Light in the Darkness vs. Dark Fantasy

[supremecw]

Light in the Darkness (Amelia Blythe & La Pequena Luz) vs. Lexy Chapel Presents Dark Fantasy (Syren & Ravyn Taylor)
SCW World Tag Team Championship

4 RP Limit per team (no word limits)
Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, November 11, 2023

[Wisteria Waltz]

To say that Luz and Amelia have felt like they've been on a never-ending rollercoaster ride the past several weeks would be an understatement, but they knew this ride wasn't over quite yet.

The fact that their time in New Orleans had brought with it so many highs and lows all its own made it hard to figure out exactly where this ride would be going next, or what kind of omens they could expect from anything they'd experienced in the Big Easy alone.

Things had started off on a shocking note when the couple and some of their friends had met Marilyn at an old magick shop her aunt had owned once upon a time, using it as a safe spot to finally meet with private investigator Ryan Lumis for the first time in months to get some long overdue answers to many of their questions. They weren't expecting pleasant information, but everything they'd heard on that day had somehow turned out so much worse than they could've possibly imagined. Learning that Caleb White was a religious zealot with a massive hero complex wasn't surprising in retrospect based on their experiences with the man thus far, but finding out the extreme lengths he would go to just to be praised as “God's chosen hero who saved the human race from itself” horrified them to a degree they didn't think they'd ever possibly feel. Writing up a legally binding contract with Amelia's father that was supposed to force her to marry Caleb's heir purely to create a “pure bloodline” that was sure to carry on his madness, setting up Luz's father to die in a fashion that could only be perceived as an in-ring accident without all the facts, being willing to murder to tie up any loose ends... and that was somehow only scratching the surface of what this lunatic was capable of.

Thankfully, things at least got better from that point. The group had found a great distraction from their issues in the form of celebrating Halloween New Orleans style, which had gone a long way to helping the couple forget about the issues threatening to drown them and remind them of who they truly were beyond all of it. Then came Día de los Muertos, which had coincidentally fallen on the night of the most recent Breakdown, and Luz had made the most out of knowing her father's spirit was in her corner cheering her on as she finally got her first taste of SCW gold, joining Amelia on the list on Television Champions in the company's history books. Sure, Ravyn had attempted to continue her mind games by actually joining Amelia in cheering Luz on (and briefly attempting to intervene on her behalf which thankfully failed) before meeting them at their locker room and trying one last time to get into their heads, but they managed to shrug it off pretty well this time and simply enjoyed the moment of Luz's championship win.

With any luck, that was hopefully a positive sign considering The Light In The Darkness could be holding more gold in due time, especially when that particular gold was the one they'd had their sights set on since they'd signed their first SCW contract almost three years ago now.

Since they'd had a little over a week before Under Attack was upon them, Luz and Amelia had kept themselves fairly busy. They'd headed down to Tulancingo to do a bit of belated Día de los Muertos celebrating with Camila and Valentina, which was important even if having to wrestle on Breakdown held them up a bit from doing it properly because it was the first time since the passing of El Espíritu Angélico that mother and daughter had actually celebrated the holiday together. Having Valentina and Amelia take part as well because of the places they either now had or would soon have in the Nevado family truly made the experience feel that much grander in scale, and Amelia herself would later admit to her fiancée that she'd never felt so overwhelmed with familial love before.

Yet another reason that Luz would continue to curse her beloved's parents for the way they treated her growing up that something as simple as spending a holiday with a family who loved you would overwhelm her so much. She didn't care what it would do to her luchadora image or if there'd be repercussions for doing so, but she swore she would deck Aleister or Ophelia Blythe the first chance she got if she ever saw either of them face-to-face again.

Amelia appreciated the sentiment, even if she didn't want her love to risk anything when each passing day helped her further accept the reality that her parents simply weren't worth it anymore. She wasn't playing along with their whims anymore and she never would again... they could face any and all issues from the deal they'd made with that devil Caleb themselves because she'd found true happiness in La Pequeña Luz and she refused to go back to the days where trying to figure out who she truly was felt like a sin and she was seen as nothing more than a puppet.

It was the thought of what they were willing to do for each other that reminded the tandem that there were still some things they needed to talk about, especially since it was crucial to get them properly focused on the goal of finally becoming SCW World Tag Team Champions together.

After they'd had their fun in Mexico, the couple had made their way to Atlanta, where Under Attack was set to be held. In the process, they reunited with Ivy and Gage just in time for them to take part in a show for the company they were both working for before SCW pretty much took over the city for the upcoming pay-per-view. Seeing Ivy being so confident in the ring and finding the success Amelia had almost talked her out of ever tasting when they were kids, along with Gage's enthusiasm on commentary... it helped ground them in the moment as a reminder that no matter what challenges were still bearing down on them, they would never have to face them alone. Without the concept of Luz and Amelia against the world being just the two of them on their own anymore, they felt safe in letting their guards down a bit more in order to just have fun and be themselves, a concept that had become almost alien to them the deeper they'd gotten into their careers and all the extra issues that seemed determined to plague them.

