╔.𖥸. .════════════════╗

𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬

chapter fifty-three
I used to shine bright like
gold, now I'm all indigo

╚════════════════. .❀.╝

TODAY WAS THE day.

Alyssa should've felt happy about seeing herself on TV for the Sekai Taikai promo, and she should've been happy that the competition was starting up again — the one thing she had been training for for so long. Yet, she didn't. It only made everything more daunting. Her mother and little brother seemed excited by it, though, so Alyssa just slapped a fake smile onto her face and pretended she shared the sentiment. Instead, her insides were rattled with nerves, and all she really wanted to do was hide in a corner and wait until it was all over.

She sat in the passenger seat of Eli's car, staring out the window as he drove her and Demetri to the sports center. The car was quiet, some random music Eli had put on playing softly in the background. Alyssa hadn't said a word, and her knees were tucked into her chest as she leaned her head back against the headrest. The closer they got to it, the more dread she felt. It was unbeknownst to her, but Eli and Demetri could sense she was feeling that way. Because the girl who had been so happy, who always had a sarcastic remark, was saying nothing for once. It hadn't gotten this bad since Eli broke Demetri's arm, which worried them, because that was such a low point for Alyssa. What would happen if she went even lower than that?

Finally, Eli parked his car in one of the spots. Alyssa got out of the car without a word, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She slipped her hand into Eli's when he extended it to her — her only sense of familiarity — as they walked through the crowds of people entering the arena. Alyssa signed in, and then, numb as ever, she let Eli lead them over to the locker rooms.

The last time she had been in this locker room was before the All Valley. As Alyssa got changed into her gi, she started to think about how much of a different person she had been all those months ago. Looking at it now, it all seemed to simple — fighting for Miyagi-Do, take down Cobra Kai. She remembered everything from that day. The way her hair — dyed a bright shade of bubblegum pink — was tied back into braids, the way her and Eli truly solidified what they had, the way she was so excited when he won. It seemed almost backwards now, and everything had gotten to complex. Fighting for . . . she didn't even know what she was fighting for anymore.

Sensei LaRusso then announced that it was time for them to go. Alyssa stared down at the captain's headband in her hand. Even though she didn't want to, and didn't feel like she should be wearing it, she reached up and tied the headband around her head. Her muscles felt like lead as she walked out behind her Sensei's, and the cheers of the crowd seemed like white noise. She forced herself to trudge forwards, to keep going, as much as she didn't want to. Finally, she settled into place next to Robby, trying her best to avoid her gaze from Zara and Silver on the other side.

"The Sekai Taikai boasts a rich and proud history," Gunther announced. "And if you are here, it's because you embody all the Sekai Taikai stands for. Welcome competitors, Sensei's, sponsors, and esteemed guests to the San Fernando Valley for the conclusion of the world's greatest karate tournament, the Sekai Taikai!"

Instantly, the stands full of people erupted into cheers. Alyssa's chest felt tight, and she could hear her heartbeat echoing in her ears. She knew the people that meant most to her were right behind her and also in the crowd, but it provided her little comfort this time. Alyssa stared down at the mat, her hands clasped behind her back, trying to regulate her breathing, even though she felt like collapsing.

"It's my honor to introduce our guest referee, a local hero and former All Valley champion, Darryl Vidal!"

Darryl stepped up onto the mat, waving at the cheering crowd, before taking the microphone. "Thank you, Mr. Braun. Are you ready for the world's best karate?"

Gunther then began to list off what they had left for the competition. Alyssa barely listened, and everything felt like ringing in her ears. She suddenly felt an elbow hit her arm, and she looked up, only to see Robby looking at her with a worried expression. Alyssa gave him a fleeting smile, trying to portray that she was okay. Newsflash — she wasn't.

"Of the world's sixteen best dojos, it's all come down to our final three," Gunther voiced. "The Iron Dragons, Miyagi-Do Karate, and Cobra Kai. The rules are simple. Each dojo will retain the points they've earned in their Barcelona competitions. Our unfinished boys' semifinal will reset to zero-zero, and the remaining girls' semifinal will be taking place tomorrow. Each match will consist of three two-minute rounds with unlimited scoring. One point for a hit, ten for a knockdown, and twenty for a knockout. The finals will determine our individual champions, and the dojo with the most cumulative points will be crowned grand champion. Now, will everyone please stand and join me in a moment of silence for our fallen competitor, Kwon Jae-Sung."

