Dedicated to AbbyWatson4

"Yeah, I'll be home soon," said Daniel, balancing his phone on his shoulder while picking up several bow staves that had been strewn across the grassy Miyagi-Do backyard.

"Okay, but if you're not home by eight, I'm going to have to start the movie without you," warned Amanda, playfully.

"There's no way I'm going to let you watch the new Angel Has Fallen without me."

"If you say so. Love you."

"Love you too."

It had taken a while to clean up the whole dojo, but Daniel didn't mind it. Since he was a kid, the Miyagi-Do dojo had always been his favorite place to be. But his home hadn't been the dojo, his home was Mr. Miyagi.

Even when I had nothing, I had Mr. Miyagi.

Every day, he missed his old Sensei so much that it hurt, though his spirit would live on as long as the dojo stood. Its handcrafted walls seemed to emulate his wise spirit and he could almost hear Mr. Miyagi yelling, "bonzai!" Like he had on Daniel's seventeenth birthday.

"It is quite nice, isn't it," sounded a voice from the dojo's entrance.

Terry Silver.

"What are you doing here?" questioned Daniel, storming towards the door angrily.

"What, an old friend can't just come by to admire another sensei's work?" smirked Terry, condescendingly as he walked slowly around the room.

"After what you did, you don't have the right to admire this dojo," snapped Daniel, blocking Terry's way.

Terry raised an eyebrow, smiling.

"You were always a feisty kid, weren't you?"
Daniel felt his fists start to clench, anger swelling up inside of him.

No, you can't fight him. It's not what Mr. Miyagi would have wanted.

Terry seemed to notice his hesitation and extended his hand onto his shoulder.

"It's okay, Danny Boy, I know you won't make the first move," said Terry, sympathetically.

Then, without a moment's notice, Terry kicked Daniel backwards, making him slam into a nearby Japanese loft.

Daniel kept his footing and was able to throw a straight punch to Terry's stomach.

"We don't have to do this," offered Daniel, firmly.

Of course, he wanted to fight Terry, to get revenge for all the pain he had caused him, his family, his students, but fighting should only be used as a last resort option.

"Maybe not," shrugged Terry before charging Daniel through the paper screen backdoors.

Daniel felt his body slam into the hard ground, jagged pieces of wood splintered around them from the split porch steps. His whole body ached.

This sure isn't as easy as it was thirty years ago.

He used his hands to push himself to his feet as Terry still struggled to get up. Daniel quickly readied himself in a forward fighting stance.

If he wanted a fight, now he's got one.

As soon as Terry was to his feet, he lunged at Daniel, fists out front. Every one of his punches seemed to hit harder than the last, pushing Daniel further and further towards the corner of the yard until his back was up against the wooden-stake fence.

"You can't use defense forever!" shouted Terry through gritted teeth.

It took all of Daniel's strength to push out of Terry's hold. Panting, he attempted a front kick at Terry, but his enemy easily dodged to the side, letting Daniel's shoe scuff against the ground.

Terry was a much more experienced fighter than Daniel was so, if he was going to beat him, he had to outsmart him. Like what he did to Johnny Lawrence during their tournament fight.

Focus your mind on your opponent. Anticipate his moves. Understand him.

Terry had always been a calculated fighter which means he'd know a counter-attack for almost every defensive block Daniel had. But what if he didn't use a Miyagi-Do move? As much as he hated admitting it, the Eagle Fang moves Johnny had taught him would be an unknown variable that Terry hadn't accounted for.

Just this once.

Terry tried to side-kick, but instead of Daniel blocking it, he grabbed Terry's leg and punched him in the stomach. Terry huffed, holding his stomach.

"There's the LaRusso I know!" laughed Terry.

It was a flurry of attacks and counter-attacks as the two fighters dualed. From an outsiders' point of view, one might think it was a kind of intense dance, each fighter adjusting seamlessly to the other's moves.

Daniel had finally been able to gain the upper hand and knocked Terry down on the floor with a strong spin kick to the chest. Terry had blood dripping down the side of his face and he was barely still conscious though, his spirit was still as malicious as ever.

"I'm going to give you one last chance to stay down," warned Daniel, raising his hand above Terry menacingly.

"Or what! Do you really think you have it in you to kill me?" spluttered Terry, coughing.

Daniel didn't respond.

The answer was no. He'd never killed anyone before. Not Chozen, not Mike Barnes, not even John Kreese.

Never put passion in front of principal, even if you win, you'll lose.

Daniel took a few steps back, lowering his fists.

"I'm not going to kill you," stated Daniel, honestly.

Terry looked up at Daniel with a look of sincerity.

"You know, I really wish you would have made this harder for me," sighed Terry, his mouth contorting into a large grin.

Before Daniel could react, his legs were swept and his head slammed against the ground, knocking him unconscious.