That had led them to this morning. With only a few days to go before Under Attack, Luz slowly found herself waking up in the couple's hotel room. She yawned and stretched herself out a bit before she carefully took in the scene around her, remembering that last night she and Amelia had talked about the fact that a fair bit of time had passed before they had been intimate with one another which resulted in a long overdue night of passion. Only the covers hid their naked forms, though considering it was only the two of them sharing a room it wasn't a big deal. Last night they'd simply reaffirmed a conversation they'd had a long time ago that, while enjoyable and natural between two people who loved each other as much as they did, it wasn't a big deal if they didn't delve into sexual activity as often as some might think they should. Between their respective insecurities caused by their traumatic pasts and the fact that there were often other issues constantly consuming their every waking thought, it almost felt like it wasn't the right time to even consider the activity, but on the plus side it made moments like this all the more special when they did finally let go of everything and just tend to each other's needs.

After a few moments, Amelia also slowly began to wake up. Her eyes fluttered open, taking in the sight  of her wife-to-be wearing nothing—not even her mask—and meeting her gaze with the kind of smile that made her feel like she was the most precious thing in the world to this woman, and she couldn't help but return that smile.

“Buenos dias hermosa,” Luz warmly greeted her.

“Mmm... are you talking to me? Or our 'child'?” Amelia asked with a coy grin as her arm emerged from under the covers, the TV Title belt held in her hands.

Luz's exposed face turned crimson as she remembered where that had come from. They hadn't included the championship belt in any of their 'activities' last night—unlike certain other individuals, they had far more respect for titles than to do anything like that to them—but at some point while the two were coming down from the afterglow and exhaustion was overtaking them, Luz had grabbed the belt and insisted in her tired daze that it was only right for the two of them to also cuddle with their 'child' as they slept.

“I was talking to you, of course,” she finally fired back, leaning down to kiss Amelia on the lips while taking the title from her. She gently held it out in front of her, taking in every detail of the center plate as though she still weren't used to being able to call this championship hers. “I don't recall you rejecting what I said, though, even if it sounds silly in hindsight. I mean... we've both held this title at least once now. Maybe that does make it our child, and I'll be darned if I'm going to let go of it so soon.”

A weird look graced Amelia's features, and Luz caught it right away even if she tried to hide it. She opened her mouth, apology at the ready, but Amelia slowly held up a hand to stop her before she even got a sound out.

“Luna,” she carefully began, “you have nothing to apologize for. I lost this title in my first defense, it happens and I'm still learning from it. I truly want nothing more than to see you hold onto this belt for as long as you can, whether it's only for one defense or if you go on to break a record with it. But... I do think it's about time we actually did talk through some things.”

“Sí,” Luz nodded, knowing exactly where this was going as she gently set the title aside and locked eyes with her love. It was a conversation they'd been meaning to have ever since the mind games first started weeks ago, but the initial plan of doing so after the meeting with Ryan had been lost to the sheer disbelief of everything he'd had to share that day.

“I know we've talked about this in the past, but for the sake of erasing any potential doubts, I'm going to reiterate right here and now,” Amelia declared. “Despite anything that Ravyn implies, I'm truly proud of you sweetheart, and I always will be. My feelings towards you will never change no matter what happens in our careers, and if you do happen to hold that title for longer than I did then I'll use it as motivation to fuel myself for whatever my next singles title reign may be.”

“I don't plan on changing either Ames, especially in how I see you in any capacity,” Luz affirmed. “I think we can both agree that the thoughts will always surface... it's how we were raised coming into this sport in the first place, after all. Your parents hardwired you to never accept that anyone could ever be better than you, and I took all the criticisms of 'not living up to papá's legacy' to heart so much that I became hellbent on forging my own legacy however I could. We're only human... but, being able to talk about it like this is why I can confidently say that Ravyn's attempts to drive a wedge between us are going to fail, regardless of what happens this Sunday.”

Amelia nodded and pulled Luz closer so the two could snuggle up, not caring about what time it was or the fact that they were still very much lacking in clothes. “You want my honest opinion? The more I think about what she's trying to do, the more I'm starting to think she's projecting her own relationship issues onto us. If she can't get back whatever she may have truly had with Syren once upon a time, then maybe she'll be satisfied turning another happy couple down that same path they fell into.”

“I can see it,” Luz agreed, a hint of sadness in her voice that Amelia knew was the genuinely kind heart of this woman she loved so much breaking a bit at the thought of their impending opponents having some relationship trouble. “Open and honest communication is not just important for working together in the best way you can as a tag team, but it's a key part of having a healthy relationship. I know Syren said in her interview that she and Ravyn have been trying to work together outside the ring to get back on the same page as Dark Fantasy, but... given how all of this has played out so far, you think Ravyn's ever considered the thought of actually trying to honestly talk with Syren about any of what she's tried to trauma dump onto us?”

