Selena Frost vs. Ravyn Taylor vs. Nicole Kinneck

[SnowQueenSCW]

The Witches of Alden

”Stairway”

Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhattan, New York
September 19th, 2022
1:11pm

Selena stared at the ring as it sat in the same little black box her mother had shown her, sitting comfortably on the ‘coffee-table’ while she sat on the couch. If she concentrated enough, she could hear the sound of her children playing downstairs, Elsianna probably with little Amiliah and David with his video games that he was so fond of. It was much easier to hear the sound of rain as it fell outside.

She had literally walked through the door just in time to avoid getting hit by the storm. Her mother had called it, insisting the young wrestler head out after their discussion to ‘get home safely’ rather than having to deal with driving home in a thunder storm.

Speaking of which… Selena’s eyes travelled up towards the ceiling of the family room she sat in as she heard the loud rumble of thunder travel by. Slowly, as her mind dulled the sounds surrounding her, she refocused her attention on the old jewelry her mother had lent to her.

”This crest belongs to the family of Alden… This is MY crest.” Her mother’s words continued to echo in her mind, Alejandra’s story an all it detailed – and it wasn’t much, which was both a relief and frustration to the Snow Queen.

Her mother’s family. In truth, Selena had given the idea some thought in the years since she had been reunited with her mother, but given her past with the “Frost-side” of her family, having nothing in regards to another ‘family-side’ had always seemed better than the potential of another Scythe or DeCarlo family coming after her.

But now her mother’s family wanted to meet her – to introduce themselves to her.

And she still wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Afterall, there was a reason that her mother never talked about them, right? There was a reason there were no pictures of them on the wall, right? Was Alejandra ‘the black sheep’ of the family? Was there something off about the Aldens that had made her mother keep a sealed lips in discussing them? What if they were as bad as the Scythes or DeCarlos? Or worse?!

Stop it! Selena chastised herself. That’s impossible.

After everything that the Scythe had been responsible for, including Killjoy for Odin’s sake, the young Frost could at least take comfort in that knowledge. Still…

Picking up the ring box, Selena examined the metal, crest-infused, item. Much like the black envelope and wax-seal, it screamed ‘eccentricity’ far more than anything her own family ever partook in. True, Selena enjoyed her earrings and necklaces, so did Deanna, as well as some of the ‘higher-end’ dances and masquerades that they took part in whenever they occurred in Manhattan, but just the etching and detail in the ring and the letter – they just screamed a different level entirely.

Were the Aldens royalty or something? Gods, she hoped not. Last thing she needed was another “Frost/Frostmere clan” coming down from their place on-high and chastising her for being a lesbian and married to another woman. What if THAT’S the reason mom didn’t stick around with them?

Sadly, after revealing the truth about the crest to Selena, Alejandra had not said much, the older woman requesting more time to think about all of this and what needed to be done before she would confide to Selena the details of this particular ‘side of her family’.

The platinum-blonde barely heard the door fly open and immediately fly close, the sound of the rainstorm suddenly very loud before returning to its usual volume as it raged outside her house. “Oh geez!” she heard the familiar voice. “Fine time I picked…” the voice muttered as movement was heard in the mudroom/entrance of the house. “Selena?” the voice called out. “I saw the Jeep in the driveway. You back?”

“In here.” Selena called out, though she kept her eyes on the ring, studying the red filing and silver symbols of crowns and bat. There was an ‘A’ in the middle there, Selena now knowing what it stood for. She heard the sounds of steps marching into the room only for them to stop nearby her.

“New ring?” she heard Deanna ask. “Or is that for me?” she playfully leaned in over Selena’s shoulder to examine it. “It’s nice but I like mine just fine, thank you.”

“It’s my mother’s.” Selena answered, placing the ring back down on the table and pushing herself up to her full height, turning around to regard her wife. Immediately, the former world champion took in her wife’s appearance: dark green workout shorts and a matching sports bra that, while Deanna had a modest-sized bust (only slightly smaller than Selena’s own, neither were ‘incredibly endowed’ like most of the women of SCW), still highlighted her cleavage to Selena’s eyes. The absence of any leggings only showed the redhead’s legs (not as toned as Selena’s but still defined muscle). Even with all of that, however, it was the redhead’s wet nature that Selena noticed. “Stay there.” She sighed before excusing herself from the room for a moment, waking the short distance through the floor of the house to reach the closet. Opening it, the Snow Queen pulled out a large, dark purple towel before returning to the room. “Didn’t you hear the storm after it arrived?” she asked as she returned to her wife’s side – just in time to see her wife holding the ring-box and examining the details of the metal-band.

