05-18-2023, 09:44 PM
When one finds themselves in Las Vegas, they can expect a veritable host of colorful locations to catch the eye. Fancy hotels, casinos, theaters, water parks... you name it, it exists somewhere in Las Vegas under a marquee of colorful flashing lights and sounds of excitement and revelry. Surely it would make sense that one of these locations would easily be at the top of the list for what you'd expect to find when SCW comes to town and the wrestlers are ready to say what's on their minds going into the upcoming Breakdown? After all, if not the Thomas & Mack Center itself, then why not something that proudly displays the very heart and soul of what earned the city its infamous nickname of Sin City?
Except... that's not exactly what we find before us. The sight itself still has some presence, albeit in the form of an admittedly beautiful view of the city skyline at night when all the marquees are lit the brightest. That is the view through the large window at the back of the room we currently occupy, which adds a bit of life that otherwise feels sorely lacking from this scene. The remaining walls in the room are bare and this place almost looks vacant, but perhaps that makes it the perfect setting for a woman who appears to be troubled and in need of some rare peace and quiet in this city to organize her scrambled thoughts. Sitting backwards on a chair that's been placed in the center of the room, arms draped over the backrest, is Amelia Blythe. Her gaze is locked on the concrete floor of the room as she sits in silence for a moment, looking to be deep in thought. When she finally speaks, her gaze remains locked to the floor and her voice carries a more somber tone to it.
“I don't deserve to be here... not like this...
Last week, I walked into the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, knowing that I was going to have a heck of a challenge waiting for me. I was going to put my skills to a test against James Evans... a former World Champion, a man who's made a name for himself in this company and a man who had given me every reason to try and teach him a lesson after criticizing mi novia for pursuing an opportunity that she had earned and trying to suggest that I hate her for doing so. And why? Because she was given a chance to back up a claim to the Underground Title that she rightfully had. She broke no rules, she adapted as best as she could to the environment she was fighting in, she came out of that match the exact same La Pequeña Luz who went into it... but James dared to question who we are all because of his anti-violence agenda.
He gave me every reason I could ever need to be motivated for our tournament match. He wanted to match me hold-for-hold because that's the way he believes every match should be? Then I was going to make my mark by beating him at his own game and eliminating him, making a statement in the process.
I never intended to seriously hurt him...”
Amelia pauses for a moment, sighing heavily through her nose as she very slowly lifts her gaze to us, hints of tears beginning to form in her eyes.
“I swear to you, on my life and with whatever gods you believe in as my witnesses, that all I wanted out of that match was to outwrestle James and score the win fair and square. Intentionally causing injury just to try and get ahead... maybe that would have been part of the gameplan for an Amelia Blythe that hasn't existed in years and SCW will never see so long as Luz and I can help it, but that's not the kind of wrestler I truly want to be. That's why what happened last week has stuck with me like a specter haunting my every waking thought. I beat James Evans and moved one step closer to potentially becoming U.S. Champion... not because I earned or proved anything, but because of an incident that I have to constantly remind myself was an accident and not truly my fault. All I wanted was to throw James out of the ring, just like so many people will be aiming to do in the battle royal at Taking Hold of the Flame in a few weeks, to create some space and have a moment to adjust my gameplan. His arm got caught and bent at an awkward angle, and the next thing I know, trainers are calling the match because he'd been hurt.
I know full well that accidents can happen and serious injuries can spawn from them... my first stint in SCW was ended partly because of a neck injury from one such accident because I landed wrong after being hurled from the ring, after all... anyone who knows the wrestling lineage that Luz comes from knows of the accident that took her father from this life, though that is her story to tell if and when she's ready...
No matter how many times I tell myself it was an accident, no matter how many times Luz or one of my other friends tries to remind me of that or how many times I watch the footage back just to have visual proof that it wasn't my fault, it doesn't change the fact that James is going to be on the shelf now at my hands... and that thought makes me sick. I didn't want that to be a result from our match, even when he tried to make it personal. Just as painful is the fact that our of the four competitors still left in this tournament, I'm the only one who cannot honestly stand here and say that I rightfully earned the opportunity to advance.