“Sadly, I doubt it,” Amelia lamented. “I can't say I know anything about how their relationship has been faring beyond what we see in SCW and what Ravyn's tried to share with us, though, and honestly it's not really any of our business unless they invite us to be a part of it. I know Ravyn gave me her phone number, but I'd want to hear from Syren too if she's comfortable with us having any part of this beyond the business.”

“She gave it to you while the cameras were rolling,” Luz pointed out. “She's actively been trying to 'help' us while Syren has kept out of it and focused primarily on her own business, which is something I can truly respect since she had another title of her own to focus on. I think it's safe to say we've got our relationship figured out at this point, and we can always talk about anything that we might not have yet. If this is a game, we're not falling for it. If, when this opportunity is in the books, she and Syren actually want to approach us and talk about anything when there's no cameras around, then that's up to them.”

Amelia nodded in agreement, glad to know that she and Luz were truly on the same page about this. They'd both admit that there was some concern over whether or not there was any truth to Ravyn's efforts, but the reason they'd been able to shrug it off and keep going had really been as simple and effective as knowing they could talk about anything and work through things together. That was what had gotten them through the fears of a split earlier this year when Amelia had her U.S. Title opportunity, what had helped them remember that they were professionals whose friendship and respect had been born in the wrestling ring whenever they had found themselves matched up in other promotions before SCW but after their initial feud.

Sometimes, talking really did solve all of one's problems, especially in a relationship.

Perhaps it was that thought that had Amelia look past Luz at where the TV Title had been placed, the look in her eyes making it clear to her fiancée that she was deep in thought about something.

“You want to talk about whatever's on your mind?” she gently offered. “Thinking you might want to be my first challenger after we get through this pay-per-view?”

“No, but I do thank you for the offer, honey,” Amelia chuckled. “I'm actually thinking more about our 'child' over there... or, I guess... ugh, why are words so hard sometimes?”

Luz simply chuckled as she rubbed her wife's back, knowing that whatever was on her mind would find the words to describe itself if she was patient.

“I guess what I'm trying to ask is... have you ever thought about the possibility of kids someday?”

As soon as those words left Amelia's lips, Luz's eyes widened in surprise. It was a conversation they hadn't had yet, the thought never really crossing their minds as far as she knew until now. Obviously there was no physical way they were going to be able to conceive a child with one another, but Luz knew they had plenty of options if they did wish to have a little family of their own someday.

“I... I haven't, to be honest,” Luz admitted, her face flushing a bit at giving that answer, but Amelia held her close and ran her fingers through her pixie cut to help keep her calm. “Maybe I thought about being a mami once or twice as a kid, especially since I had an overactive imagination, but after I lost my dad... I guess I never bothered to think about it, being too focused on trying to forge ahead with being a wrestler, and especially after falling out with my own mom for so long.”

Amelia nodded in understanding, still working to comprehend exactly how deeply Luz's father's passing affected her since she'd never been in that position.

“Have you ever thought about it?” Luz turned the question back on her, which caused Amelia's breath to hitch for a moment before she shook her head, looking away.

“Up until now, the mere idea of bearing a child someday never felt like it was in the cards for me,” she elaborated. “I was supposed to be the perfect heir to my family's wrestling legacy, after all. When would I ever even have time to think about children? But... the more I think about it, the more I realized that I may have suppressed any thoughts about it even after I got free from them and ended up by your side. I know I'm not them, nor do I ever want to be anything like them, but... it's hard not to be afraid that if I ever became a mother someday, I'd make the same mistakes my parents did with me and not fully realize it... they never view anything they did to me as a parenting mistake-”

“Which is B.S. and you know it,” Luz firmly told Amelia as she gently took her hands. “I've seen how you are with kids whenever any approach us at fan events. You're so kind and gentle with them, you give this vibe of wanting them to succeed at anything they want to do for themselves and being so ready to help them get there. You'd be an excellent mom! And even if you do think you'll fall into that trap, I'll be right there to make sure it doesn't happen.”

“And I'll gladly do the same for you,” Amelia replied after wiping a tear away from her eye, the response baffling Luz. “I know you, my light... somewhere, deep in your mind, you're putting my fears above your own because you're afraid you might not be a good mom yourself, and I'll tell you right now that you have nothing to worry about. You're just as much a natural with kids as you say I am... need I remind you of how many kids we see whenever we visit Mexico that wear your mask and say they want to be just like you when they grow up?”

Luz chuckled as she had to wipe away a tear of her own. She deeply appreciated the emphasis Amelia was putting on her being the one these kids were looking up to, not her father. It really was proof that she was making a legacy all her own, going hand-in-hand with everything her father build while still being very much her own path she's carved. The thought of having a child and working with Amelia to help that child know there were no expectations that would weigh them down as far as the couple were concerned and they were free to do anything they truly wanted without issue... after everything they've both endured to get to this point, to be able to use those experiences to ensure their child never felt burdened by any of that felt like a dream, a mark left on the world by The Light In The Darkness that went beyond the wrestling ring.

“When you put it like that...” Luz finally said after a moment. “Maybe we would make great parents after all...”