Alyssa stared down at the mat again intently. The flashes appeared in her mind — his limp body, the pools of blood, the way the knife stuck out of him. It was all too much. Suddenly, the sound of chips crunching cut through the silence. Alyssa looked up, only to see Mitch and Chris eating nachos.

"Penis Breath!" Sensei Lawrence scolded.

"Thank you," Gunther stated. "For our first match, or should I say rematch, Axel Kovacevic versus Robby Keene."

Alyssa stepped off of the mat to join the rest of her dojo, leaving Robby behind with the Sensei's. She moved her matching French braids with Sam off of her shoulder and ran her sweaty, and shaky, hands down the fabric of her gi. Alyssa couldn't exactly figure out what was going on with her since she wasn't even fighting today — maybe it was how seeing Robby face Axel again was making her think it could end like last time, with a kid dead on the ground. Those odds were probably impossible, but it was hard to move past.

"You okay?" Sam asked, touching her arm gently. "You look really pale."

"I'm fine," Alyssa lied. "Just . . . nervous, I guess."

Sam nodded. "I know. Robby will be fine."

Alyssa wished she had the strength to believe her. She watched as Robby and Axel stepped up onto the mat, backed by the cheers from the audience. They both bowed to Darryl and then each other. Axel advanced first with numerous kicks and jabs that Robby dodged with a flip. Robby continued to block everything before kicking Axel in the side, scoring him a point.

"Okay, yeah, maybe he can do this," Demetri said, hope evident in his voice. Axel looked mad, and he lowered into a stance Alyssa had never seen before.  "Wait, what stance is that?"

Axel advanced on Robby with alarming speed. Robby was clearly off, because he let himself be open — which Axel took advantage of, scoring him two points back to back. Alyssa's heart thudded against her chest, her stomach churning with nerves. She didn't know if it was just her, but she really didn't have a good feeling about all of this.

"Dude, he's using moves we've never seen before," Eli revealed.

Robby advanced first this time. Axel blocked everything before nailing Robby right in the chest, scoring him another point. He bent down low, which Robby tried to dodge, but Axel kicked him right in the face.

"We did not program that," Demetri complained.

Axel practically flew through the air with a kick, but Robby — slightly dazed — managed to block it. Alyssa felt like she couldn't breathe. Robby seemed to be losing his focus with panic, and he was usually so composed, so what the hell was she going to do when she was acting like this out of a fight? Robby advanced on Axel again, but Axel blocked before grabbing Robby and tossing him around. In the end, Axel scored another point for getting Robby in the chest, even though Robby put up a good fight. The horn blared, signaling the end of the first round. Alyssa looked up at the score board, her heart sinking. Six to one. Not the best start.

Robby put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. "He's a machine. It's like he reprogrammed himself."

"He adapted," Sensei Lawrence told him. "Now you adapt."

"I don't know if I can."

"Robby Keene not knowing how to adapt?" Sensei LaRusso questioned. "That's a first. You've never had things easy, Robby. You've been knocked down every which way more times than anyone I've ever known. But you've also gotten back up more times, too. You stood up to Kreese. To Silver. Whenever you knew something was wrong, you stood up. Even when you had to do it alone." He glanced at Miguel. "You turned your rival into your best friend. You patched things up with your dad. No one has adapted more than you. So tell me — can you do it again?"

He gave him a singular nod. Alyssa let out a deep breath, slightly struggling to do so, as Robby and Axel stepped out onto the mat again. Darryl announced they could fight, and Axel moved first with a kick that Robby blocked. Axel then grabbed Robby's shoulders and practically threw him to the side. Robby blocked everything Axel sent his way, but Axel sent his elbow backwards, nailing Robby right in the face and scoring him a point. He continued to block everything from Axel, and even managed to get him in the chest, this time scoring himself a point.

Axel got another point by getting Robby in the stomach. Robby distracted him with a couple more jabs and a kick. Axel caught onto his foot, but then Robby spun himself around in the air, kicking Axel right across the face. Her friends exploded in cheers around her, but Alyssa felt like the walls were closing in around her. She didn't want to watch anymore, she didn't want to be here anymore, but she had to be.

