Twelve Person Tag Match

[Wisteria Waltz]

Amelia and Luz were used to constantly traveling. Given how frequently they'd have to fly back and forth between Mexico and England to compete, often with maybe a day at most to rest off any jetlag and make sure they were in fighting shape, it was a feeling that had become second nature to them at this stage of their careers. The fact that SCW was the only place they were currently competing for meant adjusting not only to actually having a bit of a break between shows to stop back home if they needed to, but also sometimes just having the night off in general because there were no real plans that required their presence.

It was a welcome change for their mental health, but also a challenge given how much they'd grown used to traveling and training with very little room to rest in between.

Then again, they had come to believe it was better for them mentally in those days given that neither one felt like they had any place to really call home at that point.

That was why the detour out to North Carolina during the week leading up to Body, Heart & Soul felt cathartic in a sense. Before the last Breakdown, the plan had been to just head up to Nashville and figure something out during the week to get ready for the pay-per-view since flying home to Anaheim and then coming right back to the same area of the U.S. made little sense in the grand scheme of things. This oddly made things feel like a perfect middle ground between the different times in their careers, the road trip bringing back those memories of how they used to operate while reminding them that they were still on a much-needed little break to relax and refocus for the chaos that no doubt awaited them on Sunday night. They could rest once they got checked in at a hotel, still get some training in before they hit the road again up into Tennessee, and also tackle the business that brought them here in the first place.

Luz honestly wasn't surprised to see Amelia both excited and nervous at the same time.

On one hand, she was finally getting the chance to try and make amends for the damage she'd done 18 years ago to someone that was once her best friend, a chance that she honestly never thought would ever come her way for as long as she lived. On the other hand, just because she finally could tell Ivy the full story and apologize for everything didn't guarantee anything, and Amelia had to be ready to accept the possibility that Ivy still wanted nothing to do with her. It seemed like that was how she was expecting this to go after admitting on the drive out that if she were in Ivy's boots she wouldn't forgive herself either, but Luz had heard the hope in her voice when she'd caught her girlfriend mumbling in her sleep once or twice dreaming about how she really wanted this to go.

Luz wanted to hope this would go well, but she was trying to keep herself grounded in reality. After all, she'd been in Ivy's position before, betrayed by people she thought were her friends only to learn that it was all some elaborate prank or that she was being used to get into her father's good graces because of how much of a hero he was to many. She'd always done her best to shrug it off and keep going, but those kinds of scars don't fade easily and she'd be lying if she said she still didn't hold any resentment toward those individuals even to this day. Granted, none of them ever made a genuine effort to apologize to her like Amelia was trying to do with Ivy, but part of her was still preparing to accept that she'd once again lose out on the chance to gain some new friends because she refused to do to Amelia what had been done to her so many times.

She always believed in being the bigger person, and that in and of itself had gone a long way in helping Amelia finally start becoming the kind of person she truly wanted to be.

Once they'd made it to Charlotte and got settled in, they'd met up with Gage so he could hand over some backstage passes that would allow them to meet with Ivy before her match, but Ivy had made herself scarce so she could focus on getting some final training in before then, something the couple could respect. They'd spent the time leading up to that show preparing themselves as best as they could, knowing they'd be able to work together perfectly fine but trying to be ready for whatever would happen regarding the other four people they needed to account for on their end. The whole thing had them hoping that those four people along with the other six that would be opposing them were also feeling the pressure of whatever would unfold when that bell rang because at least then everyone would be on equal footing and they could figure it out together in the ring like only athletes of their caliber could.

Soon enough though, night had fallen, and that meant shifting their focus to the other issue that had them both stressing out, as much as they'd tried their best to hide it.

“You ready?” Luz asked, squeezing Amelia's hand for comfort.

“As ready as I think I'll ever be,” she admitted.

The two found themselves heading through the parking lot toward one of the back entrances of the little arena where the show would be taking place, quietly appreciating the stark contrast to how it felt whenever they made this same trip into a much larger arena for an SCW show. Even ignoring the fact that they weren't here to compete, it was far less nerve-wracking going backstage for a show that had a much smaller audience with less chance to try and hound them for photos or autographs beforehand. As much as they loved the fans, there were some people out there who were honestly way too pushy and rude just to get what they want, as though either woman owed them the world just because they happened to be somebody's favorite wrestler. They encountered none of that as they approached an open door and found themselves under the curious gaze of a security guard.