“I'd like to hope so,” Amelia added as the two of them snuggled closer.

“Maybe we wait until after we're married to start planning for that, though,” Luz offered, to which Amelia hummed in agreement. They already had so much on their plates at the moment, and the thought of wedding planning had barely crossed their minds despite being officially engaged for almost four months now. Wrestling had played a big role in that, sure, but there was also the ever-present issue that was The Empire and whatever schemes they were cooking up now.

It was that thought that had Luz's eyes snap open right as she was potentially starting to drift back off on this lazy morning.

“Ames, can I ask you an honest question?” she suddenly asked, and Amelia looked at her love with concern before slowly nodding. Luz took a deep breath to compose herself before she laid her cards on the table. “Bringing up the topic of us raising a child together someday... does this have anything to do with what Ryan told us about this dumb plan Caleb and your parents had for you?”

Amelia opened her mouth, the “no” on the tip of her tongue, but she only made a brief sound before she closed it and thought more about how perfectly everything unfortunately lined up. She sighed and buried her face into Luz's collarbone, prompting her to wrap Amelia up in a tight hug to help her gather her thoughts.

“No, no it's not, and I truly mean that when I say it,” she finally managed to get out. “The fact that we're even thinking that's why the thought may have surfaced in my mind and led to this conversation though... it almost feels like our Rise to Greatness double proposal all over again, falling perfectly in line with all this propaganda from them about how I'm going to marry Henry and bear his children for this stupid lineage I want nothing to do with anymore.”

“I hate everything they're trying to do to sabotage us when we're just trying to live our lives our way,” Luz huffed, the frustration in her tone reaching levels Amelia had never heard from her before. “And you know what the worst part about all of it is? For as much of an asshole as he's been to us, Henry's just as much a victim here as we are, and I'd be willing to stake my mask on everything that he is now being Caleb's fault.”

They just laid there together for a moment, taking deep breaths and calming each other down with their mere presence as they thought back to that day. To say that bombshell rattled everyone far worse than even the discoveries of how far Caleb was willing to go to sink his hooks into the both of them was an understatement. Both women had been speechless at the revelation, Gage had been pretty vocal about how messed up it was, Ivy fell into a quiet rage as they remember her clenching her fist so tight her nails actually punctured her palm and drew blood... understandably, the Clauson sisters had taken it the hardest, with Lily having to restrain Marilyn from wrecking the shop in her fury despite being just as angry about learning Caleb had been the one responsible for their Aunt Martha's death this whole time. And why? All because Caleb felt betrayed by his older brother for marrying her and 'turning his back' on everything he thought they were working towards. He felt they needed to be punished in the most severe fashion possible, and as if leaving them to burn to death in their own home wasn't sick enough, he also absconded with their newborn child as though it was some sort of redemption for his heinous actions... or maybe he believed he was going to redeem this baby who was barely old enough to comprehend the world around him yet by saving him from his parents' 'corrupt' influence while everyone believed said child had also perished.

The facts were all there in black and white... despite being only about two or three years older than Luz and Amelia, Henry (if that was even his actual birth name) was actually Marilyn and Lily's cousin, and given the year or two that Valentina had spent being raised by Caleb to be molded into a very specific image, it was almost undeniable that Henry had been raised to be the spitting image of that deranged zealot.

“You think there's any way we could get through to him?” Luz suddenly asked the very question she knew was also on Amelia's mind.

“I don't know...” Amelia admitted. “Assuming we can even get him alone to try and talk without any Empire thugs to intervene, he's definitely more brainwashed than Valentina was. She knew she was just filling a role and only played along to avoid his wrath... Henry's been raised by this man since shortly after he was born and would easily take everything his uncle—as much as he doesn't deserve that title—tells him as gospel.”

Luz sighs, her desire to help but not knowing where to even start with this one painfully clear. She and Amelia checked the time and realized that they needed to get a start on their day if they were going to get a good training session in for their impending Tag Title match, finally dragging themselves out of bed and getting dressed for the day. Still, they embraced this morning with an air of optimism, heads clear after talking through things and ready to fully focus on the upcoming challenge. Even if they weren't quite as cohesive as they were many years ago, they knew they were still facing arguably the greatest tag team in SCW history, and they were going to face them head-on and give this everything they had. Once this task was taken care of, they'd shift their focus back to dealing with The Empire and concocting a plan that would arguably strip the group of its most valuable member aside from Caleb himself.

After all, if they could show Henry just how much of his life had been a lie and who was responsible for actually taking his parents from him, then The Empire had no Golden Prodigy to stake their future on... a blow that could prove ultimately fatal to Caleb's twisted schemes.

As the couple finished getting dressed and were about ready to see if Ivy and Gage were up yet, Luz's phone chimed with a notification. Raising an eyebrow as she finished securing her mask, she grabbed it only for her jaw to drop in horror as what greeted her. Seeing her future wife's distress, Amelia moved to stand by her side to see what had warranted such a reaction only for her eyes to begin narrowing in fury. Luz shakily hit the play button on the accompanying video from the link her mom had just sent her, both women slowly growing angrier at the Spanish that greeted their ears from the reporter who was covering a story that had not just them, but most of Mexico in an outrage.

