The Lady of Darkness

Author's Note (+Bonus Chapter)

Debwood-1999

Last night, through all my bawling, I took the time to think about the book. Last summer I'd read "Into the Dark" enjoyed it, and barely a month after I finished reading it, I thought: "I could make a sequel." so, I did. But there was some debate over what I wanted to do with it: "Do I make it M rated? Do I want to keep the T rating?" I kept the Teen rating, but wondered how I was going to do this book, the book I was currently working on included, sex, drinking and swearing, plus violence.

So I thought long and hard and after the Wrestlemania chapters: Lost interest entirely. Yup. I wanted to delete the entire work, throw in the towel and tell Debwood I'd changed my mind. I was thinking about doing this but decided: "What are you going to do after Darkness Wants The Light is over?" (I do not recommend reading that unless you want to be grounded, for life, if you're a younger reader.) I changed my mind, and the writer's block on this novel seemed to lift after I hit that: "Complete" button on the other one. I was proud for finishing my first work, and I thought about giving Mark and Steph a daughter. Wait...What about DX-Mahon?

Steph could not be pregnant and wrestle, it would kill the baby. I decided to wait, and the second half of the novel was mostly Stevie. The first half covered everything from depth on DX-Mahon to my own OCs, plus touching base with Stephanie's friends from book 1. And the second half introduced a timeskip and three daughters.

There was a mental draft of a conversation between Steph, Selena and Mark, with Daryl saying something about accidental children, and Stevie laughing at her Dad. Yes, it would have been hilarious. But it never, ever found it's way into a chapter. There was no room, but I think a version of this was mentioned.

Now, on to the thing I really wanted to talk about: The forgotten second half of the story.

Wait, forgotten?

Yes, forgotten. Originally Stevie was supposed to be in a gang in the town Mark and Steph live in. It was underground of course, and she learned parkour from that gang. But somebody was supposed to grow quite fond of Stevie, and things would have gone downhill fast. A pretty light sequel turning dark in an instant. I scrapped the entire idea (again, none of this became a draft, except for a scene where Stevie had just gotten home right before her parents and siblings), and went with the near divorce angle instead.

Me, the writer, never really plans out what's going to happen in a chapter, I just sit down and start writing. And last night, I started working on the chapter and got half of the first sentence done and had to stop to cry. The pressure from trying to deliver an emotional chapter and the end of this novel was really bugging me. (I tried to do something else with the end, but everything kept circling towards the late 80 year old Stevie crying over her lost family and friends.) But I am so happy with how it ended. I kid you not, the scene with Stevie and Mark was the most powerful thing I've written. \m/

Debwood, thank you so much for letting me write a sequel for your novel. It was quite an experience. And it was always fun talking to you too. Quick questions: Is this the only variant of a sequel that got finished? How many variants have there been? I'd like to look at them, and if you can't remember, that's totally fine too. I do not care that much.

After I finished writing the Epilogue I thought of a really powerful scene where the WWE paid tribute to the Undertaker, after his death. I was mentally smacking myself and decided to put it here, I have forgotten so much about what I wanted to say, but the main jist is "Thank You! For putting up with me this long." I might yap some more after the bonus, but ya know? That's what the blog is for, ranting and raving.

Ladies and gentlemen, children of the teen age, I give you, the surprise section!!!

* * *

The Raw after Mark's death, 2040.

Aqua sat and waited, she wore her Wrestlemania gear under a Ministry of Darkness cape. It was a replica of her fathers, and she held the urn. Running her fingers over it, she knew this was the last time this gimmick would be used. They were retiring it, just out of respect, and well, what was the point of it, anymore? Ric Flair's gimmick had been reused by Charlotte. Why ruin her father's as well?

"Stevie...It's time." Patrick told her.

Aqua got up and heard the original funeral march play, followed by a short variant of all of the Undertaker's theme after that. She walked out, the urn placed carefully in her hands. She got to the ring as the final bell tolled. The titantron changing to "In tribute to Mark Callaway "The Undertaker" 1965-2040, Rest in Peace." It was short and blunt, but Stevie didn't care. She stood in the ring and summoned the arena lights, in the middle of the ring. She was granted a mic and she stood in silence for several minutes. She had at least 20 minutes, if she chose. But all she needed were a few.

"...Debuting in 1990, at Survivor Series, the Undertaker was a mortal man. By 1999, he became immortal. His memory will not be forgotten. Nor will his impact on this company. It is my honor to be his daughter, and to call him "father". Please, a moment of silence for our departed."

Aqua managed to hold back her tears long enough for the moment of silence to pass. The bell tolled 21 times, (in memory of the streak) and Aqua held the urn up the signature way. The titantron changed to a career highlights, one of which was the dark wedding. After it was over, Aqua stood slowly. Her face covered in tears, she left. For the rest of the show, it was dead silent in the arena. The other superstars understood. Their comrade and friend had departed yesterday, and he deserved the dead silence.

At the next Wrestlemaina, Steph inducted her husband into the Hall of Fame. Along with her three children. The Hall of Fame speech being as dead silent as the original news. It was truly end of an era. But a legacy would not be forgotten. And nor would the wrestler.

(Once again, thank you all so much for the support, votes, comments, reads and sharing of this story. Now, it is the end of the "debut" era for me. Now it's the "bronze" era. My first contributes to WattPad are finished. And now we can say: "Complete.")

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