“Yeah.” Deanna shrugged. “But I had hoped it would just blow over. And I wasn’t done my set yet.”

“Well then you really only have yourself to blame for getting wet in the first place.” Selena mildly teased as she knelt down to dry the floor around Deanna. “Foot.” She ordered, catching her wife’s foot as it raised, the Snow Queen trying it with the towel, followed by the other one.

“What are you doing?” Deanna tilted her head. “I can dry myself.”
“I know, but I could use the distraction.” Selena remarked off-handedly, moving the towel up to gently dry and massage Deanna’s bare legs.

“I…I see.” The younger Frost’s voice slightly hitched as she felt Selena’s hands squeeze her calf-muscles. “Something in your mind?” her emerald eyes gazed down at the ring still in her hand. “Something to do with this?”

“A lot to do with that.” Selena sighed, focused on her task. “Turns out Alejandra’s family has been trying to contact us.”

She felt her wife’s body stiffen in surprise, and knew that a pair of emerald eyes were suddenly on her. “They have?!” Deanna asked. “Like…your family on your mother’s side?”

“Seems that way.” Selena nodded. “That black envelope we got? That was from them.”
“Oh…I thought it was just junk mail.”

“Apparently not.” Selena sighed as she stood to her full height. “Turn around.” She ordered gently, Deanna absent-mindedly turning around so her back faced her wife.

“So…why now?” Deanna asked as she felt Selena press the towel against the small of her back, gently continuing to dry her. “I mean – did they not know you existed or something?”

“No idea. The letter said they had seen what I had done in wrestling and that they wanted to meet. Though that’s strange in an of itself. Last big thing I did was lose the world title at Rise to Greatness.”

“Well, you DID break the record for longest reign.” Deanna offered. “Maybe that’s what got their attention.”
“But to what end?” Selena sighed, reaching up with the towel to dry Deanna’s shoulders before moving to one arm, running the towel along it.

The redhead gave a shrug. “What did Alejandra say?”

“She…” Selena sighed, trying to recall her mother’s words verbatim. “She said that her family was a very proud one but she grew distant from them shortly she went to Nome and met my father.”

“That’s it?” Deanna asked, turning her head to raise an eyebrow.

“That’s it.” Selena repeated glumly. “She’s not ready to tell me, it seems. And I highly doubt she’s even mentioned it to Jonathan if it was so long ago.”

A silence formed between the two Frost wives as Selena moved to drying her wife’s hair, which took the most time out of all her wife’s ‘parts’, the Snow Queen pressing the towel into the strands to dry it as much as possible.

“Well…” Deanna finally shrugged. “Why don’t we meet them? I mean, really, what’s the worse that could happen?”
“They could be like the Frostmeres? Killjoy? The Scythes? The DeCarlos-“ Selena read off, having already considered this.

“Okay! Good point!” Deanna huffed. “Geez, is no one in your family remotely sane?”
“Sane is a subjective concept.” Selena replied without thinking. “But I don’t think so. Maybe me, you, mom and dad… but that’s really it. Everyone else are wack-jobs.”

Finishing her work, Selena stepped away from her wife, folding and tuck the towel in her hands. “I actually don’t know why I did that.” She half-chuckled. “You’re just going to take a shower in a few minutes anyway.”

“I sort of asked myself that after you got through with the first leg.”
“So why didn’t you say anything?”
The redhead grinned contently at the platinum-blonde. “Girl’s not gonna say anything when she’s having a good time.”

Selena rolled her eyes at that remark before turning on her foot and making her way out of the room once more, this time turning right and heading to the short flight of stairs that lead to the basement/playrooms of the children, Deanna following behind her.

“I say we stay positive.” Deanna implored. “I think having a good family-side would be good for you. Not to mention for the children.”