Long story short, some people wearing the colors and sigil of The Empire had made a public spectacle last night, drawing a crowd to hear them rant and rave about how the very concept of Día de los Muertos was disgraceful in the eyes of God because those who died didn't deserve to “have their spirits resurrected through wicked practices” even if only for a day. As if that wasn't infuriating enough especially to Luz that her very culture was being disrespected, these mindless zealots had desecrated her father's grave and the ofrenda that her mom and sister had worked hard on, trying to convince everyone that El Espíritu Angélico didn't deserve to be celebrated at all because the very character he portrayed for them spat in the face of God and that he was no Angelic Spirit for convincing his daughter that being bisexual was alright.

Thankfully, the incident didn't break down into full-on violence and police had apprehended Caleb's followers, but the fact that it had happened at all disgusted Luz and Amelia, especially since it wasn't hard for them to figure out the whole thing was meant to be some sort of sick message to them, perfectly timed to try and throw them off knowing what was on the horizon for them.

“How in the hell does this monster convince people that God would approve of actions like this and still think he's some sort of hero who's 'saving' humanity!?” Luz growled as she tossed her phone onto the bed before faceplanting onto the pillow and screaming into it.

“Why can't this just end!?” Amelia spat as she sat down beside Luz, taking her hand as the two of them tried to calm themselves back down. “Why can't we just be left alone? All we want is to wrestle to the best of our abilities, marry each other and live our lives together! Maybe even raise a child or two since we've put that option on the table! But no, apparently this narcissist can't stand the thought of not being at the forefront of our thoughts for even five seconds!”

“What's next? Is he actually going to try and have The Empire invade SCW and ruin our match because regardless of wherever Syren and Ravyn's relationship is, how dare two sapphic couples face off for championship gold in Caleb's sacred vision of the sport of wrestling!?” Luz yelled, keeping her face buried in the pillow so she didn't risk waking up anyone in neighboring rooms who was still asleep.

Almost as if fate had been tempted, Amelia's phone began ringing, drawing both girls' attention. They exchanged frustrated and worried looks before Amelia slowly reached over to grab it. Seeing her sister's name on the caller ID at least allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief as she slowly answered.

“What's up Em?”

“Now Amelia dear, I know I taught you how to properly answer a phone.”

Amelia's blood ran cold at the familiar tone of her mother's voice, her hand gripping her phone tighter. Luz immediately sat up as she noticed this, and Amelia caught her gaze out of the corner of her eye before mouthing her mom's name. Luz immediately took her hand and held it tight as a nod was the signal for her to put the phone on speaker.

“What do you want, Ophelia?” Amelia growled, trying to focus on Luz's hand in hers to keep her grounded.

“Have you fallen so far from grace that you refuse to acknowledge me as your own mother?” was the response. “Honestly Amelia, you've allowed yourself to be corrupted so thoroughly by that-”

“You've lost any right to be considered Amelia's mom the moment you saw her as a tool for your own gain than as a human being,” Luz angrily cut in.

“Oh great, you have your little dog with you,” Ophelia groaned, and Luz and Amelia both glared at the phone knowing that the woman was lucky she was hiding behind this call right now.

“How did you get Emily's phone?” Amelia demanded. “What happened to her and Edward?”

“You care about them and not about me?” Ophelia pretended to sound hurt. “You wound me dear... here I am trying to guide you down the right path to be everything our family needed you to be, and of course you refuse to see it and only insist on following in the footsteps of those troublemakers.”

“Do you even hear how delusional you sound right now?” Luz asked.

“Hush, brat,” was Ophelia's stern reply.

“Don't you talk to my fiancée that way!” Amelia fired back.

“Yes, I heard all about that... ick, engagement stunt you pulled,” Ophelia gagged. “Honestly dear, you could do so much better than pretending to only be interested in girls just to try and make a fool out of your father and I when we only want what's best for you.”

“It's not an act mom, but I think it's painfully clear the concept of me being a lesbian will never register in your brain because it shatters your perfect little perception you so desperately cling to,” Amelia unloaded on her. “I mean, how desperate do you have to be to basically sell your own daughter into marriage before I was even born!”

There was silence from the other end as Amelia breathed heavily from her outburst. Luz leaned over and softly kissed the corner of her mouth as her hand slipped under Amelia's shirt to try and rub her back, anything to help the both of them right now because they had a feeling this conversation was only going to get more heated the longer it went on.

“So you discovered the truth, hm?” Ophelia finally said, her voice giving no indication that she was fazed by this revelation. “It doesn't change the fact that a Blythe always upholds their end of the deal. Our family's legacy has been secured, and it's time you honored your part in that Amelia. Your wedding with Henry will be happening on Christmas Day in London-”

“Like hell it will,” Luz and Amelia responded simultaneously.