“I don't believe any SCW wrestlers were somehow booked for tonight's card,” he admitted, even as they showed him their passes.

“It's alright, they're with me to support Ivy,” came the voice of Gage as he stuck his head through the doorway, and the security guard took a moment to process that statement before he stepped aside and let the couple through, where Gage began leading them to Ivy's locker room. “Glad you guys could make it! I know Ivy will appreciate the extra support.”

“Anything for a friend!” Luz happily replied without any hesitation.

“Are you sure?” Amelia couldn't help but ask, which caused Gage to stop and look at her for a moment. “Even with the whole reason why I'm here?”

Gage seemed to contemplate something before he put a hand on Amelia's shoulder, giving her the best comforting grin he could manage. “No matter what happens, the fact that you still came to support Ivy wrestling tonight does mean a lot to her. She's told me that, if nothing else, getting the chance to be able to show you specifically what she's capable of in the ring now has been the biggest thing motivating her for this match. Even if your talk doesn't pan out too well, she's hopeful that a newfound understanding on the wrestling front will be enough to at least earn your respect.”

While Luz seemed a bit confused by that, Amelia nodded in understanding. Thinking back on the last words she'd spoken to Ivy in 18 years before that chance encounter in San Francisco, if nothing could be repaired between them after tonight then Ivy at least wanted Amelia to walk away knowing that she was no longer “a weakling that could never amount to anything as a wrestler.”

It would be easy to simply say such a thing, but they both knew it would mean so much more if Ivy genuinely earned Amelia's respect as a fellow competitor regardless.

It didn't take them much longer before they found themselves outside of a locker room door, and Gage wasted no time in knocking and letting its occupant know it was him. Once he got the confirmation, he motioned for Amelia and Luz to wait a moment before he entered. Amelia took the opportunity to ground herself with a few deep breaths while Luz's thumb rubbed her knuckles in comfort. After a few minutes, the door opened again and Gage stuck his head out.

“Ivy's ready if you guys are,” he told them before opening the door, and the couple stepped inside. Amelia's eyes were immediately drawn to her former friend, and she froze in her tracks at what she saw.

Without all the layers she'd been wearing when they saw each other weeks ago, it was clear that Ivy had the kind of build that suggested if she wanted to break you in half then she could easily do so with little effort. Both she and Luz knew that there existed a yearly competition to find the “world's strongest woman” but to see that kind of physique in person was an experience all its own. The fact that this stocky strongwoman was the same person that Amelia remembered being maybe a little heavier than her at best when they were kids was already a sign of just how much had changed since they'd last truly interacted with each other.

“¡Mierda!” Luz couldn't help but exclaim. “I'm sorry, but dang girl, I don't think I've ever seen anyone this legit strong-looking with my own two eyes before.”

“Thank you, Luz,” Ivy chuckled as she couldn't resist flexing for a moment. “I spent a lot of time over the past few years getting into working out, trying to make myself stronger and seeing if I could do anything with that. Guess the call of the ring was just too strong for me to ignore though.”

It didn't take long for her and Amelia to lock eyes, and from there a tension seemed to settle into the room. Luz and Gage quickly stepped aside to give them space but their body language made it clear they'd step in if it was absolutely necessary. Slowly, the two of them closed the distance until they were within arm's reach of each other, Ivy's expression becoming more stern while Amelia's nervousness became very visible now.

“Ivy...” Amelia hesitantly greeted her.

“Amelia,” Ivy replied with a nod of her head, keeping her tone neutral. “I've been hearing that you've changed for the better... I've even seen signs that you're not the same girl who destroyed a close friendship on your own birthday for seemingly no reason.” She nodded at the hair tie that she'd made for Amelia all those years ago that was still being worn to this day. “I never understood why you snapped at me the way you did and cut all ties with me, but I agreed I'd hear you out, so go ahead.”

Amelia took a moment to compose herself before she began telling Ivy about everything she didn't know that had gone down between being given her birthday gift by her best friend and then throwing said best friend out of her life for good. Even though she'd heard all of this about a week ago, Luz still found herself getting angry over the fact that her girlfriend had been forced to end a friendship that meant so much to her, and on her birthday no less, just because her parents didn't think Ivy was worth being Amelia's friend because she didn't bring anything to the table that mattered in their eyes. Gage, who up until this point had only heard about what had happened when their friendship ended, had the same horrified reaction that Luz had when she'd first heard all of this, and he swore he would've fainted from the sheer shock that this was something that had actually been made to happen to another human being if he didn't have the lockers behind him to lean against.