Selena gave a nod. In truth, she was hoping for the same. In-between the years ‘facing crazy’ in so many corners of her Frost-family and within SCW, was it too much to hope for a family-relation that was just normal? People you could invite for Thanksgiving or (for Deanna) Christmas? People that would visit just to say ‘hello’ or help out when work needed to be done? People they could invite for ‘special events’ involving the children.

“Amy and Isabelle still distant?” Selena asked gently, not wishing to upset her wife in mentioning the redhead’s sister, Amy Springs and her wife, Isabelle. “I doubt even the children remember her now.”

“Yeah…” Deanna’s lips stretched into a thin line before she shook her head. “No. After how many years?”
“Uh…five I think – no! It was before Amiliah was born so six, closing in on seven, I think.”
“Wow…” Deanna sighed. “Lydia’s gotta be close to adulthood now, right?”

“I…think so?” Selena asked, turning to regard her wife. “She was like ten or eleven when I met her, which was before I met you…so….” Again, the pair did some quick math. “Yeah, if she’s not eighteen at this point, she’s pretty close. Wow.”

“Is it wrong that I feel bad about missing her grow-up like that?” Deanna asked.
“No, but you can’t blame yourself.” Selena reminded her wife. “Amy chose to cut us out.”

It wasn’t as clear-cut as that, but for all intents and purposes, it had to be viewed that way. In short, the older Springs sister had never agreed with Deanna staying with Selena as her manager back in 2015 and even less when they had started dating a few months later, and even LESS when they had become engaged and married about year after that. Add all the chaos and craziness that had been part of their lives? The cop had not even bothered to visit Deanna during the redhead’s incarceration in Frankfurt, despite Selena’s insistence and willingness to pay for all travel and needs.

No, Deanna’s sister had missed every element of the last six or so years, to the point where she had not even met her niece, Amiliah, even once. Even Elsianna and David barely remembered, David barely at all. On some note, Selena did blame herself for putting a wedge between the two sisters, but she refused to take the full brunt of it. A lot of it was Amy’s choices, the cop’s inability to, even after all of this time, to admit that Deanna was a grown, strong woman, capable of making her own decisions.

“Wonder if she knows about you being a successful wrestler…” Selena tossed back, turning her head back at Deanna with a smile. “I mean, winning titles and matches and all that…”

“She’d just scoff and say something like ‘wrestling’s not real’ or ‘way to waste that high-school diploma! Couldn’t have been an accountant! Rar rar rar!” Deanna ‘roared’, using her hand as a claw to swipe the air in mimicry of her sister.

“Well…” Selena shrugged. “Her loss. Cause I think you would make a great aunt.”
That seemed to perk up the redhead. “You really think so?”

“Well…is it really that different from being a mom?” Selena asked with a shrug as they continued to make their way into the room and across it. “I mean, being a mom is a full-time gig so the fact that you’re nailing that? I am certain you’d be fine as an aunt.”

“The road not taken.” Deanna sighed. “Unless Peter suddenly reappears with a kid-“ the mention of Selena’s estranged brother gave the redhead pause. “Holy cats…we really DO suck at family-relations.”

“You’re just now figuring that out?” Selena laughed. “I was telling mom that today while I was at her house. Between my brother wanting nothing to do with me – like your sister – and my sister trying to kill me and, ultimately, killing herself, I’m more tempted to write back to these Alden-people and tell them ‘Thank you very much for your kind letter. Please run. Run far away from us. We are cursed and you will probably end up dead or financially slash emotionally ruined by us. Kindest regards: Selena Michelle Frost’.”

“I like that you added ‘kindest regards’.” Deanna remarked as she leaned against the nearby wall.

“Of course! I’m not rude!” Selena shot back playfully, her eyes scanning across the room to where the laundry-room doors were. It was there that Selena went, opening them to toss the damp towel into the nearby hamper, effectively creating a brief moment of silence between the Frost wives, Selena taking a quiet huff and leaning against the nearby dryer to regard her wife, who leaned against the doorway.

“Are we bad people?” Selena asked suddenly.
“No.” Deanna shook her head. “I don’t think we’re saints, but I think our hearts are always in the right place.”