Then Axel punched Robby right across the face, to which Robby elbowed him in the face back, gaining both of them another point. Robby blocked jabs from Axel before kicking him right in the stomach, scoring him another point. Axel kicked him back, another point for him. They engaged in another fight full of jabs, where Axel scored another point from a punch to Robby's face. The two of them scuffled for a moment. Robby then launched himself into the air and spun, and he kicked Axel right across the face with another kick for another point. The horn blared again, signaling the end of the second round.

"That's great, you got five points," Sensei LaRusso stated once Robby approached them.

"Yeah, but so did he," Robby responded.

"Yeah, so what?" Sensei Lawrence argued. "Now you see he's not a machine. He's human. But if you wanna catch up, you're gonna have to get a knockdown."

"Oi," Sensei Toguchi called. "Knock him on his ass."

Axel and Robby stepped back onto the mat for the final round. Darryl announced they could start, and Axel went first with a kick that Robby blocked. Axel blocked all of Robby's jabs. Suddenly, Axel completely flipped Robby over, and Alyssa could've sworn she heard something crack. The sound echoed through her ears, reminding her of hearing Miguel hit that railing and that Godforsaken snap in that arcade. Robby collapsed onto the mat, screaming out in pain, reminding of her of how Miguel had screamed at the last All Valley when he landed on the mat and Kwon's scream that haunted her nightmares. Alyssa's eyes widened, absentmindedly gripping onto Sam's arm tightly.

"Hey!" Sensei Lawrence yelled, stepping onto the mat.

Robby screamed out again. Alyssa suddenly felt dizzy, and her heart raced against her chest. It was almost as if the room was getting smaller, trapping her in a tiny box that she couldn't get out of. No, no, no — this was not good, this was so not good, this was fucked. She watched as Robby writhed in pain on the mat, and as medics got up to support him.

Miguel stepped onto the mat, his eyes blazing with anger. "Hey!" He charged forwards, but Sensei Toguchi held him back. "You did it on purpose!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm," Gunther instructed.

Too late. Alyssa was not calm, if she even was in the first place. Miguel was right, Axel had done that completely on purpose. She took a quick glance at Sam, who was staring wide-eyed, her eyes filled with a little bit of terror, at Axel.

"Hey, shouldn't that be disqualification?" Sensei LaRusso demanded.

"From what I saw, they both got tangled up, and they both hit the mat," Darryl answered. "So, no points scored."

"Robby Keene has fifteen minutes to return to the mat," Gunther instructed as the medics took Robby away. "If Keene is unable to return, Axel Kovacevic will be awarded the win."

It was no use. Robby wasn't coming back — not after that, not after how in pain he looked. As the clock ticked on, Alyssa had a horrible realization that it was all up to her now. Her and Robby had numerous conversations about how they were going to tackle this as a team, and by something that wasn't even his fault and was done totally on purpose, there was only one standing. Her.

"As Robby Keene cannot continue, Axel Kovacevic moves on to the finals," Gunther explained. "And if Cobra Kai does not name a replacement for Kwon Jae-Sung, Axel Kovacevic will be named the boys' champion, following the conclusion of tomorrow's girls' semifinal round."

"I hate to be the bearer of math news, but that fight just set us way back," Demetri said. "Ally would have to score multiple knockdowns, and the Iron Dragons would have to stop scoring all together."

"Yeah, it's not gonna happen," Eli replied. "I have a lot of faith in Lys, but they've been scoring nonstop. We gotta face the facts. We lost."

Alyssa couldn't be here anymore. She turned herself around and pushed through everyone, speed-walking back to the locker room. Vaguely, she could hear them all calling after her, but she ignored them. Her chest heaved up and down as she opened the door, letting it shut behind her. She placed a hand on the lockers to help stabilize herself, maybe help her breathe a little better, but it was no use.

She practically ripped the captain headband off of her head, staring down at the symbol of the Sekai Taikai. Alyssa hadn't been deserving of it before, but especially now. Multiple knockdowns? There was no way she could do it — she didn't even want to try and do it. She clenched her fist around the fabric, feeling tears prick at the back of her eyes. It was just so over.

"Ally," a familiar voice called, bringing her out of her daze.

She looked up, only to see Sensei LaRusso standing in the doorway. Alyssa turned around to face him fully, taking a deep breath — although struggling to do so. She sat down on one of the benches, watching as he slowly approached her.