Somehow, Ivy maintained a neutral expression through the whole thing, but Luz had been paying close enough attention to see her eye twitch in barely restrained anger as she finally learned the truth.

“I'm so sorry Ivy,” Amelia said once she'd finished telling the story. “I never meant any of the words I said to you that day and I never meant to hurt you, but that doesn't excuse the fact that it did happen. I couldn't stand up to my parents and didn't know how to properly handle my emotions, so I ended up taking it all out on you and giving them exactly what they wanted. I can't take back what I've done and I don't expect you to forgive me, but you deserved to know the truth about what happened on that day. You were the best friend I could have ever asked for, and every day I couldn't help but wonder how things could have been if I had only tried fighting a little harder or come clean to you sooner. You were never too weak to be my friend Ivy... I was too weak to be yours.”

Amelia turned her gaze to the locker room floor, fighting to hold back her tears. As much as it upset her to tell this story again, especially to the person who needed to hear it most, this wasn't about her right now and she wasn't going to let her tears give the idea that this apology was about her own feelings above all else. For Ivy's part, she remained silent as she processed everything, carefully watching Amelia for hints that any of what she'd just said was a lie and finding no indication of such.

“You know,” she eventually spoke, “I picked up on the hints that your parents may have had something to do with it through some of what you've let slip to your opponents over the past few weeks in SCW. I knew they pushed you hard but I never knew just how awful they truly were. That still doesn't change the fact that you did hurt me Amelia, and I spent so many years doubting myself and what I was capable of because your words always haunted my thoughts. But... in a way, I think they also gave me the motivation to try and build myself up into who I am today.”

Ivy reached out and took Amelia's hands, holding them gently enough to not hurt her but with enough strength to make it clear that she could if she felt the need to. Amelia's eyes simply widened at the gesture as she finally looked Ivy in the eyes.

“I wouldn't call us friends again,” she continued. “I'll still need time to truly forgive you for everything, and I need to see for myself firsthand that this person in front of me now is the genuine Amelia Blythe who would do the right thing without a second thought if something like that ever happened again. This, though... it's a start.”

Amelia was in awe of what she'd just heard, especially when coupled with the genuine smile that Ivy was giving her. It wasn't the best-case scenario, but it was still more than she'd honestly thought would come out of this, and she could no longer hold back her tears as she nodded in acceptance of Ivy's decision. Ivy slowly released Amelia's hands as Luz and Gage approached them, the latter pulling her girlfriend into a comforting hug while the former put a hand on Ivy's shoulder with a clear look of pride on his face at how she'd handled this situation.

Unfortunately, the moment couldn't last forever as it found itself interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Ivy Plume?” a voice called from the other side. “You're needed at the Gorilla position in five minutes. Your match is up next!”

“OK!” Ivy acknowledged before she dug around in her bag for a moment and then disappeared into the shower area. After a minute, she reappeared without her glasses, and while it certainly made sense to Amelia and Luz that she would put contacts in to wrestle, it was still a shock to see her without them, especially to her former best friend who could never recall a time where she'd seen Ivy without them. She couldn't help but grin at Amelia's reaction to this as she walked over to the little monitor in her locker room and flipped it on to the broadcast feed of the show going on, where someone was currently speaking in the ring.

“So, Amelia... you ready to see what Ivy Plume is really all about?”

“I'm ready Ivy,” Amelia confirmed, voice still shaky from the disbelief that there was at least a foundation they could rebuild from at all. “Please show me what you can really do... show me, once and for all, that the stupid words of seven-year-old me were always wrong.”

Ivy nodded at both this and some of the additional vocal support that Luz and Gage were happy to give her before she left the locker room, all eyes now turning to the monitor to see what was about to go down. After a moment of waiting, Luz decided it would be best to grab a chair for Amelia, who happily collapsed into it while she knelt beside her and draped an arm over her shoulder.

“You good Ames?” she asked.

Amelia took a moment to think about it before she nodded, a genuine smile adorning her face. “I will be.”