Quietly, the redhead moved the small distance to her taller wife, wrapping her arms around Selena’s waist and resting her head over her chest, hearing the steady beat of the former world champion’s heart – very strong and steady.

“Yeah, but…” Selena tilted her head left to right as she should, wrapping her own arms around her wife and holding her close. “I mean, you know that old saying ‘everyone is the villain in someone else’s story’?”

She felt her wife nod.

“I mean – we clearly are the villain in A LOT of people’s stories. Ryan, Killjoy, most of the Frost/Frostmere clan, I am sure. And gods, don’t forget SCW.”

“You’re not the bad guy there, Selena. Neither am I.”

“I don’t know.” Selena mused. “What if, in some twisted universe, we’re the BADDEST girls in SCW? Like ‘The Ice Queen’ Selena Frost and ‘The Sentinel Guard’ Deanna Frost? After years of manipulating their way through the ranks, playing nice, they now stand as the World Champion, United States Champion and World tag-team champions!” Selena felt her wife stiffen a little and the redhead’s breath hitch at the mention of the last pair of titles, but she said nothing. “Forcing people to ‘believe’ in us!”

“It’s an interesting gimmick.” Deanna shrugged. “But that’s not who we are, so that’s all it would be. Something fake. A pretend, you know?”

“Yeah.” Selena nodded her head. “Still, I was a bit thrown off with the whole ‘We Believe! No, we don’t chant’.”
“Me too!” Deanna laughed, lifting her head to regard her wife. “I was like ‘wow! This is new!’. I almost laughed during your entrance.”
“Me too!” Selena grinned. “I was so impressed at how creative the audience was being! Like where do they come up with this? It wasn’t planned – way too many were going along with it. It just happened and-“

“Wait…” Deanna’s words cut off the platinum-blonde, the shorter wrestler turning her head a little as if she was straining to hear something. “Why don’t I hear anything?”

“What?” Selena asked, remaining silent for a moment. “Cause we’re not talking, pet.”
“No…I mean…” lifting her head back up to gaze at her wife. “Why are there no sounds of video games or playing?”

It was at that point that Selena realized the same thing her wife had seconds ago, allowing her to also share in that nanosecond of sheer terror of realization that neither of them could hear the sound of their children.

As if linked mentally, Selena released her wife the second Deanna turned to escape their embrace, the shorter woman marching out of the laundry and further into the playrooms, with the platinum-blonde following her. The two wives walked the short distance needed to reach the other end of the basement to see: the tv-screen on, with some kind of video-game on pause (David), a partially finished page of a coloring book with some crayons on the floor, and a book left placed on the side with a bookmark in it.

“Huh…” Selena’s voice trailed off. “Well, they were here.”

Turning immediately, Deanna retreated back the way she came, Selena following her. “Elsa? David? Ami?” she called out, heading to the stairs, stopping there only to stick her head into the ‘movie-room’ to check to see if they were there. The cinema room was empty, save for the lights built into the floor to illuminate the path further along that lead to Selena’s office and her (and Deanna’s now) wrestling trophy room. Seeing none of the children there, Deanna bounded up the stairs two at a time, once more calling the children’s names – a bit louder the second time. A few seconds passed – and the two women could suddenly hear what sounded like very alarmed whispering.

“…gonna get grounded…”
“Please get me out!”
“I can’t budge…”
“Ow…my ears!”
“AARF!”

Quickly, the two women reached the top of the stairs and stepped back out into the main mudroom/lobby of their house…. And it did not take long to see the small gathering of people at the middle of the staircase going up towards the second floor bedrooms.

Elsianna and Amiliah, both girls gathered around the middle figured which was hunched over.
Oberon, sticking his head in and out between a set of the stair banister to turn and lick the small head that was on the other side.

And David…

“What is going on?” Selena called out from where she stood on the ground floor, as all three heads, four including their dog, Oberon, turning to look at them.

“Mom…I’m…” David started and the mothers could see tears welling in his eyes. “Please don’t ground me…”
“He’s stuck.” Elsianna sighed. “Ami and I have been trying to get him out but he won’t budge.”

True enough, as the Frost wives assessed the situation, it was as described. Their son, David’s, head was poking out between two banisters, his dark hair with a white stripe around the middle displayed the most prominently, his little hands holding the wooden bars like he was in jail.

