FOR THALIA, things when in one ear and out the other. At least, today they had. Today was the All Valley, the first time Thalia would ever compete with a dojo and it wasn't by her sister's side. She left sick, like fully. She stared at the ground with her hands clasped behind her back as Johnny spoke some "words of encouragement" but damn if they really were... she wasn't listening.

Her mind drove her elsewhere. Would she really have to fight Tory today? God, it wouldn't be the first time and it killed her to go back to that night when they had. She didn't want to fight Tory, far from it. She just wanted something to get her mind off things, something that made her feel good, something that kept her away from home and the look of disappointment when she walked past Tory.

It felt unrepairable.

"Nichols, a word?"

Thalia looked up from her feet, seeing Johnny standing in front of her. She nodded, taking in a deep breath as she stepped forward.

"Nichols," Johnny said, his voice surprisingly calm, "you're thinking too much."

Thalia blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"You've been standing there staring at your shoes for the last ten minutes like they're about to give you all the answers," Johnny said, nodding toward her feet. "Spoiler alert: they won't. What's going on?"

Thalia hesitated, her fingers twisting the hem of her gi. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Johnny's face softened, but his tone stayed firm. "Look, I get it. It's not easy going up against family. Trust me, I know a thing or two about that. But you're not stepping onto that mat to fight your sister—you're stepping on it to fight for yourself."

"That's easy for you to say," Thalia said, her voice rising slightly. "You've made a career out of fighting people. This is different. This is Tory. And things between us are already... messy."

Johnny's expression shifted, something like understanding flashing across his face. He took a step closer, his voice quieting. "You think this fight is gonna make things worse between you two?"

Thalia nodded, her chest tightening. "I don't know. Maybe. It feels like we're barely holding on as it is. What if this is the thing that pushes her away for good?"

Johnny let out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, Nichols... relationships, especially with family, they're not always smooth. Sometimes they get downright ugly. But you're not gonna fix things by avoiding them. You've gotta face it head-on. That's how you earn respect—by showing up, even when it's hard."

She shook her head, frustration bubbling to the surface. "I'm not doing this to prove anything to her. I just... I wanted something for myself. Something that wasn't about her, or my mom, or anyone else."

"Exactly," Johnny said, his voice firmer now. "And that's why you've gotta go out there and fight. You think Tory doesn't know that? She might not like it, but deep down, she gets it. She's pissed right now, sure, but this isn't gonna break you two. Not unless you let it."

Thalia's lips pressed into a thin line, her thoughts swirling. "What if I lose? What if I get out there, and it's not enough?"

Johnny smirked faintly, his eyes narrowing. "Losing's not the end of the world, kid. But not trying? That's what you'll regret. You've worked your ass off to get here, and now you're afraid to see what you're made of? Don't let fear decide for you. You're better than that."

Thalia blinked, surprised at the certainty in his voice. "You really believe that?"

"Damn right I do," Johnny said, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Now stop standing around like a deer in headlights. You're here for a reason. Go prove to yourself—and everyone else—why you belong on that mat."

Thalia let out a breath, her shoulders straightening as she nodded. "Okay, Sensei."

Johnny stepped back, his smirk growing. "That's more like it. Now, go stretch with the others."

As Thalia stretched, trying to shake off the weight in her chest, she caught a glimpse of Sam walking past. The Miyagi-Do fighter slowed for a moment, her eyes flicking over to Thalia with a brief hesitation.

Thalia straightened slightly, unsure if she should say something first, but Sam beat her to it.

"Hey," Sam said, stopping a few feet away. Her tone was neutral but not unfriendly. "Good luck today."

Thalia blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected words. "Oh, uh... thanks," she said, her voice tentative. "You too."

Sam nodded, her gaze dropping to the ground briefly before meeting Thalia's eyes again. "And... about that night. At my house." She paused, the memory clearly weighing on her. "I know we don't really talk, and we're on opposite sides, but... I saw what you did."

Thalia shifted, feeling a twinge of discomfort at the mention of that night. "I just... did what I had to." she said simply.

Sam's lips pressed into a thin line, but she nodded. "You held your own against her, and that's not easy. I've been in her path too many times to know that for a fact."

Thalia's chest tightened at the words, unsure how to process the unexpected compliment. "Thanks," she said softly.

"And... no matter what happens today, I think you'll do great out there." Sam said.

Thalia gave her a small nod, a flicker of gratitude warming her chest. "Thanks," she said again. "Good luck to you too."

Sam offered a faint smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes but felt sincere enough. "See you out there," she said before turning to walk away.

Soon after, the special skills began. Eagle Fang found themselves in sixth place with Cobra Kai sitting at the top of the leaderboard.