"It's no use," Alyssa told him. "Even if I win tomorrow, there's no way I'll score enough points to get us where the Iron Dragons are. I don't even know what I'm fighting for anymore if it's not Miyagi-Do. And I don't want to fight Tory, especially since she's actually doing it for something." She shook her head. "I don't know what to focus on."

"I know that feeling too," Sensei LaRusso admitted, taking a seat next to her on the bench. "For a while now, I've been pretty off balance. I thought restarting the tournament here would help us close the book on all this the right way. But after what happened to Robby, I . . . I just don't know. I wish I had the answers for you, kiddo, but I'm still searching for some of those myself."

Alyssa, even for a moment, felt relief spread throughout her at the slight term of endearment from him — the closest thing she had to a father figure in her life. Somehow, someway, Sensei LaRusso always found the right words for her.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

ALYSSA FOUND HERSELF back at Miyagi-Do with Eli that evening, the sun setting in the sky and turning it all kinds of oranges and pinks.

Eli had taken her back to his house to try and relax, but it was no use. Alyssa was too freaked out by the fact that she was basically fighting a losing game. Going against Tory, and then potentially going against Zara, was like bringing a knife to a gun fight. She was usually confident in her karate and her skills, but not this time. Especially not after what Axel did to Robby. So, they both agreed that she could only do one thing to get out her nervous energy, much like what they did the night before the captainship fight — train.

Alyssa's eyes were narrowed in concentration, her fists raised. Eli was standing behind the punching bag to hold it, his blue hair curtaining his face and casting shadows across his skin. She could feel the pain in her hands from mercilessly punching, and all her muscles felt sore, and she was fucking tired. Not just physically, but mentally. It was seriously starting to make her wonder if all of this was really worth it.

She reached out, and her fist connected with the punching bag in a jab. Usually, most of the time, this sort of thing would calm her down. Especially in this backyard she had grown so accustomed to that was marked with the feeling of home and friendship — more so family at this point — she should've felt at peace. Alyssa didn't this time — for probably the first time.

Punch.

Alyssa wasn't going to win this fight. She knew she wasn't. Tory was good, fighting for basically everything. And if she won that fight, she would go against Zara, who was an absolute beast, an unstoppable force who had trained in karate for much longer than she had. As much as Alyssa wanted to put her in her place, as much as Alyssa wanted to get revenge for what she did to Robby, she knew the effort would be futile. Losing was inevitable — and with that, plus Robby being out, Miyagi-Do would get kicked from the Sekai Taikai completely. That would be her legacy — causing her dojo, the one thing that meant the most to her, to lose. She didn't want that.

Punch.

Alyssa didn't want to fight. She kept putting up this front that she could do it — she kept training with her Sensei's, she engaged in chats with Robby about strategies, and yet, here she was, training for something she couldn't even achieve. Hell, she was even letting her boyfriend help her at this very moment. Yet, the thing was, she hadn't moved on from Barcelona. It seemed like everybody else wasn't wasting time stuck there like her. She couldn't move past how she hadn't proved herself to be captain whatsoever, and she definitely couldn't move past seeing a kid fucking die right in front of her eyes.

Punch.

Her mind was racing. It was either fight and lose, or just drop out completely. Either way would just bring disappointment. She didn't want to see the look on her Sensei's faces when she told them she didn't want to do it anymore. Alyssa wouldn't even be able to bear to look at Sam, who had stepped back from trying to get captain for her sake. And she definitely didn't want to know what Eli would think, who had wanted to see Miyagi-Do succeed more than anything.

Punch.

Fuck this. Fuck all of this.

"Lys," Eli's voice said out of the blue, drawing her out of her head, even if it was momentarily.

Alyssa ignored him for a second. She reached forwards and punched a couple more times. It was almost as if she could feel more bruises forming on her knuckles, and she clenched her fists even tighter. Why was she punching so hard?

"Lys."

Why did Eli's voice sound so far away? It shouldn't have — he was right in front of her.

"Lys."

She couldn't breathe. Why couldn't she breathe?

"Alyssa."

That managed to fully snap her out of it. Alyssa blinked a couple of times to regain her senses, only to see that Eli had moved completely. He was no longer holding the punching bag, and was instead standing right next to her. Eli was staring at her, a concerned expression on his face as he looked at her.

"What?" Alyssa asked, yet she couldn't figure out why her voice sounded so thick all of the sudden. "What happened?"