Bree Lancaster won her match fair and square... Polly Playtime actually won her match fair and square... Deanna Frost won her match fair and square...”
Amelia stiffens at the mention of her semi-final opponent, her thoughts going back to the last time they met in the ring and the promise made in the aftermath of the Retribution classic for the World Tag Team Titles. She takes a shaky breath and goes to speak again, but she's struggling to form words at this point. It's not long before we see Luz step out from behind the camera and quickly move to be by Amelia's side, and this is where the video suddenly cuts to black.
“Ames! Can you hear me?” Luz calls out once she's by Amelia's side, which seems to grab her attention.
“Luz?” Amelia replies once she's somewhat snapped out of it. “What are you...?”
“I asked Gage to stop the video,” Luz tells her, motioning to where he, Ivy and her siblings are standing behind the camera. Gage even gives a thumbs up to confirm that the recording has stopped for the moment. “I'm sorry sweetheart, but I could tell you were about to spiral again and I couldn't let that happen.”
“No Luz, I'm the one who should be sorry,” Amelia responds. “I know that how I got here in the tournament isn't my fault, I've said it in front of a camera and I'll keep reminding myself of that for the next few weeks probably. It's just... is Deanna going to see it the same way?”
Luz suddenly understands why Deanna's name triggered this latest mental barrier that Amelia was struggling to move past. Ever since their loss to the Frosts back at Retribution and the vow they made face-to-face with them the following Breakdown, every match they've had carried the extra weight of not just proving to themselves that they were ready to take that next step up, but proving that to two women who they deeply respected to the point that they had placed their future as a tag team solely in their hands.
“Amelia...” Luz began after a moment, gently taking the other woman's chin and tilting it up so they could lock eyes. “I know this is difficult for you, especially since it's been a little while since we had that match with her and Selena. But trust me when I say that Deanna isn't the kind of person who would hold this against you. It was an accident... yeah, it rattled us, but the whole point of what we did was to take the Frosts' words to heart and prove that no matter what setbacks we face or how much we struggle, we're not going anywhere and we can overcome this storm to be the team we want to be, that they want us to be. They were willing to put that faith in us after Retribution... as far as I'm concerned, you owe it to them as much as you owe it to both yourself and me to prove that you can accept that this happened and keep moving forward.”
Amelia took a few deep breaths with Luz gently massaging her shoulders to help her sort through the torrent of thoughts in her mind. Her girlfriend had a point, in a way... while it didn't seem healthy at first glance, as long as they communicated with each other and helped with matters like this outside the ring, they had all the tools they could ever need to accept that things like this beyond their control happen sometimes, and Deanna would want her to show up to Breakdown accepting that so she was in the right headspace to give her the battle she deserved.
“You're right Luz,” Amelia finally said. “Deanna would want me to try and put this behind me and forge ahead, not let it drive me into a downward spiral of self-doubt like we fell victim to before. These things happen... I can't change how I got here, but I can give James the match he deserves once he's fully healed and I can prove myself against Deanna that I can bounce back and deserve to go to the finals if that's how this plays out.”
“That's the spirit, mi amor!” Luz cheered, punctuating it with a kiss on the cheek that had Amelia feeling much better.
With a nod of Amelia's head, Luz made her way back behind the camera so she wouldn't be in the way, letting Amelia have the undivided attention once more. After taking a moment to make sure she was ready to keep going, Amelia gave the signal to Gage to start recording again.
After a moment, the video resumes. There is no sign of Luz anymore, presumably having moved back out of the shot, but however much time has passed seems to have helped as Amelia is looking noticeably more composed. It's not enough to say that she looks like her head's fully in the game, but she's focused enough to at least be able to continue.
