chapter twenty-nine:
❛ getting the all valley back ❜

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Sunny sat cross-legged on her bed, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration as she painted her nails a soft lilac. The late afternoon sunlight streamed through her window, catching the shimmer in the polish and casting faint sparkles across the room. She blew gently on her freshly painted pinky finger, satisfied with the smooth, glossy finish.

Her phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand, startling her mid-blow.

"Ugh, seriously?" Sunny muttered, carefully balancing the polish brush back into the bottle. She leaned over awkwardly, trying to grab the phone without smudging her still-wet nails. After an exaggerated struggle involving her wrist, an elbow, and a near-phone drop, she finally managed to answer.

"Hello?" she said, holding the phone delicately between two fingers.

"Sunny, have you seen the news?" Miguel's voice sounded urgent, catching her off guard.

Sunny frowned, leaning back into her pillows. "Uh, no? What, is Trump getting impeached again or something?"

There was a pause before Miguel let out a chuckle. "No, not that. I'm talking about the All Valley Tournament."

"The tournament?" Sunny blinked, sitting up straighter. "What about it?"

"They're shutting it down," Miguel said, his tone heavy.

Sunny froze, her nail polish brush halfway back to the bottle. "Wait, what?"

"They just announced it. They're saying karate's gotten too dangerous after everything that happened at the school brawl. Too much fighting, too much drama. They think it's bad for the community."

Sunny set the polish down carefully on her nightstand, her wet nails completely forgotten. "You're kidding me. The All Valley? Isn't that, like, a huge tradition?"

"Exactly," Miguel said, his voice picking up urgency. "Sunny, we can't let this happen. I need your help."

Sunny blinked. "My help? Why me? I don't even do karate, Miguel. I just cheer you guys on from the sidelines."

"Because you're a great talker," Miguel said without hesitation. "You're good with people, and you know how to get them to listen. The board's going to hear from Sensei Lawrence and Mr. LaRusso, but they need to hear from us too. From the students. They'll listen if we make it personal."

Sunny hesitated. "Okay, but what am I supposed to say? 'Hi, I don't do karate, but I think it's cool, so don't cancel it'? That's not exactly a winning speech."

Miguel sighed, clearly choosing his words carefully. "No, not like that. You can talk about how much karate has done for me, for everyone you know. And I'll tell them my story-how karate literally got me back on my feet after my accident. You've seen what it means to all of us. You've been there, Sunny."

Sunny twirled a strand of her hair, her mind racing. The All Valley Tournament wasn't just a big deal for Miguel-it was a symbol of everything he and the others had been working toward. She remembered how much the dojo meant to him, how passionate he was every time he talked about karate.

"But what if I mess it up?" Sunny asked, her voice quiet. "What if I get up there and choke or say the wrong thing?"

"You won't," Miguel said firmly. "You're Sunny. You can handle anything. Please, Sunny. I can't do this without you."

She sighed, the weight of his words settling on her shoulders. "Fine. I'll do it. But you'd better owe me big time if this turns into a disaster."

Miguel laughed, the tension in his voice easing. "Deal. Thanks, Sunny. You're the best."

As the call ended, Sunny stared down at her nails-half-painted and slightly smudged-and let out a groan. "Guess I'm fixing these later," she muttered, already running through everything she'd need to say to save the tournament.

Miguel and Sunny stepped out of his car and into the nearly empty parking lot of the city council building. Sunny pulled her jacket tighter around herself as a cool breeze swept through the air.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Sunny asked, glancing at Miguel nervously.

"It has to," Miguel said firmly, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

They made their way inside the building and down a hallway filled with low murmurs of conversation. As they approached the meeting room, they could hear the councilwoman's voice echoing clearly.

"...You are the reason the tournament should not continue," Councilwoman Roberts declared.

Sunny gasped, her hand flying to her chest, but Miguel didn't hesitate. He pushed open the door and called out, "Wait!"

All heads turned toward them. The room fell silent except for the faint creak of the door closing behind them. Miguel and Sunny ignored the hushed whispers as they walked down the stairs toward the front.