It was…hilarious. And both Deanna and Selena couldn’t help the laughs that escaped them.

“Wow.” Selena breathed. “And what possessed you to put your head through the banister in the first place?”
“What’s a banister?” little Amiliah asked.
“What your brother is currently stuck in.” Deanna answered as she made her way up the stairs.
“Oh…” the little redhead replied with shrug of her shoulders.

“They dared me to.” David replied.
“No! He’s lying!” Elsa replied swiftly. “Mom, Mother – he was bragging that he could stick his head in and out between the stairs. I told him not to cause he’ll get stuck but he didn’t listen! He said ‘two bucks I can do it’.”

“Two bucks?” Selena laughed as she made her way up the stairs. “Wish I had gotten a piece of that action.”
“Selena.” Deanna tried to chastise but couldn’t stop her own giggles at their son’s plight.
“Well, Deanna. In life, when do you have access to a sure thing?”

With a roll of her eyes, Deanna shooed Elsianna and Amiliah and Oberon to the top of the stairs before moving to the step above David, leaning in to assess the situation between the boy’s neck and his wooden captors. Selena, meanwhile, was sitting on the step below David, which her wife work.

“I mean, if you got it in there, you should be able to get it out.” The redhead reasoned.
“I tried.” David sniffled, clearly the event getting to him, before giving another pull to try and free himself – a futile effort as she stopped after a few seconds.

Deanna turned her head to her wife. “Could we put butter on him or something?”
“I mean…we could.” Selena shrugged. “But I don’t think we have that much butter.”

The redhead gave a nod. “I’m almost – I don’t want to pull him out myself. It might hurt him.”
“Yeah, but he’ll learn his lesson.” Selena shrugged.
“No!” David cried. “I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Uh-huh.” Selena nodded her head, leaning against the adjoining wall, Oberon taking the opportunity to snuggle up next to her as best as he could. “Hey boy.” She whispered, reaching a pale hand to pet him.

“Mom…” David spoke out. “Please get me outta here!”
“You got yourself in there, David.” Selena replied. “You gotta get yourself out. Otherwise, I’ll get the saw and get you out…and then you’re gonna have to pay to fix the banister.”

“What?!” David cried out. “I don’t have any money.”
“Don’t worry.” Selena smiled. “We can sell your Switch and games.”

“NO!” in all honesty, the way the young boy cried out, Selena actually felt sorry – for a few seconds. Still, he has to learn that actions have consequences… Quietly, she watched her son desperately pull his head against the wooden beams. “Please don’t sell my Switch, mommy, please!”

“Then get yourself out. You’ve got five minutes.”
“WHAT?! MOM-“

“Halfway down the stairs…” Selena began singing, delightfully ignoring her son’s words. “Is a stair where I sit. There isn't any other stair quite like it.”

“I can’t get out!” cried the boy.

“I'm not at the bottom, I'm not at the top. So this is the stair where I always stop.” Selena sang, finishing her song, seeing Deanna unable to choose between laughing and chastising her wife. “Out yet?”
“No!” Cried David. “I’m trying.”

The Snow Queen wasn’t worried about David breaking the wooden beams. The boy was barely six and was in no capable position to pull that off.

“Selena…” Deanna whispered. “How are we going to get him out.”
“He can get out anytime he wants.” Selena shrugged. “He just has to think for a second.”
“I’m thinking.” David cried out. “Nothing’s working.”
“Alright, David.” Selena checked the clock that hung on the wall below them. “You’ve got ninety seconds, so I’ll give you a hint. Did your head grow in the last few minutes?”

“No…”

“So if you suddenly can’t get your head through a space you previously got through, what changed?”
“I don’t know!”
“Then I guess I’m getting the saw.” Selena sighed pushing herself up before leaning towards the stair beside her son. "Hey, David. Check this out."

Carefully, Selena thrust her arm through another set of the banister. “Look at all this room I have!” she remarked, keeping her head at the top of the space where the free room was wider before dropping her arm down between the beams where the space was narrower, based on design. “Wait…how did it get more narrow down here! What do I do?!”