"What do we need to beat Cobra Kai?" Johnny asked, his voice snapping towards Devon.

She blinked. "Uh, math? To catch up on points, we need to win as many matches in the qualifying rounds as possible." Devon explained. "The further we get, the tighter the vice around Cobra Kai's metaphorical balls."

"Okay. Good." Johnny nodded. "Now you're speaking my language."

Oddly enough, Carrie Underwood would come out, give an impact speech, and preform a song. After that, the girls and boys matches would begin and, with that, Cobra Kai had been dominating the scoreboard.

With luck, Thalia had made it to the Quarterfinals with Sam, Devon, and Tory. She didn't know how or why she'd gotten this far, but if her luck continued she wouldn't have to go head to head with Tory at the end.

She could feel the nerves radiating off her body as she watched Miguel win match after match and Devon getting kicked in the face by Tory.

Devon tried her hardest, her fight was strong. Thalia could see that, but Tory was stronger, more advance in her skills, and took down Devon within minutes.

The final hope of winning the All Valley Championship, for Eagle Fang in the girls devision, now rested on Thalia's shoulders.

But, Devon wasn't down. She was more upbeat if anything. It took her six weeks to get here and six weeks to get this far. She was elated, but, her excitement didn't reach Thalia. The girl still stood in her nerves.

And soon enough, Thalia would find herself on the mat with someone from Cobra Kai, though it wasn't with Tory, not yet anyway (if she got that far). It was with a girl named Piper Elswith.

Once the word "fight" left the ref's mouth, Piper stepped forward, her movements sharp and deliberate.

Thalia tried to match her pace, weaving around the first few strikes, but Piper was relentless. She pressed forward, feinting a jab before twisting into a powerful spinning kick.

The kick landed squarely on Thalia's face, sending her stumbling back. The crowd erupted as the referee blew the whistle, signaling the point for Cobra Kai. Thalia blinked rapidly, the sting radiating across her cheek as she steadied herself.

Piper turned back toward her, an easy smirk spreading across her face as she adjusted her stance. "That the best you've got?" she taunted. She took a step closer, her voice dropping slightly, her tone biting. "Tory warned me you'd be an easy target. Guess she was right."

With her chest heaving, Thalia looked over at Tory, the girl not bothering to look Thalia in the eyes as she cheered on her teammate. Thalia licked lips before her eyes flicked toward the sidelines, landing on Johnny. He stood with his arms crossed, watching her carefully. When their eyes met, he gave her a small nod—not too big, not too obvious, but just enough to steady her. It said everything she needed to hear.

She exhaled slowly, steadying her stance as the referee lowered his hand, the next round starting.

Thalia dodged a jab and countered with a quick side kick that landed squarely on Piper's ribs. The whistle blew again.

"Point, Eagle Fang!"

Next round: Piper charged in fast, her strikes sharp and aggressive. Thalia blocked the first few punches, sidestepping a high kick, and countered with a spinning back kick to Piper's ribs. The impact was solid, and the whistle blew.

"Point, Eagle Fang!"

The crowd erupted, and Thalia quickly reset her stance. Piper's smirk faltered, replaced by a determined glare. The final round (in which Thalia hoped) began with Piper moving more cautiously, circling Thalia.

Thalia stayed calm, blocking and dodging as she waited for the opening she needed. Piper attempted a spinning kick, but Thalia stepped in close, throwing a quick punch to Piper's chest, followed by a sweeping kick that knocked her off balance.

The referee's whistle echoed across the gym. "Point, match! Winner: Eagle Fang!"

The Eagle Fang section erupted into cheers, and Thalia allowed herself a small smile as she stepped back, her chest heaving. Piper scowled, shaking her head as she stormed off the mat.

Thalia turned, smiling brightly over at her section with Eagle Fang before bowing towards the ref. She caught a subtle glance towards the Cobra Kai section and caught a brief glimpse of Tory, who sat stone-faced, her expression unreadable. Turning back, her eyes met Johnny's, and his grin widened as he clapped his hands.

And if Thalia could've kept this high, she would've been in cloud nine, but soon enough, it was time for Miguel and Eli to go head to head in the boys devision. It would be a fair fight some would say, neither of them backing down as the fight played in front of everyone's eyes.

But as Miguel turned, jumping in the air and preparing a kick, something snapped.

Miguel fell to the ground, screaming in agonizing pain... and all anyone could do was watch.

— lucy has something to say !!

can't get over carrie underwood being here like ???? the reason ????

i hate writing fighting scene imma skip them if i can

didn't know how to end this don't kill me thanks xoxo

bye :))))