“You should feel grateful that Caleb wants Luz to be your maid of honor for whatever reason,” Ophelia scoffed. “But, his reasons are his own and I'm not going to question them. At the very least, the two of you would do well to prove yourselves by winning those Tag Team Championships in that Godforsaken company you now work for. Your future husband deserves the chance to see his bride prove she is every bit as successful as the Blythe name should be... even if it's chained to someone like you, Luz. But at least you can bask in Amelia's greatness while also proving that maybe Caleb's hopes for you aren't as unfounded as I personally think they are.”

Luz couldn't keep herself from unleashing a tirade in Spanish, knowing full well that Ophelia wouldn't understand but far too upset to care that she'd gone on autopilot back into her native tongue. Amelia, however, thought more carefully about what her mother had said before she got Luz to cut herself off with a gentle squeeze of her arm.

“What exactly do you mean by Henry getting to see me 'prove myself'?” she warily asked.

“We're going to be there watching for ourselves, of course!” Ophelia happily remarked like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Your siblings were so generous enough to offer the tickets they'd gotten, and they even went so far as to pay for a few extra seats-”

Anything else Ophelia had to say on the matter was cut off by what sounded like muffled screaming from her end of the call. They could hear her yell something about “useless brats” before the call was overtaken by what sounded like a scuffle.

“Em!? Ed!? Are you guys there? Can you hear me!?” Amelia pleaded, doubting her mom had her end of the call on speaker but frantically hoping if she was loud enough they might be able to pick up her voice and respond. Unfortunately, whatever was going on over there ultimately led to the call ending with no further answers, leaving her and Luz to blankly stare down at the phone.

“...so... looks like Henry's coming to watch us compete...” Luz slowly stated as this new revelation sank in.

“With my parents in tow and probably a bunch of Empire goons as well...” Amelia continued.

“We're rallying the troops,” Luz firmly said as she began firing off text messages to not only her family but also the Clauson sister.

“Right,” Amelia nodded. “We need to just keep our focus on this match, and they can help us deal with this and hopefully get my siblings out of whatever bind my parents have them in.”

She quickly ran off to go find Ivy and Gage to fill them in, the plan slowly coming together despite the short notice they'd been given. Under Attack was certainly going to live up to its namesake, for better or worse, but The Light In The Darkness refused to falter that easily in the face of all these games being played at their expense.

They were going to overcome Dark Fantasy and finally ascend to the top of the tag team mountain.

They were going to cut off whatever scheme The Empire was cooking up this time.

Above all else, they were going to show the world that no matter how far you pushed them, Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz would never be broken. Their relationship would survive any test thrown their way and they would keep fighting on until they became the wrestlers they knew they could be, both for their own sake and well as the chance to help shape the future of the wrestling business in a more positive light.

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The first thing we see as our screen flickers to life is actually what looks like a video playing. The dialogue we hear might be lost on many of us because it's in Spanish, but it's clear we're witnessing a replay of an old wrestling broadcast. The match in question might be a bit surprising as we watch a younger-looking Amelia Blythe and La Pequeña Luz locked in a rather intense clash with one another, trading their best shots and even borrowing heavily from one another's repertoires. Ultimately, we see Amelia trap Luz in the Blight Choke, and this is where we begin to pull back from the screen playing this match. Amelia and Luz, as we've come to know them, are standing in front of this screen watching the match play out intently as past Luz keeps fighting for what feels like an eternity trapped in her now-partner's infamous submission hold. Eventually, we see past Luz manage to get a rope break, escaping the virtually inescapable hold, and it's not too long after that we see this old match end with Luz's arm raised in victory.

As the screen cuts to black, Luz and Amelia both turn to face us, their hands intertwining and their lips curling into nostalgic smiles as we pan back a bit more, seeing that the room they're in right now appears to be decorated with replicas of numerous championships they've held from all over the world along with photos depicting each incredible moment. An interesting thing to note for keen-eyed viewers is that some of the photos accompany singles championships where it appears that Luz or Amelia have just taken that very belt off of one another. Still, the couple stand in the middle of this room, just as united as we've always come to know them. Interestingly, a closer look at Luz and Amelia's attire reveals that they've both donned old Dark Fantasy t-shirts from the days when they effectively had a stranglehold on the SCW tag team division. They glance at one another in silent communication before Luz takes the lead.

“The last Breakdown was a very special one for me in so many ways... I spoke at length going in about how it was taking place on Día de los Muertos and that I knew my father's spirit would be in my corner watching as I proved anyone who doubted me wrong. Yes, my SCW track record may not be the greatest still in terms of singles action, but there is no denying that I earned my victory over Kirsten Scott and can now proudly stand here as your new SCW Television Champion... an honor I can join my fiancée in claiming. This, however, is only the beginning... last year, at this very event, the two of us announced our return to SCW, and we'll be upfront about the fact that it's been a rolercoaster ride ever since our first match back. Our respective TV Title reigns aside, we've both gotten several other opportunities along the way, and up to this point we've fallen short on all of them. Yes, it's been tough and disappointing, but as we've said time and time again, every failure is an opportunity to learn and grow until we're good enough to finally be able to stand atop those mountains and defend those titles with the pride and respect that they deserve to be shown. That will be my plan for the TV Title starting with the next Breakdown, but first thing's first: we have a dream match we need to focus on.”