“I know!” declared Amiliah. “David needs to lift his head higher to get to the wider part!”

Instead of answers, Selena dropped her gaze from her youngest daughter to her son, her eyebrows raised expectantly. As for David, the boy slowly lifted his whole frame, his head going up till it reached the underside of the rail and with one lean back, the boy’s head slipped out easily, the young boy laughing in relief as Oberon bounded up to him to lick his face.

“There you go.” Deanna remarked. “Now don’t do it again!” she added with a stern tone.
“Yes, mom.” David nodded quickly. “Am…am I grounded?”
“Oh much worse.” Selena laughed. “You’re gonna have us remembering this moment for the rest of your life. We’re gonna tell this story to SO many people when the time is right. ‘David got his head stuck in a stairwell.’”

“What…why?” David asked, turning his head between his parents.

“Cause it’s funny.” Selena stated, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Do…do you have to tell everyone?”

“Well…” again, the Snow Queen shrugged. “Maybe not right away…but I think at special events… like graduations, weddings, when you need a little humbleness.”

The absolute terror on David’s face – that this embarrassing moment would haunt him – was almost enough to make him renew his crying. Fortunately, Deanna was quick to intercept.

“Go back downstairs and play, kids.” She stated to all three children before refocusing on David. “And no more head in the stairs, understand?”
“Yes, mom.” David nodded quickly before disappearing back downstairs, Elsianna and Amiliah following him, along with Oberon.

Alone on the steps, Selena sat back down, her eyes on her beloved wife.

“Pretty sure you scarred him for life.” Deanna shook her head.
“Nah…he’ll forget it within a month… until we remind him at his graduation.”
“You are not going to let him live this down, are you?”
“Nope.” Smiled Selena. “Little humble story like this can keep him just that. Humble.”

“Were you really going to sell his video games?”
“Of course not.” Selena laughed, leaning against the wall. “But he had to think I was so he would accept responsibility for his actions.”

Selena never would consider herself a ‘great’ parent or anything like that. But she refused to let her son be anything like his biological father. And if little things like this kept her little prince under some sense of morality and goodness, of course she was going to use it. Ryan Scythe’s biggest issue had always been that he had thought himself ‘untouchable’ even when the walls were closing in around him. Now? He was in jail, serving time for assault, all because he thought he could do anything and get away with it.

The Snow Queen would be damned if she let her children think the same. They were well off financially and their moms were celebrities somewhat, but that did not excuse any of them into thinking their actions would not have consequences one way or another.

She heard Deanna sit beside her, the redhead resting her head on Selena’s shoulder. “So…what are we going to do about the Aldens?”

Back to reality, it seemed. With a sigh, Selena shook her head before resting it against Deanna’s. “We can’t do anything.” She answered. “Nothing but wait till either mother comes clean with who they are or till they make themselves known. Still, if they just want to grab a coffee and a hello, then I’ll consider us VERY fortunate.”

“The bar is set that low, huh?” teased the redhead, leaning further to nuzzle her face against Selena’s.

“Given the history I’ve had?” Selena answered. “A low bar is the safest place to start…”

_______________________________________________________________

The camera opens up to the interior of Madison Square Gardens, the site for tonight’s SCW Pay-Per-View, Apocalypse, the first of the new SCW season. Already, the SCW Universe had seen the world title change hands between Adam Allocco and Xander Valentine, not to mention various new contenders secure their positions for their title matches for tonight and, additionally, several personal grudge matches be signed for tonight. In short, Supreme Championship Wrestling has hit the ground running heading into this pay-per-view, but in this moment, one would not necessarily know it. For the interior of the Gardens is empty and quiet. It is hours before the doors will even open to the Apocalypse event. The seats are empty, as is the ring that has been built for tonight’s event. Lights of arctic blue and white shine down on the ring, and standing there, in the middle, is the Snow Queen, herself, Selena Frost. She wears a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and a maroon t-shirt and her hair is tied in its iconic braid. With a deep breath, she looks around the empty arena, taking in the familiar space.

The last time I was here… the last time I wrestled in my home… it was to become the SCW World Champion. She takes a moment to smile, recalling the memory of what was, easily, one of the most important matches of her career last year. It was here, in New York City, my home, that I took on Cid Turner for the third time, regained the world title from him and then proceeded to have one of the greatest World title reigns in SCW history.