"I think I should be asking you that," Eli replied, his worried eyes trailing across her face, because he hadn't seen her break apart like this in quite some time. "You're crying, baby."

Her eyebrows knit in confusion. Alyssa reached up and touched her face, only to find out Eli wasn't lying. Her cheeks were wet. How could she have not noticed that she was crying? When did it even start?

"Oh, um, ignore it," Alyssa insisted. "I'm fine."

It definitely didn't help that her voice caught on fine, because she wasn't. She had been trying to keep everything contained for so long, but she had a very horrible feeling that it was all going to spill out right now.

"You're not," Eli replied softly, speaking nothing but the truth because he knew her better than anyone. "I wish you would stop saying that."

"No, seriously," Alyssa argued, placing a hand on her stomach, trying to control the overwhelming urge to just spill her entire guts — both literally and figuratively. "Just . . . let's continue—"

"No," Eli stated firmly. "No more training, Lys. Come on, you're shaking."

She glanced down at her arms. He also wasn't lying about that — her hands were trembling. Just from that, she felt her breathing pick up again. Jesus fucking Christ, why did this have to happen her now?

"God damn it," Alyssa let out, furiously trying to wipe the tears off of her face — but it was no use, because since now they had started, they weren't stopping. "God damn it."

It was no use trying to hide it anymore, especially from him. Alyssa slumped down onto the wooden platform in defeat. She rested her elbows on her knees and began to cry into her hands, her sobs echoing throughout the quiet backyard. Eli sat down next to her, his shoulder pressing into hers and almost grounding her in a way, as he watched her crack underneath the pressure. For a couple of long moments, he just let her cry. However, Alyssa knew that they would soon have to do the one thing she was afraid to — face the truth.

"Are you going to tell me what's been going on with you?" Eli questioned quietly, almost hesitantly. "Even though I think I already know."

Alyssa ran her palms across her face again in effort to try and compose herself, but she was freaking out too much for that to happen. "I can't . . ." She clutched onto her chest as if it would make it easier to breathe. "I don't know if I can do it. But . . . but I have to."

Eli stared at her for a second before sighing and placing a hand on her back. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do," Alyssa insisted. "I'll be letting down if I don't."

"That's not true." He ran his hand up and down her back a couple of times in effort to soothe her. "If you don't want to do this, you don't have to. You always have the option to step back. Lys, you haven't been right since Barcelona. This captainship, this whole competition . . . it's messing with your head."

"But I love karate." She gestured aimlessly around the backyard. "I wouldn't be who I am without it. The team is riding on me doing this competition. I just can't stop."

"I know you love karate," Eli responded gently. "And I know we're all looking to you. But, Alyssa, do you want to fight? Do you have anything you're fighting for?"

Alyssa was silent. No, she didn't want to fight — she didn't feel strong enough anymore. And no, she didn't have anything she was fighting for anymore. Just like she told Sensei LaRusso, if it wasn't Miyagi-Do, what was it?

"Exactly." He used his free hand to lift her chin up, making her look at him. "The Sekai Taikai is important, but so are you. It's not worth sacrificing your wellbeing over."

She let out another sob. "I'm sorry."

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for."

Her bottom lip quivered. She leaned forwards, practically collapsing onto Eli. Alyssa buried her head into the crook of his neck, and Eli wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, bringing her in closer to him. Now in her number one safe space — Eli's arms — Alyssa let herself truly break for the first time in months, letting all of her emotions drain out of her.

He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I love you. So much. And I've got your back, always. The rest of us will, too."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"YOU SURE YOU don't want me to come inside with you?" Eli inquired.

Alyssa stared up at the LaRusso house that next morning, the house she had come to know and spend so much time in, before shaking her head. "No. I think this is something I have to do by myself." She gave him a quick smile. "Thank you, though."

Eli leaned across the center console of his car and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'm proud of you, you know. For finding strength to do this."

"I couldn't have done it without you," Alyssa told him. "I'll be right back."

She let out a deep breath before unbuckling her seatbelt and climbing out of Eli's car. Alyssa shivered slightly in the cool morning air, wrapping the zip-up hoodie she had stolen from Eli a bit tighter around herself. She walked up the familiar path and paused at the door, hesitating for a moment. Alyssa knew she had to do this, but that didn't mean it wasn't scary. She then reached up and rapped her knuckles against the familiar wood. After a moment, the door opened, revealing Sensei LaRusso.