“Deanna, I wish I could say that it's an honor to be able to meet you in the ring again, but I can't say those words with any sincerity. That has nothing to do with you though... when people look back at Retribution and the tag match we put on with our respective partners, they see a potential match of the year between two teams who truly care for this business and accomplished the mission we set out to do on that night by stealing the show with nothing but an honest, hard-fought match. You and Selena proved that Luz and I just weren't ready yet... that's why we approached you the following Breakdown, before any of us got involved in Kim's chaos, both to honor Selena's request to prove that we were here for the long haul this time and to ask that the both of you be the ones to decide when you believe we're truly ready to step up and take that mantle. We have fought, to the best of our abilities, to make that case, testing ourselves against anyone who wants to face us while doing our part to resolve issues in the ring like the wrestlers we're all supposed to be.
In that regard, I would say Luz is doing a better job than I am... yeah, she couldn't replicate what you did last year in stepping outside of her comfort zone and dethroning Kim for the Underground Title, but at least she fought within the Underground Rules premise to the best of her ability and made her actually prove she deserved to hold that title again with an honest defense. Me... I never actually beat James Evans, and I'm woman enough to sit here and admit that to the world. I proved nothing last Breakdown and moved on because of an unfortunate accident... I don't deserve to be one win away from the finals of this tournament and I'm certainly no closer to proving to you that I deserve your blessing to be worthy of carrying the responsibility of being a champion in SCW on my shoulders.
That said... as much as I hate the fact that I'm the only person in the semi-finals of this tournament that didn't truly earn her place here, I know that the greater insult to you would be to let it consume me to the point that I don't make you feel like you've truly earned your place in the finals should you win this Thursday night.”
At that, Amelia slowly rises to a stand and moves the chair aside, taking a deep breath before she continues. As she does, something is suddenly thrown to her from behind the camera, likely Luz's doing. As she catches it and takes a moment to examine it, we can see that it's the same Luz-style mask that Amelia normally wears for her entrances, her own little piece of her beloved to remind her that she's never fighting alone at any point, no matter what. As a smile starts to grace her lips for the first time tonight, she looks back up at us while she holds the mask tight.
“You and Selena wanted us to prove that we weren't going to crumble in the face of setbacks again... that we could take moments like this on the chin and push ourselves to keep fighting so that we can do more, be more for SCW. What kind of Light In The Darkness would I be if I let this unfortunate accident get to me this bad? Refocus, rebuild... that's what I need to do, and this match between us Deanna is the perfect place for me to start regardless of the outcome. Win or lose, I need to walk away from this match knowing that I gave you everything that I have, everything that you deserve to see from me as my opponent.
We can both attest from personal experience that injuries are an unfortunate part of this business, and as much as I can stand here and beat myself up over what happened even if I need a constant reminder that it wasn't my fault and certainly not my intention last week, I can't let what happened hold me back or cause me to doubt myself. You don't deserve anything less than an Amelia Blythe who is physically and mentally at 100% for this contest, and I need to walk away from this match proving to you, and to myself, that I can bounce back from this mental setback and be the kind of wrestler that I need to be for SCW, that SCW needs me to be for its future.
To James Evans... I'm sorry about what happened last week, and I owe you a proper match whenever you return.
To Deanna Frost... I swear to you that I will have my head in the game when that bell rings and if I still have a ways to go before I'm where I need to be in your eyes, then I owe it to you to make you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you earned a win over me and you deserve to be in the finals and one win away from becoming United States Champion.
To SCW as a whole... don't write me off just yet. With every setback we face, with every obstacle thrown in our path, Luz and I will both continue to grow and evolve as athletes and the day will come where we will be the beacon of hope lighting the way for SCW going forward. I will prove it in this match with Deanna no matter the result, we will prove it by stepping up to defuse any incidents that can be settled in that ring where all of you can get your money's worth for the wrestling you paid to see, and the day will come when no one will be able to doubt that we can live up to our namesake.
If this Thursday night in Las Vegas brings me one step closer to achieving that goal... then I'll have proven everything that I needed to this time around, and that's all I could ask for.”
At that, Amelia nods her head to us before she steps out of the shot, leaving us to linger on the gorgeous view of Las Vegas in the distance through the window at the back of the room before the scene properly fades out this time.