“My wife-to-be is not exaggerating when she calls it that. At Apolcaypse, we took the failure of our attempt to run the entire gauntlet of tag team turmoil and combined it with our experience of lucha libre tag team matches to earn another shot at the World Tag Team Titles... an opportunity we haven't had since near the start of this year when we fell short against the Frosts. On that night, despite the shadow of SCW's impending change of ownership hanging overhead, the four of us proceeded to steal the show and make it clear exactly what tag team wrestling means to all of us... what we all want it to mean for SCW now and going forward. While Under Attack will be the one year mark since we got our heads screwed back on straight after being injured and returned to try again, we know exactly what kind of challenge awaits us. It may not have been the exact circumstances they or anyone else thought it would happen under, but it doesn't change the fact that if we want to finally be the tag team that all others in this company are gunning for, we have to dethrone arguably the greatest tag team in SCW history. Technically three time Tag Team Champions, the longest overall title reign ever seen in this company at just over 600 days holding those titles together... Dark Fantasy is a force unlike any other, and to be where we want to be, we know we need to practically achieve the impossible.

Believe it or not, though... this is exactly the kind of challenge we want. The ultimate test to see if we're truly ready to take that next step together.”

“It's as the old saying goes: 'to be the best, you've got to beat the best.' And in the SCW tag division, they don't get any better than Syren and Ravyn Taylor.”

It might be surprising to hear what sounds like genuine praise and admiration from Luz and Amelia, especially considering the past few weeks, but the look in their eyes and the tone of their voices makes it undeniably clear that they're being nothing but sincere with the high praise they're giving to their upcoming opponents. And yet, there's a fire burning behind those eyes, a determination in the way they stand together that can almost be felt just by watching them.

“I know what a lot of you are probably thinking right now... why are we giving such high praise to Dark Fantasy? Not only are they our opponents this Sunday, not only have we had several run-ins with Ravyn over the past few weeks, but there's also the point of contention that she and Syren aren't entirely back on the same page. Yes, Syren has said that she is currently focused on this Tag Title run with Ravyn and we trust her word on that claim, but the signs were there when they teamed together after... whatever happened to Ace, to defend those belts against the Alloccos at Apocalypse. This isn't the Dark Fantasy that dominated SCW's tag team scene for over a year and a half... we're well aware of that, if not from our own studying to prepare for this match, but from Ravyn's attempts over the past several weeks to try and share her relationship troubles with us as a 'warning sign' of sorts for what she thinks could become of us. That said, we'd be fools to not come into this match under the belief that we are facing that Dark Fantasy, at the peak of their tag team greatness and holding onto their crowns with an iron grip. After all... if we let our guards down, even for a second, we know that competitors of their caliber will make us pay for it immediately and that will be the end of our night in Atlanta, regardless of how in sync they are again or not.”

“Of course, how in-sync Dark Fantasy is this time around is always going to be the big question everyone's going to focus on, to the degree that Ravyn's actually approached us on several occasions and expressed concern over how our relationship will turn out. She's shared her struggles with her and Syren's relationship because focusing on their respective careers overtook any personal feelings they had for one another, trying to imply that the same thing will happen with us when push comes to shove. I mean, she's made a big deal out of our attempts to become Underground and U.S. Champion respectively, Amelia's TV Title reign earlier this year and mine that's only just begun, questioning what might happen if, say, one of us were to maybe get a World Title opportunity in some fashion... Ravyn, we do thank you for the concern regardless of whether you're actually worried about us or just trying to form some cracks in our foundation, but as I told you weeks ago, Amelia and I are not you and Syren. And if you need any proof of that, just look around us.”

Luz proceeds to motion to all the title belts and pictures associated with these victories covering the walls around them.

“Normally, we don't like sharing something like this because we know that all of these accomplishments throughout our careers mean nothing in the eyes of the SCW roster and we respect that. The focus should truly be on what we achieve in SCW and nothing more, after all. But we were willing to make an exception this time to teach you something about us. That match you saw a glimpse of before we started saying our piece? That was back when we hated each other with every fiber of our beings, knowing nothing about the other except that we were standing in the way of what we both wanted and something had to give. That night, I handed Amelia the very first loss of her entire career... I became the first and only person to date to break out of her Blight Choke.”

“And I have no problem with Luz taking pride in that, because that loss? It's what saved me, Ravyn... it saved me from the mindset forced upon me by people who were no different than you, in all honesty. People who weren't afraid to scheme, manipulate and gaslight to get what they wanted... the people I was supposed to call my own parents. Instead of hating her for any of those firsts, I took her hand when she offered it to me in revelation that we weren't so different after all. It's been about five years since that fateful night, and in that time we've traveled all over the world and called ourselves champions, and not just as a tag team. We each have plenty of singles titles to our name, we've both called ourselves World Champions somewhere in the wrestling world, and we've even squared off in that ring on multiple occasions since and ended one another's title reigns.”