"Ally," Sensei LaRusso stated, although he didn't seem all that surprised to see her. "You're up early — and you're here early. Are you talking to Sam about your big day? She's in the kitchen."

"I was hoping I could talk to both of you, actually," Alyssa responded.

Sensei LaRusso stepped to the side. Alyssa gave him a small smile before entering the house. She walked into the kitchen and stopped by Sam, who was sitting at the table with a cup of tea. Sensei LaRusso brushed past the two of them, heading over to his coffee maker.

"I need to tell you two something," Alyssa said, absentmindedly twisting one of her rings around her finger. "But I'm scared you're going to be disappointed."

"You're not fighting today," Sensei LaRusso guessed.

She shook her head, already feeling tears well in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Sam stood up, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be sorry."

"Alyssa, I'm not disappointed," Sensei LaRusso told her.

"Why not?" she argued, not really understanding. "I'm giving up."

Sensei LaRusso stepped closer to her. "When I asked Mr. Miyagi to train me, I thought it was to fight. And then I learned maybe the most important lesson he ever taught me. I was training so I wouldn't have to fight." He stared strongly at her. "You're not giving up. You figured out something that I forget too often. The greatest victory karate can bring to you is not having to fight at all." He reached forwards and placed his hand on her free shoulder. "I'm so proud of you."

She gave him a watery grin, already feeling a lot more relieved. "Thank you, Sensei." She then looked to Sam. "So I guess that means you're up."

Sam squeezed her shoulder. "No. I'm not fighting either."

Alyssa blinked, wiping away a tear with her sleeve. "What? But—"

"No buts," Sam cut in swiftly. "It's been you and me from the very beginning. I'm not going to change that now." Sam then took her hand, intertwining their fingers, the sun and moon charms of their friendship bracelets on their wrists bumping together. "If we go down, we go down together."

And suddenly, just like that, Alyssa felt like her true self again.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

STANDING BACK BESIDE that mat wasn't so daunting this time, and Alyssa actually fight like she could breathe again. Her captain's headband was off and her red hair was completely down, taking the weight of the world off of her shoulders. And although the sight of Robby on crutches with a cast was enough to make her mad, she knew the Iron Dragons would get what was coming to them — hence why Sensei Lawrence, Miguel, and Tory weren't with them.

"The Sekai Taikai has always been unpredictable, but this year has been like no other," Gunther announced. "Alyssa Liu has elected not to fight, and her runner-up, Samatha LaRusso, has also elected not to fight, officially ending Miyagi-Do Karate's impressive underdog run. Let's give them a round of applause!" The crowd politely clapped, of course with some booing, but Alyssa didn't really care. "This now concludes our semifinal matches. Cobra Kai not naming a replacement for their fallen captain means that Axel Kovacevic automatically becomes our new male champion. However, Cobra Kai has named a replacement. Joining Tory Nichols on team Cobra Kai will be Miguel Diaz!"

Out from the tunnel, backed by red lights and smoke, came Miguel and Tory. They were wearing the classic yellow and black Cobra Kai gi's, their captain's headbands displayed across their foreheads. Alyssa instantly started clapping loudly for them.

"Coached by their two-time All Valley champion and their new Sensei, Johnny Lawrence!"

Sensei Lawrence followed behind them, his gi all black. Alyssa looked across the way, smirking slightly at how mad all the Iron Dragons looked. Karma was a relaxing thought, wasn't it?

Alyssa always hated the phrase, but right now, it was undeniable — Cobra Kai truly never died.

•─•°•❀•°•─•

okay y'all don't hate me

I feel like her character arc needed to be this way — alyssa never truly cared about winning herself, or being captain. if you've paid any attention to her, you know that she's utterly selfless and always wants her friends to succeed (as we've seen with sam especially), even if that means stepping back to let them do so. she's always just loved karate as it is, never really cared much for competitions and did it because she loved it, although she only started in retaliation for eli being in cobra kai.

even though I made her captain, and even though I made her get miyagi-do into the sekai taikai with her fight against devon, I personally never saw her as being the winner in the end. and especially with how the season turned out, alyssa — as her selfless character — wouldn't take that away from tory.

sorry if you don't agree, but it's my story. I think I'm allowed to write it how I want. I'm going to roll with the punches, and I think I know alyssa better than anyone 🤷🏼‍♀️