little bird // r.keene

xlvi. snake bite.

It's official, Wren thought Robby was mad. They were on the verge of getting caught at the zoo trying to steal a snake for their sensei and when they all turned and ran- Robby caught the snake and followed. All without getting nicked.

Wren threw a smile at him over her shoulder as they all stood in front of John Kreese, the snake in a small tank by his side.
Her. Robby. Tory. Kyler. And Hawk.

"Well done." Kreese told them, hooking his thumbs in his belt, "I'm impressed. You showed fearlessness. Leadership. And those are the qualities you need to be a champion." He told them, walking down their line as they listened intently.

He reached the end, where Robby stood and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Good job." Kreese praised and Wren surpassed her smirk, not just at Robby's victory but also at the look of discomfort or possible irritation on Hawk's face, Tory noticed it too.

With his hand still on Robby's shoulder, "You're just what Cobra Kai has been looking for." Hawk's eyes fell to the floor, "Do you see what you can accomplish when you work together? Alliances are important. For us and our enemy."

Kreese returned to the front and surveyed them all, making sure to make eye contact with each of the five.

"Because you better believe that they are making alliances too."

Wren's shoulders hardened.

Sam and Miguel.

Tory's brows furrowed and Wren wanted to open her mouth yet remained quiet, "Oh you didn't hear?" Kreese asked her, "Uh, Diaz and that LaRusso girl, yeah, they're working together." Kreese paused, watching as Tory's expression remained unphased and yet her eyes, they softened in realisation.

"They saved the All Valley. They gave quite a speech." Kreese's mouth faded into a smile as if Sam and Miguel's speech at the board meeting had been amusing, like their faith and unity was entertaining. "They make a pretty good team."

Tory and Robby looked at each other. Both of them had been cheated on. Both of them had had their hearts broken. It was something they shared and Wren knew that.

"Dismissed." Kreese announced and without missing a beat, Tory turned on her heels and walked out. Wren didn't waste a second and followed.

Wren followed Tory out of the dojo door and into an ally, a shortcut home for Tory but no matter how much Wren called out... Tory wouldn't stop.

"Tory, please. Talk to me." Wren jogged forward and blocked Tory in her tracks in the ally but looking at her now, Wren felt sorry.
Tory had lines of red in her eyes and though she wasn't crying, Wren suddenly felt like an idiot. She couldn't relate to how Tory was feeling and didn't know where to begin to make her feel better.

Robby hadn't really processed what Sam had done to him because for the longest time he had been so hung up on almost killing Miguel which was very understandable.

But Tory? Wren couldn't fathom the betrayal they was coursing through her at the moment. Wren knew that Miguel had been Tory's first love, she was sure of it... but Miguel's choice was Sam... It had always been Sam but Tory looked like it had only just occurred to her.
"No. No, I don't want to talk about it. They fucking deserve each other." Tory huffled, refusing to let herself crack until she got home but Wren knew, she had been there. If Tory got home and let herself break, she would slip away- just like Wren had.

Wren remembered what she had told Robby only a few days prior about channeling. Tory needed this.

"Remember that sparring match we had? We never finished it..." A moment of confusion flashed across Tory's face, "Tory, I'm telling you to hit me, I promise you'll feel better."

"Wren, I'm not going to hit you- I'm going to hit LaRusso." Tory said, not in a cruel manner but firm enough to let Wren know she meant it.
"Tory, just do it."

And after a moment's thought, Tory did. It had been 2-1 when they left it. Now they were going to see who would win.
Tory struck first but Wren had been anticipating it, she grabbed Tory's arm and twisted it. Tory retracted her arm and took a sharp breath, "Again." Wren ordered and Tory listened.

The pair fought, each landing another blow on the other. Neither was bleeding, only a few bruises but it got to the point where both were getting tired.

No one came out from the dojo to find them.

Tory grabbed Wren's leg when she threw a kick and pulled it, Wren landed on her back, sending a blistering headache rattling through her. Tory leaned down and struck her friend across the cheek.

It stung but Wren didn't falter.

She gripped Tory's leg and before either of them knew it, Wren had Tory in a headlock. Tory elbowed Wren's ribs again and again. Knocking the wind out of her and yet she didn't let go.

Again and again.

Tory had pulled Wren back from the edge. Wren was just repaying the favour. Tory shouted and landed one final blow, hard enough to know Tory had gotten all of her rage out of her.

Wren let her go.

The girls' chests heaved and Tory fell against Wren and despite how much Wren's chest hurt. Despite how much she wanted to curl up and feel it; she wrapped her arms around Tory as she began to choke on her breaths.
Allowing herself to cry.

Wren pulled Tory closer to her and she sniffled and Wren wiped under her eyes with her sleeve, "It's okay. It's okay." Wren uttered, trying to pull her closer if that was possible.

One arm around Tory's shoulder, the other around her head as they sat in the ally.

Tory let it all out.

And Wren saw in that moment, just as she had when she and Robby had faced off with Sam and Miguel at the LaRusso house, just how much damage Sam and Miguel had done to both Robby and Tory.

How both of her best friends had completely trusted their counterparts only to be betrayed by the person they trusted the most.
Looking at Tory now, in a way she had never seen before, Wren realised that even with her mom, Ryan, and herself... Tory had always felt alone, ever since her dad left when she was young.

She looked like the kind of person who could handle the world and most of the time she could but if you looked a little closer, some might see that sometimes she couldn't even handle herself.

Wren wanted her to be loved by someone who will look at her the way they look at sunsets. Someone who will love her like 3 am talks. Wren wanted someone to love Tory in a way that made her magnetic smile permanent and never disappear.
Wren had thought that person was Miguel... Tory had too.

But until Tory found that person, Wren wouldn't stop fighting for her.

Once upon a time, and by that she means a few months ago, Wren would have done anything for Miguel to forgive her for hiding Robby, just to have her friend back.

But knowing what he had done to Tory and truly seeing it, were two separate things.

And now, Wren didn't want Miguel's forgiveness and she wasn't sure she could forgive him either.