“And yet, here we are, now engaged and still going strong as both a couple and a tag team. Do we both have big individual goals? Absolutely... every wrestler in SCW does, it's what makes us human and drives us to succeed. But Amelia and I figured out a long time ago that no matter what personal goals we have, there's nothing stopping us from working towards them together and supporting one another. Every success one of us achieves motivates the other to both reach and transcend those same heights and vice versa. For example, it was Amelia's TV Title run earlier this year that helped motivate me to join her in saying I, too, have a TV Title run to my name. Regardless of whether or not my reign ends up being longer than hers, she's motivated to tackle her next big solo challenge because I've inspired her, just as she inspires me.

...just as Syren has inspired us both.”

Luz smiles as she leaves that comment to linger in the air for a moment, Amelia placing a hand on her partner's shoulder as she takes a deep breath before a smile graces her own lips as well.

“Syren, we both know that you haven't had the greatest track record in terms of how you've approached the business. You've admitted as much yourself when you wanted to break away from how Infamous was conducting business, when you wanted nothing more than to earn the right to truly call yourself the best female pro wrestler that perhaps ever lived. Even now, faced with the challenge from Xander Valentine that you must win ten matches in a  row before you can even be considered for a World Title opportunity again, you continue to forge ahead and embrace that challenge as motivation to prove you can do it. Even in your interview from the last Breakdown, you weren't afraid to admit that you and Ravyn have different approaches to how to conduct your business in the ring, something we know you've called her out on publicly when she insisted on making your private business public as a means of trying to get you to accept her way of doing things once more. You've made your boundaries clear to her and your intentions clear to the SCW roster, and we know you'll give us a fight when we're your ticket to being one step closer to your own big goal right now.”

“We've crossed paths on a few occasions at this point Syren... during our first run here, when we beat you and Christy Matthews, and as recent as clashing with both you and Ravyn in the ring during Kim's big Trios cash-in earlier this year. And yet, Amelia and I both know that we haven't gotten the proper chance to truly face you at your best. During that tag match, you were more focused on other issues, and even during Kim's thing what started out as an opportunity at that was quickly lost when Ravyn got involved with anything to try and gift you free falls, which you refused to take. At Under Attack though... even if you and Ravyn aren't quite on the same page, we want nothing more than to truly see how well we stack up against a veritable SCW legend, a seven time World Champion, a woman who we know will give us the challenge we want to face and make us truly earn those Tag Team Titles. At the end of the day Syren, that's all we truly want out of this... we want you, Ravyn, Dark Fantasy, to push us beyond our limits so that if it truly is our time, we know we'll have well and truly earned it. We want to throw down with that seven time World Champion, the longest reigning Adrenaline Champion in the past few years, one-half of the greatest tag team that's ever graced the SCW roster.”

“Whatever issues may still exist between the two of you, we'll be upfront right now and make it clear they're none of our business, no matter what Ravyn feels she needs to share with us. The only thing that matters to us right now is Under Attack, The Light In The Darkness against Dark Fantasy. Deep down, we know we have what it takes to win this match, we know we've done our homework and prepared as best as we could. It's why we've resisted Ravyn's attempts over the past several weeks to try and project her own issues onto us, why we've kept out focus on my match with Bree and Luz's TV Title match leading up to this point even though we knew who awaited us on the horizon... why we deeply, truly, want to walk into the State Farm Arena on Sunday night and find ourselves staring down Dark Fantasy at their absolute best regardless of how you two get to that point.”

“Make no mistake: we're bound and determined to walk out of Atlanta as your new SCW World Tag Team Champions, and we're ready to fight harder than we ever have before to achieve that result. But we want to walk out of this match knowing that, regardless of the outcome, we gave our very best against a team that we know and will admit may very well be the best, bar none, this company has ever seen. We want to hope that, regardless of the outcome, we've pushed you ladies hard enough that it ignites that fire that propels Syren to those ten wins she needs, that it reminds people what Ravyn is capable of when you take away the mind games and actually put her skills to the test. Maybe, just maybe, this match will be the true renaissance of Dark Fantasy in the tag team division, and regardless of whether we win or lose we want to have a match that will have those fans begging for a round two someday. Maybe that sounds like a simple hope, but it's all we truly want this Sunday.”

“And deep down, even if we're the ones who have our hands raised in victory, we hope that you both want the same... and yes, that includes you, too, Ravyn.”

With that, both women proceed to pull off the Dark Fantasy t-shirts, revealing a pair of brand new Light In The Darkness tanktops on underneath. They neatly fold up the Dark Fantasy shirts and turn to set them in front of the screen behind them. Amelia also proceeds to reach into her pocket before pulling out a familiar slip of paper before gently laying it on one of the shirts. With one last smiling glance back at us, the couple join hands and begin to make their way out of the room, letting us linger on this shot for a moment before the lights flicker off and this sight is left in the dark.