Except... that's not exactly what we find before us. The sight itself still has some presence, albeit in the form of an admittedly beautiful view of the city skyline at night when all the marquees are lit the brightest. That is the view through the large window at the back of the room we currently occupy, which adds a bit of life that otherwise feels sorely lacking from this scene. The remaining walls in the room are bare and this place almost looks vacant, but perhaps that makes it the perfect setting for a woman who appears to be troubled and in need of some rare peace and quiet in this city to organize her scrambled thoughts. Sitting backwards on a chair that's been placed in the center of the room, arms draped over the backrest, is Amelia Blythe. Her gaze is locked on the concrete floor of the room as she sits in silence for a moment, looking to be deep in thought. When she finally speaks, her gaze remains locked to the floor and her voice carries a more somber tone to it.
“I don't deserve to be here... not like this...
Last week, I walked into the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, knowing that I was going to have a heck of a challenge waiting for me. I was going to put my skills to a test against James Evans... a former World Champion, a man who's made a name for himself in this company and a man who had given me every reason to try and teach him a lesson after criticizing mi novia for pursuing an opportunity that she had earned and trying to suggest that I hate her for doing so. And why? Because she was given a chance to back up a claim to the Underground Title that she rightfully had. She broke no rules, she adapted as best as she could to the environment she was fighting in, she came out of that match the exact same La Pequeña Luz who went into it... but James dared to question who we are all because of his anti-violence agenda.
He gave me every reason I could ever need to be motivated for our tournament match. He wanted to match me hold-for-hold because that's the way he believes every match should be? Then I was going to make my mark by beating him at his own game and eliminating him, making a statement in the process.
I never intended to seriously hurt him...”
Amelia pauses for a moment, sighing heavily through her nose as she very slowly lifts her gaze to us, hints of tears beginning to form in her eyes.
“I swear to you, on my life and with whatever gods you believe in as my witnesses, that all I wanted out of that match was to outwrestle James and score the win fair and square. Intentionally causing injury just to try and get ahead... maybe that would have been part of the gameplan for an Amelia Blythe that hasn't existed in years and SCW will never see so long as Luz and I can help it, but that's not the kind of wrestler I truly want to be. That's why what happened last week has stuck with me like a specter haunting my every waking thought. I beat James Evans and moved one step closer to potentially becoming U.S. Champion... not because I earned or proved anything, but because of an incident that I have to constantly remind myself was an accident and not truly my fault. All I wanted was to throw James out of the ring, just like so many people will be aiming to do in the battle royal at Taking Hold of the Flame in a few weeks, to create some space and have a moment to adjust my gameplan. His arm got caught and bent at an awkward angle, and the next thing I know, trainers are calling the match because he'd been hurt.
I know full well that accidents can happen and serious injuries can spawn from them... my first stint in SCW was ended partly because of a neck injury from one such accident because I landed wrong after being hurled from the ring, after all... anyone who knows the wrestling lineage that Luz comes from knows of the accident that took her father from this life, though that is her story to tell if and when she's ready...
No matter how many times I tell myself it was an accident, no matter how many times Luz or one of my other friends tries to remind me of that or how many times I watch the footage back just to have visual proof that it wasn't my fault, it doesn't change the fact that James is going to be on the shelf now at my hands... and that thought makes me sick. I didn't want that to be a result from our match, even when he tried to make it personal. Just as painful is the fact that our of the four competitors still left in this tournament, I'm the only one who cannot honestly stand here and say that I rightfully earned the opportunity to advance.
Bree Lancaster won her match fair and square... Polly Playtime actually won her match fair and square... Deanna Frost won her match fair and square...”
Amelia stiffens at the mention of her semi-final opponent, her thoughts going back to the last time they met in the ring and the promise made in the aftermath of the Retribution classic for the World Tag Team Titles. She takes a shaky breath and goes to speak again, but she's struggling to form words at this point. It's not long before we see Luz step out from behind the camera and quickly move to be by Amelia's side, and this is where the video suddenly cuts to black.
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“Ames! Can you hear me?” Luz calls out once she's by Amelia's side, which seems to grab her attention.
“Luz?” Amelia replies once she's somewhat snapped out of it. “What are you...?”
