

Her twin would finally get some semblance of a positive reaction when she resorted to taking some risks of her own to try and level the playing field. There was always a shakiness to it that worried Luz, but she managed to help make sure no serious accidents occurred in the landing, especially since seeing Caleb start to further lose his cool and resort to barking at his Luz to “stop disgracing herself with unnecessary risks and flashiness” led to her openly grinning at him once she regained control before mouthing “this is wrestling” to him, a chant that the fans would actually take to yelling in Spanish shortly after.

Luz finally reached a point where she managed to slip free of an attempted move by Valentina and dropped her with the Lights Out, the crowd reaching a fever pitch as they knew she would follow with the exclamation point that would seal the deal and finally return the wrestling world down to one La Pequeña Luz, the real deal. As she climbed to the top turnbuckle to go for Ilumina la Noche, however, she saw Caleb grab Henry by his shirt collar and jerk him close to say something to him. He nervously nodded before he started walking around the ring. Realizing exactly what was going on, Luz looked down and mouthed something to Amelia so she had the heads up, and while Amelia nodded and acknowledged the man approaching her, Luz found her footing knocked away by a recovered Valentina who then tried to pull her down only for Luz to resist.

“I'm sorry,” Valentina quietly told Luz, and she saw why when she was forced to look as Henry carefully took off his mask, exposing his scar-covered face for the first time in public as he blatantly flirted with Amelia and tried to pull her into a hug and a kiss, ignoring the sheer hatred the fans were showering him with.

“Me too, hermana,” Luz replied, shocking Valentina as Luz simply gave her a kind and understanding smile.

She soon realized exactly why Luz returned the apology as the fans went nuts over the sight of Amelia popping her not-fiancé with a european uppercut, confirming their 'engagement' as yet another lie once and for all. Henry angrily tried to go for Amelia's injured knee, but she jumped over Henry's attempt and violently pulled him to the ground into the Blight Choke. Luz then managed to regain control of the actual match going on as she twisted out of her predicament into a modified shiranui that she chained right into a Blight Choke of her own! Both Luzes saw Caleb start to climb up onto the apron, and Valentina flashed him a brief smile as she quickly tapped out before he could actually do anything!

It was a surreal feeling for Luz as she heard her music play while her arm was raised in victory by both the referee and her girlfriend, the two of them exchanging a kiss that further angered Caleb and made Henry look away in something they both thought resembled shame. Caleb angrily turned to storm off, barking at Valentina to forget about the stipulation and follow him. She started to do so for a moment, the crowd immediately showering her with hatred as the referee got in her way. She looked conflicted, and that's when Luz put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Don't worry... we won't let him hurt you anymore, I promise,” she reassured her doppelganger. “You're free now.”

Luz saw as Valentina took a good hard look into her eyes, but no matter how hard she looked she couldn't find any trace of deceit from the luchadora she'd been impersonating for months now. Slowly, the realization set in that Luz was telling her the honest truth, and with that revelation, she gladly pulled off the mask and handed it to who she felt was its rightful owner, revealing the face of a woman roughly Luz's age whose face looked similar enough that, under a mask, it made sense why Caleb thought he could get away with this whole scheme.

Luz and Amelia both stood by her side as they watched the now maskless Valentina tell Caleb and Henry to kindly fuck off, the sight drawing roars of cheers from the fans as Caleb looked about ready to explode. Henry said something to him, but Caleb gave him one look that caused him to shrink in on himself before the gave the three of them a look that made it clear this wasn't over, but he wasn't going to deal with it out in the public eye.

Luz took all of this in as she watched the two men leave before she celebrated her win a bit while Amelia and Valentina applauded her, eating up whatever time remained as the show went off the air. She knew this war was far from over, but tonight, she could take solace in the fact that a huge blow had been dealt to The Empire, one that she really hoped deep down would force them to back off for a little while so she could turn her focus to happier things on the horizon... like her very first Rise to Greatness, and attempting to propose to the love of her life on that grand stage.