As they watched things go down from backstage, Amelia couldn't help but feel proud as she watched Ivy march down to the ring with the kind of confidence she always deserved to display before finding herself in awe of what unfolded before her very eyes. While she still had a very rough grasp of the technical aspect of things, reminding her of her old friend's struggle with it back when they were kids, she more than made up for it with a display of power and athleticism that left her speechless. The way that Ivy had embraced this style made it clear that she had found what worked for her after all this time, and given that Amelia had slowly but surely found her own way over the years, it wasn't hard for her to genuinely respect the kind of person that Ivy had built herself into and make her want to have an honest in-ring test between the two of them someday to see how well they matched up after all these years.

It was just the thing Amelia needed to finally close the book on one of the biggest mistakes she'd ever made in her life and left both her and Luz hopeful that their futures could continue to grow brighter. There was still some work to do both inside the ring and out, but both she and Luz were confident that they could find a way to make it all work, starting with the massive tag match that awaited them at Body, Heart & Soul.

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One of the benefits of being in Nashville is having access to a multitude of ways to enjoy the river that runs straight through the city. One such method is the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, considered one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world and providing both a unique experience and an incredible view of the Music City. It is at one end of this bridge that we find The Light In The Darkness, seated on a bench and enjoying the sun as it begins to set on the horizon behind them and bathe the city in a beautiful orange glow. The couple have always been fans of spending time by the water to help clear their heads whenever they've had a lot on their minds, and this evening seems to be no exception as they take a moment to just enjoy the sight before turning to face us with stereo deep breaths. As they turn, we also see that Amelia is holding her newly won TV Title belt, which she looks down at as she takes the lead.

“I'm sure this sight is surreal to a lot of you watching, and I'll be honest: it still feels surreal even a week later. Sure, the first time Luz and I were on the SCW roster, we managed to pick up a few wins that some would consider major upsets, but unfortunately, nothing ultimately came of it. We had our chance when we found ourselves fighting for the chance to become number one contenders to the Tag Team Titles, and then we found ourselves on the shelf. Such things happen in this business, sadly, and I'd be lying if I said that it didn't affect us. When we stepped away from this company for about a year and a half, it wasn't just about the physical recovery... in the wake of that, we found ourselves questioning if we could truly make our mark in a place like SCW. We watched as Adam Allocco, the man who was half-responsible for us being put out of commission in the first place, not only capitalize on that opportunity he 'earned' by claiming the Tag Titles, but also go on to have a run as World Champion while main eventing SCW's biggest show of the year. As he waits in the wings to challenge for that title again at the next pay-per-view courtesy of his Trios contract, another member of that same fourway tag match in Kim Williams is not only defending the Underground Title she has proudly held on several occasions since that belt's return but also challenging for the top prize in this company as well.”

“When we did decide to take another shot at SCW, we fully embraced wanting to start over and work our way back up. It wasn't going to be easy, but nothing either of us has earned in our respective lifetimes ever has been. Plus, it was a chance to get to reintroduce ourselves to not only the fans but also a roster that is vastly different from the one we were a part of before. After all, if the status quo isn't the same as it was when we were last seen, then what right do we have to come back and demand our old spot back? That's never been the way we do things, and the result has been a vastly different experience than the first time around. I mean, Amelia and I have both gotten the chance to show what we can do without the other by our side, I got the chance to be involved in the Trios Tournament and Amelia is now holding singles gold. Those two opportunities alone are worth being proud of, and we plan on using them as a foundation to keep rebuilding ourselves to see where this run takes us. Yeah, there were a few results that have been a little frustrating this time around, especially because it sucks seeing a great match fall apart because someone else decided to get involved for one reason or another, but if we dwelled too much on those results then we'd never get anywhere. We can't always control things like outside interference to have the kind of match we really want, but we can still learn from those matches to keep growing as wrestlers.”

Amelia takes a moment to hold up the TV Title so the camera can get a better focus on it for a moment.

“Me winning this title means a lot of things. It means that Luz and I might have to put a bit of a pause on our tag team aspirations for a while because my focus has to shift to defending this belt every single week against all challengers, but that also means more opportunities for both of us to show what we can do on our own as proof that for as much as it means to us to be able to team together and be in the hunt for tag team gold, we are just as capable flying solo as we are working together. It is a major milestone not just for me, but for us, that proves we have what it takes to earn our place in a company long considered to be one of the best in the entire world. This title is motivation for the both of us to keep pushing forward, leaving our pasts behind us to continue blazing our own trails in SCW and building our own legacies. As long as we keep fighting and proving ourselves, there could be more of this in our future... all we have to do is keep working for it.”