“I asked Gage to stop the video,” Luz tells her, motioning to where he, Ivy and her siblings are standing behind the camera. Gage even gives a thumbs up to confirm that the recording has stopped for the moment. “I'm sorry sweetheart, but I could tell you were about to spiral again and I couldn't let that happen.”
“No Luz, I'm the one who should be sorry,” Amelia responds. “I know that how I got here in the tournament isn't my fault, I've said it in front of a camera and I'll keep reminding myself of that for the next few weeks probably. It's just... is Deanna going to see it the same way?”
Luz suddenly understands why Deanna's name triggered this latest mental barrier that Amelia was struggling to move past. Ever since their loss to the Frosts back at Retribution and the vow they made face-to-face with them the following Breakdown, every match they've had carried the extra weight of not just proving to themselves that they were ready to take that next step up, but proving that to two women who they deeply respected to the point that they had placed their future as a tag team solely in their hands.
“Amelia...” Luz began after a moment, gently taking the other woman's chin and tilting it up so they could lock eyes. “I know this is difficult for you, especially since it's been a little while since we had that match with her and Selena. But trust me when I say that Deanna isn't the kind of person who would hold this against you. It was an accident... yeah, it rattled us, but the whole point of what we did was to take the Frosts' words to heart and prove that no matter what setbacks we face or how much we struggle, we're not going anywhere and we can overcome this storm to be the team we want to be, that they want us to be. They were willing to put that faith in us after Retribution... as far as I'm concerned, you owe it to them as much as you owe it to both yourself and me to prove that you can accept that this happened and keep moving forward.”
Amelia took a few deep breaths with Luz gently massaging her shoulders to help her sort through the torrent of thoughts in her mind. Her girlfriend had a point, in a way... while it didn't seem healthy at first glance, as long as they communicated with each other and helped with matters like this outside the ring, they had all the tools they could ever need to accept that things like this beyond their control happen sometimes, and Deanna would want her to show up to Breakdown accepting that so she was in the right headspace to give her the battle she deserved.
“You're right Luz,” Amelia finally said. “Deanna would want me to try and put this behind me and forge ahead, not let it drive me into a downward spiral of self-doubt like we fell victim to before. These things happen... I can't change how I got here, but I can give James the match he deserves once he's fully healed and I can prove myself against Deanna that I can bounce back and deserve to go to the finals if that's how this plays out.”
“That's the spirit, mi amor!” Luz cheered, punctuating it with a kiss on the cheek that had Amelia feeling much better.
With a nod of Amelia's head, Luz made her way back behind the camera so she wouldn't be in the way, letting Amelia have the undivided attention once more. After taking a moment to make sure she was ready to keep going, Amelia gave the signal to Gage to start recording again.
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After a moment, the video resumes. There is no sign of Luz anymore, presumably having moved back out of the shot, but however much time has passed seems to have helped as Amelia is looking noticeably more composed. It's not enough to say that she looks like her head's fully in the game, but she's focused enough to at least be able to continue.
“Deanna, I wish I could say that it's an honor to be able to meet you in the ring again, but I can't say those words with any sincerity. That has nothing to do with you though... when people look back at Retribution and the tag match we put on with our respective partners, they see a potential match of the year between two teams who truly care for this business and accomplished the mission we set out to do on that night by stealing the show with nothing but an honest, hard-fought match. You and Selena proved that Luz and I just weren't ready yet... that's why we approached you the following Breakdown, before any of us got involved in Kim's chaos, both to honor Selena's request to prove that we were here for the long haul this time and to ask that the both of you be the ones to decide when you believe we're truly ready to step up and take that mantle. We have fought, to the best of our abilities, to make that case, testing ourselves against anyone who wants to face us while doing our part to resolve issues in the ring like the wrestlers we're all supposed to be.
In that regard, I would say Luz is doing a better job than I am... yeah, she couldn't replicate what you did last year in stepping outside of her comfort zone and dethroning Kim for the Underground Title, but at least she fought within the Underground Rules premise to the best of her ability and made her actually prove she deserved to hold that title again with an honest defense. Me... I never actually beat James Evans, and I'm woman enough to sit here and admit that to the world. I proved nothing last Breakdown and moved on because of an unfortunate accident... I don't deserve to be one win away from the finals of this tournament and I'm certainly no closer to proving to you that I deserve your blessing to be worthy of carrying the responsibility of being a champion in SCW on my shoulders.