And I will be honest, that match was one of the toughest matches I had ever been a part of. I fought with all I had – I mean, there were times were I felt like I was literally fighting for my life, because that’s what Cid Turner was doing. He believed he was fighting for his life and I needed to do the same in order to have a chance at defeating him and becoming the best in SCW once more.

Taking a moment, Selena looks away to reflect, her words a little slower. But that’s something that isn’t uncommon for me. Several times throughout my career, I have fought as if I have everything on the line. My beliefs, my hopes, my dreams. And it is empowering. It is motivating. To have those stakes so high, where you know failure could be so utterly damaging not just to you but to the place you have lived and loved for nearly a decade.

And when I am backed into such a corner, I wish… I wish that I could find the words, I truly do, but I cannot. It’s hard to describe what comes over me. The desire to be better, work harder, take more punishment and still keep fighting. Refuse to yield, refuse to surrender until whatever I set out to do is accomplished.

Once more, Selena turns on the spot slowly, taking in the entire interior of the arena. But here, nearly a year ago, was one of the many times I had that feeling and, because of that, history began – history was changed – and the standard was forever altered.

Biting her lower lip, Selena looks down at her hands, with are now clasped together. The reason I bring this up now is because I have no delusions that tonight will be a match of a very similar need. A very similar necessity to fight for my life. To fight and endure punishment that could rival the Underground war we will tonight as well. Now, I am sure Ravyn is going to mention some of this. Odin knows she’s got a maggot in her brain about me breaking her wife’s record cause both she and Christy Matthews were talking about it.

And speaking of brains, Ravyn, I have to admit that you fooled me. Not because you ‘got me’ with this whole ‘Infamous might be back’. No. In truth, I didn’t care about that. Let me remind you of something here, Ravyn. Syren had ALL of Infamous at ringside the last time she and I faced one on one… and I still beat her. Infamous has interfered in my matches with you and with Christy, over and over again, and more often than not, I’ve still won.

No, I didn’t care if Infamous was back or not. But when I say you fooled me, you made me believe that you, the great mastermind, was out of ideas. I mean it wasn’t that much of a leap, was it? You bit off more than you could chew with Luna and, typical of Ravyn, rather than take responsibility, you run away and fall back to basics. You declare “it’s over” just like that, after all the damage you did, and try and move on without taking responsibility. You pick a new target, that being me like you did in 2016 and every other time Infamous dropped the ball and needed someone’s coattails to ride to get a quick rise.

Slowly, Selena shakes her head as she gazes back at the camera. But you see, Ravyn – in that, I was very wrong. And it took me some time to realize the ‘true plan’ of yours. Because you knew, you KNEW, that Luna would not simply stop simply because you called it ‘quits’. After all you did, you knew Luna would not so easily give up on making you suffer. So you dragged me into this. You dragged me into this to clean up your mess, didn’t you?! Selena’s jaw clenches and her hands tighten into fists.

You dragged me into this war you have because you know, deep in your twisted black heart, that you can’t handle Luna. That you can’t deal with Luna and rather than take accountability for what you did, you’ve thrown her towards me so I can do it. You’ve forced me to become involved to protect the innocent people of the SCW Universe from Luna.

Sapphire eyes find the empty seats of the arena, the Snow Queen imagining the many people that will be so close to the deadly and destructive Luna tonight… And truthfully, Ravyn? Truthfully? If it had been ANYONE else in SCW that you had so manipulated for so many months? If it had been me or Xander or anyone from the Brand, hell even Shaun Cruze – LITERALLY anyone in SCW – if you had manipulated things like you have to any of them, no I would not have liked it but I could have at least applauded your intelligence for it. I could at least say that you had proven yourself as the most intelligent person in SCW today.

