01/13/2021 03:23 PM  silent night i. {spoilers for season iii ahead.} To say the aftermath of the 19th of December was shattering would be an understatement. Life is often rated on a scale of the moments that change us, for good or bad. When one reviews a year at its end they often make a list of the events that transpired, and if they were overwhelmingly bad the year would be a bust. Tonight was an event that Daniel LaRusso would rank as beyond amazing. For the last several months he had argued with himself endlessly about how to bury the hatchet between him and Johnny, and for months one thing or another always stood in the way. Either it was his own unrelenting stubbornness, or Johnny’s inability to let bygones be bygones. But with the help of his wife and his ex-girlfriend, Ali they were able cover immense ground, albeit somewhat at his expense. He left with his wife securely wrapped in his arm by his side and a feeling of hope for the future, as though the sun had finally broken over the horizon.  This all came crashing to a sudden halt when they arrived home and saw the devastation that had taken place. Glass was strewn all along the cobbled path leading to the front door, and intermingled with the broken shards was blood, but whose? Sam’s? Demetri’s? Chris’s? He could hardly blink his eyes as he surveyed the scenes, the reality setting in the further he stepped into his home. Shattered coffee tables, smashed bureaus, walls with indentations of both fist and feet. The students were still there, recovering from the toll the events had incurred on them. They were still in shock, the adrenaline coursing through their young veins. He could see it in their still clenched fists and distant stares. They were anticipating the next blow, and this was no way for children to live.  It all culminated when he reached the vestibule containing his home dojo, housing some of his most treasured possessions. There was blood everywhere, and weapons scattered on the tatami, but his eyes were immediately drawn to the shattered frame and isolated photo of his late best friend, Mr. Miyagi. And all at once his course was set. This was what it was all about. A vengeful man determined to destroy the very memory of the man that bested him time and time again, who would not rest until he reigned supreme. No matter the lives destroyed or the trauma inflicted, he would not rest. And Daniel knew what he had to do.  Amanda did her best to calm him down, in the way only she could. Vitriol coursed through his veins as he prepared himself for what was to come. Mortal combat. Kreese had foretold of a day where it was inevitable for them to meet and finish what had been started more than thirty years ago. Danny scoffed at his ridiculousness, but now he realized it was inevitable, if only because Kreese wouldn’t allow it to be any other way. He had planned his script and executed it masterfully. The pawns were all set on the board, and Kreese would sacrifice all the pawns necessary for checkmate to be ensured, and now Danny had to play his part and put his body on the line to shield the pieces that had placed their trust in him.  "you wanted a f i g h t, you son of a bitch? You got o n e."   The rest is history, written in the annals of Miyagi-Do Karate.  The coming days were promising ones, a rivalry abandoned in favor of teaming up to destroy a greater evil. It warmed Daniel’s heart to see so many friends reunite when training commenced in his new dojo that he had joined with Johnny. This was a group where there were so many scars and past heartbreak, but these wonderful kids were willing to put it all aside and march toward a better future. There was no doubt there was some trepidation about working with Johnny, but as he awaited him to join him in front of the class the example of these teenagers carried him through. Maybe there was hope for the valley after all?  0 Comments

01/12/2021 01:44 PM  twenty one guns. [ drabble ]   It was a little hard to stomach the feelings overwhelming the man as the folded flag was tenderly placed in his arms. There was no mourning wife, or next of kin, just Daniel LaRusso. Family had taken on an interesting meaning. For years of his youth he had ached for the idea of having a father again, and now he was watching the casket of the person who had filled that hole in his life lower into the earth. Time after time he would see this image of what a perfect family was as he watched television, or saw them walking down the street, and when it finally came it looked nothing like what he had hungered for for so long, but it was far more special to him.  Visions flooded his memory as he stood there. Memories of their precious time together.  One such memory was his wedding day. Amanda was naturally feeling all the panic that sets in on that most special of days, desiring nothing more than for everything to go perfectly. Daniel had done his best to ease her anxiety, but there’s only so much one can do when he’s not allowed to see the bride before the ceremony. So he sent his mother repeatedly with little notes of affirmation and love, but the reality was that he was panicking a bit himself. He worried about what kind of husband and father he would be, and whether he was actually up to the task. And in walked Mr. Miyagi, his diminutive figure clad in a wonderful traditional Okinawan kimono, appearing so much larger than life - as he always did. A weathered but strong hand gripped Daniel by back of his shoulder and brought him to Mr. Miyagi’s line of sight.  “Daniel-San. Miyagi know you are nervous for future,” a smile illuminated his features. “Life like one big maze. For most of it we try to run through as quick as can, avoiding dead ends but finding more instead. When man find right woman, he finally see the maze for the journey, and enjoys it rather than try to defeat it, whole picture become clear. Miyagi very proud of Daniel-San, and know he will raise beautiful family.”  Daniel treasured these moments, rarely provoked, where Mr. Miyagi would impart his wisdom. One would think they were regular, and to some extent they were, but often Mr. Miyagi simply lived, and every once in a while, when you least expected it, he would impart one of these gems.  “Miyagi know love, it has been his friend whole life.” And with that he pulled a picture from his breast pocket of a young Yukie Daniel had often seen a duplicate of it in Mr. Miyagi’s home.  Another such memory occurred years later.  After an extremely long labor, and several bruised hand bones, Samantha LaRusso was finally brought into the world. It was an exhaustive but beautiful experience. Danny couldn’t contain his excitement and love that he felt for this precious creature he held in his arms. Every part of him tried to radiate all the hope and comfort he could muster into that small frame. After some time, when it was prudent, in stepped Mr. Miyagi from the waiting room. Those same strong hands, wrinkled from years of training and work, gingerly brought the baby close to his chest. A small tear escaped from the corner of his eye. Mr. Miyagi was always a master of his emotions. Even on the rare occasion where he got intoxicated he held far more control than most men. But here the beauty of life had touched the soul of the master. Under his breath, almost so silently you couldn’t hear, he sang to her in Japanese. Danny could not understand, but something told him he was radiating the very same sentiments he was trying to only moments before.  The California Autumn air was fairly crisp for the climate. The dry Santa Ana winds cut through the clothing of everyone in attendance. A bugler played Taps with military precision, each note commemorating the life and service of the departed man, a beautiful tribute of lasting importance capped with the very flag Danny now gripped in his hands. F/A-18 jets proceeded to close the ceremony with a flyover. It was really a beautiful occasion, but the sounds of celebration echoed empty in Danny’s mind, as he pondered the loss of his best friend not for the first time. He stayed long after, even watching the backhoe fill the grave with dirt. Amanda left him there with a tender hand placed on his shoulder. The two nearby children were clearly sad, but not quite able to comprehend the gravity of the situation. He knelt near the dark marble headstone, marking his final resting place. The cold night air began to nip at him, he decided it was finally time to move on, but not before he raised a few fingers to his lips, kissing them before returning them to the stone. He did not know how he would be able to go on without that treasured advice, but he was determined to live a life worthy of him, that Mr. Miyagi could be proud of.  0 Comments

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