That said... as much as I hate the fact that I'm the only person in the semi-finals of this tournament that didn't truly earn her place here, I know that the greater insult to you would be to let it consume me to the point that I don't make you feel like you've truly earned your place in the finals should you win this Thursday night.”
At that, Amelia slowly rises to a stand and moves the chair aside, taking a deep breath before she continues. As she does, something is suddenly thrown to her from behind the camera, likely Luz's doing. As she catches it and takes a moment to examine it, we can see that it's the same Luz-style mask that Amelia normally wears for her entrances, her own little piece of her beloved to remind her that she's never fighting alone at any point, no matter what. As a smile starts to grace her lips for the first time tonight, she looks back up at us while she holds the mask tight.
“You and Selena wanted us to prove that we weren't going to crumble in the face of setbacks again... that we could take moments like this on the chin and push ourselves to keep fighting so that we can do more, be more for SCW. What kind of Light In The Darkness would I be if I let this unfortunate accident get to me this bad? Refocus, rebuild... that's what I need to do, and this match between us Deanna is the perfect place for me to start regardless of the outcome. Win or lose, I need to walk away from this match knowing that I gave you everything that I have, everything that you deserve to see from me as my opponent.
We can both attest from personal experience that injuries are an unfortunate part of this business, and as much as I can stand here and beat myself up over what happened even if I need a constant reminder that it wasn't my fault and certainly not my intention last week, I can't let what happened hold me back or cause me to doubt myself. You don't deserve anything less than an Amelia Blythe who is physically and mentally at 100% for this contest, and I need to walk away from this match proving to you, and to myself, that I can bounce back from this mental setback and be the kind of wrestler that I need to be for SCW, that SCW needs me to be for its future.
To James Evans... I'm sorry about what happened last week, and I owe you a proper match whenever you return.
To Deanna Frost... I swear to you that I will have my head in the game when that bell rings and if I still have a ways to go before I'm where I need to be in your eyes, then I owe it to you to make you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you earned a win over me and you deserve to be in the finals and one win away from becoming United States Champion.
To SCW as a whole... don't write me off just yet. With every setback we face, with every obstacle thrown in our path, Luz and I will both continue to grow and evolve as athletes and the day will come where we will be the beacon of hope lighting the way for SCW going forward. I will prove it in this match with Deanna no matter the result, we will prove it by stepping up to defuse any incidents that can be settled in that ring where all of you can get your money's worth for the wrestling you paid to see, and the day will come when no one will be able to doubt that we can live up to our namesake.
If this Thursday night in Las Vegas brings me one step closer to achieving that goal... then I'll have proven everything that I needed to this time around, and that's all I could ask for.”
At that, Amelia nods her head to us before she steps out of the shot, leaving us to linger on the gorgeous view of Las Vegas in the distance through the window at the back of the room before the scene properly fades out this time.
![[Image: VU13RwA.png]](https://i.imgur.com/VU13RwA.png)
Tag Team Record: 19-7*
La Pequeña Luz Solo Record: 8-5
Amelia Blythe Solo Record: 4-5-1
*The tag team turmoil on the 9/14/2023 Breakdown is counted in this record as the three separate matches LITD had in the gauntlet up until their elimination.
Breakdown 3/30/2023 - Kim Williams' Trios Cash-In
La Pequeña Luz: 3 Falls
Amelia Blythe: 2 Falls
*Neither one finished high enough to win any championships in this match
*Result listed separately and not counted in records due to lack of clarity on how to count falls
SCW Accomplishments
SCW Television Championship (Amelia Blythe - 29 Days)
SCW Television Championship (La Pequeña Luz - 98 Days)
SCW World Tag Team Championship [2] (1 - 81 Days) (2 - Current)
2023 Tag Team of the Year
2023 Match of the Year (Kim Williams' Trios Cash-In)