Miguel stepped up to the microphone first, gripping it tightly. "My name is Miguel Diaz. I was in the school fight. I was the one who got kicked off the second floor."

Gasps rippled through the crowd, but Miguel kept his gaze steady.

Sunny took the microphone next. "And I'm Summer Reynolds. My best friend Maritza was badly hurt in the fight-she lost her memory because of it. On her behalf, I'm here to speak for her."

Miguel's voice softened as he continued. "You know, I thought I was going to be paralyzed. I had to relearn how to stand, how to walk. And now, I'm standing here because of karate. That's why I want the tournament to continue."

Councilwoman Roberts offered Miguel a sympathetic smile. "We are very happy for your recovery, young man." She turned to Sunny. "And I'm sorry to hear about your friend. But I'm afraid you both don't understand-"

Before she could finish, another voice cut through the room.

"Yes, they do."

Miguel and Sunny turned to see Sam LaRusso stepping forward, her head held high as she walked toward the front of the room.

"We're the ones getting hurt. We're the ones fighting. Our voices should matter the most," Sam said, her voice unwavering. "And we want a place where we can compete fairly and safely."

Miguel and Sunny exchanged a smile, grateful for her support.

"When I first moved here," Miguel began, turning back to the council, "I was bullied. And I've learned there's no escaping it."

Sunny nodded. "My ex-boyfriend was bullied too. Miguel helped him find karate. Did it make him into a bully? Yes, but he was misguided. Karate gave him confidence-it made him feel better about himself. I know there's still good in him."

"There will always be someone who wants to steal your lunch money, give you a wedgie, or even a swirlie," Miguel said.

The councilwoman furrowed her brow. "A swirlie?"

Johnny Lawrence stood up from his seat with a smirk. "When you dunk someone's head in the toilet and flush it. Pretty funny, actually."

Sunny couldn't help but laugh as Miguel shot Johnny an exasperated look. "Sensei!"

Turning back to the council, Miguel's tone grew serious. "Instead of pretending bullying doesn't exist, or that you can just get rid of it, you should teach kids how to defend themselves."

"Physically and mentally," Sam added, her voice steady.

Sunny chimed in, "Because sometimes the scars you can't see are the ones that hurt the most."

Sam glanced down for a moment, and Sunny gave her an encouraging pat on the back, knowing she was thinking of the scar on her arm from Tory's attack.

"Karate is about discipline," Miguel said. "It's about inner strength. It's about confidence. These are lessons you can use for the rest of your life. Honestly, I don't know where I'd be today-or who I'd be-without my sensei."

Sunny leaned forward. "I don't practice karate anymore, but the students here don't need this tournament for the kicks or the trophies. They need it to prove to the world-and to themselves-that they're not afraid. The All Valley isn't just a tournament. It's a tradition that gives everyone a chance to show what they can do, to fight, and to become champions."

The room fell silent. Councilwoman Roberts exchanged glances with the other board members, each of them nodding slowly. Finally, she let out a deep sigh.

"To be honest, I don't get the Valley's obsession with karate," she admitted. "But... if it means this much to all of you, and you're willing to sign waivers stating that the city is not liable, then..." She tapped her gavel against the table. "The All Valley Under-18 Tournament is officially back on."

A cheer erupted from the room as Miguel, Sunny, and Sam turned to one another with wide smiles.

Sam threw her arms around Miguel in a tight hug, and Sunny grinned at the sight. As Sam pulled back, she turned to Sunny and squealed, pulling her into a hug as well.

"We did it," Sunny said softly, feeling a wave of relief wash over her.

The All Valley was saved, and for the first time in a long time, Sunny felt like they were finally moving toward something better.

ASH SPEAKS!!!

short chapter im sorry!! but 2 more chapters until s4!!

so i planned out s6... and martiza will be fighting in the sekai taikai, and obviously sunny wont. i have plans and i hope you guys wont mind what might happen in s6... bc it might be more focused on martiza.

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)