“That, of course, brings us to Body, Heart & Soul... the first SCW pay-per-view that the two of us have gotten to compete at since our return. I'm not going to mince words... our first time around, pay-per-views were not our friend. Maybe it was the nerves of being on a bigger stage than Breakdown so early in our initial run, or maybe we simply weren't ready for the challenges that awaited us on those nights, but this show is our chance to prove both to SCW and to ourselves how far we've come since then. We wanted this to be a fresh start and so far we've made the most of it, and now we find ourselves being a part of history. SCW's first ever twelve person tag team match... no matter what happens, this is something that can never be taken away from anyone in this match, and that, in and of itself, is all the motivation we need to make our mark against so many faces that we could meet again in our inevitable pursuit of standing atop the tag team mountain. Yeah, it's going to be chaotic, but for as much as we've tried to stay out of situations like that during our SCW run as a whole thus far, we know that sooner or later we're going to have to face it down if we want to keep building our case.”

Amelia lowers the TV Title and drapes it over both her and Luz's laps before they take each other's hands and rest them atop the belt, the two of them taking a moment to let the beautiful sunset evening bring them momentary peace before Luz continues.

“While I'm being honest here, I want to admit that Amelia and I have an uphill battle we know we might have to face. It's not because of our aforementioned pay-per-view track record or the fight we know all of our opponents will bring to this match... it's more the awkward feeling of knowing that, on paper, we look like we're on the wrong side in this match. Don't get us wrong, we respect everyone in this match on both sides for what they're all capable of in the ring, but we also know that the Playgirls aren't exactly the most well-liked team among the fans and James Evans hasn't really endeared himself to them as of late. Nothing against any of those four for wanting to go about things their own way if that's what they so choose, but Amelia and I... well, the fans out there are one of the biggest driving forces behind why we operate the way we do. Hearing those fans cheer for and appreciate my girlfriend for not only what she can do in that ring when she gets somebody down to the mat but also the fact that she's not shy about wanting to prove that she's doing this for herself and nobody else after a lifetime of being made to think she was just another link in a family chain... it's validation for the fight she's shown to earn that for herself and prove to all of you what kind of person she truly is.

As for me... those fans and their support are everything to me. I was born and raised in a culture where wrestlers were treated as real-life heroes and villains, embracing that love or hatred to a degree that isn't really seen anywhere else in the world. Yes, everyone is still respected for what they can do in the ring, but how you carry yourself is just as important to lucha libre fans as the skills you bring to the table. I grew up idolizing my late papá, not just because of the incredible wrestler he was and the place he forever etched into that culture, but because he was always just as much himself as he was the luchador everyone else. He earned the love and respect of those fans without losing sight of who he was, even with the mask he always wore... he hoped that I would do the same, and every inch I have to scratch and claw and fight for in this business is just as much for all of you as it is for me, because the woman you're looking at right now? This is the real me, mask and all, and I want to be someone who can inspire you and have your love and support the same way my father did.”

“It's not going to be easy, especially since we can't say for sure how well the Playgirls will want to cooperate with us even ignoring the fact that I just wrestled one of them about a week ago and won. We also don't know how far the respect and intrigue of James Evans will continue to extend to us just because of how we always have and always will operate. The one thing we can promise for sure to everyone involved, whether they be teaming with or opposing us, is that The Light In The Darkness are here to compete and give nothing less than our absolute best in this match. I know that the likes of Glory Braddock have their eyes on my title for their own reasons. We know that there are at least two teams on the other side of the ring that we will likely cross paths with again in our collective chase for tag team gold. We are well aware of the fact that this is a chance to test ourselves against the likes of the former and current Adrenaline Champions as well as two former World Champions. That's all we want out of this... win or lose, we want to bring that fight against all of you, we want to make it clear that we don't plan on backing down that easily in the tag team scene, we want to walk away from this match knowing that any and all of you want to be able to meet us in that ring again in some fashion to give those fans what they paid to see and keep fighting to prove that we belong here.

That's all Luz and I want... no tricks, no ulterior motives, just the chance to prove ourselves so we can keep growing and evolving against the very best. We want to earn our place in that conversation and we want to do it our way, and we intend to make that loud and clear come Sunday night.”

With all of that said, the girls slowly stand up and nod to the viewers before they begin walking away along the bridge, wanting to enjoy the last moments of the setting sun before night completely falls to help them focus on the challenge ahead of them and the statement they were hoping to make.