Turning around, Selena once more glares at the camera. But for you to spend month after month – a clever woman like yourself – for you to spend months abusing and taking advantage of a disadvantaged woman like Nicole Kinneck…

For you to pretend to care for her. To take advantage of your last name and that of her friend, Gavin Taylor. To confuse her fragile mind with talks of ‘Uncle Roy’ and tearing apart a tag-team and very nearly a friendship, for you to strip her of her support system piece by piece… and then for you to torture and torment that poor girl just to draw out a persona that she begged you, pleaded with you not to force out, only to bail out of fear and leave that monstrosity to run amuck in SCW… Selena takes a slow, deep breath, barely able to contain herself. It was very foolish, Ravyn, because once again, you have earned the ire of MY rage! her voice echoes in the empty arena.
 
You see, I do not give a damn how you will spin things with me. How you will laugh and throw the same tired insults at me. You can call me your ‘plaything’, you can copy the same old lines of ‘Selena is entitled! Selena is a liar! Selena is a fake! Selena is a spotlight hog!’. Hell, applaud your own cunning and twist the narrative to make it seem you’ve planned EVERY element of this just to protect your precious ego! But that is not what this is about. This ceased being a ‘wrestling match’ the moment you decided to drag me into this mess. The moment you decided to force my hand.

Because everything that has happened by Luna’s hand? All the people she has hurt or tried to hurt? The fear that has gripped backstage and even members of the SCW Universe because of Luna’s presence here in SCW? That is on you! That is YOUR fault, Ravyn! No one else’s! Selena points a pale finger to the camera.

But because you are too much of a coward to deal with it, I will be exactly what you have ‘planned’ for me to be. I will be your problem-solver. I will clean up your mess. I will do what you are too afraid to do and I will take down Luna. Not for you, definitely not for you, but for the good of SCW and the SCW Universe. If you force Luna out tonight, I will send her back the way she came! I will knock her back into the corners of Nicole’s mind with a mind-rattling kick!

Stopping in the middle of the ring, Selena’s gaze remains locked on the camera, and her target. But then I am coming for you, Ravyn. I am coming for you, Ravyn, for the sole purpose of doing what Nicole is unable to do because she is so lost right now. Because if I am going to be your ‘problem solver’, then I am also going to be Nicole’s ‘debt-collector’ and I am going to be collecting what you owe her!

Let me make this clear, Ravyn, you may feel a sense of ease with me in the ring along with Luna, but I can assure you, I am far more dangerous to you than she is. Because, unlike Luna, my anger and rage will be focused. My anger and my rage will be focused on you and let me give you a bit of a reminder, Ravyn. Last time you and I fought, just a few weeks before Rise to Greatness this year? I soundly knocked you out and beat you clean. In fact, I’ve lost track over how many times I have beaten you in singles matches. How many times I’ve outwrestled, outfought, and outlasted you. I literally have not beaten anyone as many times as I have beaten Ravyn Taylor, of that I am quite certain of!

That was me as a wrestler. That was me standing for integrity and for being better than your cowardly ‘methods’.

But now, Ravyn? This is not a wrestling match to me. This is not me fighting wrestlers. No. I am not fighting a wrestler in you this time around, Ravyn. I am fighting a monster. A bigger monster than even Luna. A true, disgusting, scum of the earth monster…

And you know what I do to monsters, don’t you, Ravyn? Ask Vixen. Ask our World Champion. Sapphire eyes narrow.

I destroy monsters, Ravyn. I humble them and return them to the mortals they truly are. I expose the boogeyman. I tame the ghosts and I will silence YOU tonight, Ravyn. Because I don’t care what it costs me. What it takes tonight, I am going to hold you ACCOUNTABLE for what you have done to Nicole and to the SCW Universe! I am going to hold you accountable for every lie, every act of cowardice, every pain you have orchestrated on us all!

Lowering her arm to her side, Selena’s voice becomes deadly calm and cold. And when I am done, and I see the fear in your eyes as you look at me – that same fear you had for Luna when you fought her, for I will not stop until I see it, Ravyn – when I see that look in your eyes as you, once more, realize how you have brought this nightmare onto yourself…

Only then, Ravyn, will I do what I have done better than anyone else in the history of SCW.

Pin, defeat, and silence Ravyn Taylor.

Rolling her shoulders back, Selena cracks her neck with a shake before refocusing. Believe it, you monster. Because when I’m done, you’re not going to know what else to believe…

The camera stays on Selena before fading to black – the slayer now waiting for her monsters to appear.