Chapter 8: To Help An Angel
Ryu stood there in the darkness with his back turned to Chun li. His head lowered. Why did he feel like he lost a piece of his heart? He had turned down many other fighters who had asked to him to train them. There was the girl from Japan, who was the most persistent. She would constantly follow him around professing that she was in love with him, and wanted to learn from him. He did not feel any remorse like this when he politely explained to her that he was not ready to take on any students. Why was telling her so hard for him?
After what seemed an eternity passed, Chun li straightened and wiped her eyes.
"I am sorry to have bothered you Ryu.," she said softly, trying to regain her composure. "I did not mean to burden you with my problems."
"Good luck to you on your travels." she said with a tear strained voice.
She started to walk to the door on the opposite side of the room. Ryu felt as if a part of him was leaving that he would never be able to reclaim. He knew she wanted to know the knowledge to take revenge for her father. She was full of pain and sadness, and this driving goal to destroy Vega. 'I know it is wrong to follow this path, it only leads to destruction.' He mused to himself. 'But I can't stand the thought of her getting hurt.'
He had caught a glimpse into her soul when he gazed into her eyes. Aside from the pain of losing her father. He saw his own likeness in there?constantly alone and on the move. But where he had steadfast friends like Ken, he felt as if she had none. She was alone, and now he had turned his back on her when she thought he would be able to help her.
"CH...Chun li..... wait!" he said ,walking after her. She stopped just short of the door, and turned to face him.
"I.... I will teach you all that I know about the mastery of chi. But.... you must promise me that you will not throw away your life seeking revenge.
Chun li's eyes started to water again. She ran and jumped at Ryu giving the startled Shotokan fighter a hug and kiss on the cheek, then burying her head into his chest.
"Thank you Ryu!!! I knew you would help me!" she started to cry still holding her arms around his neck with her body pressed against his. He slowly brought up his arms to embrace her. If it was not for the darkness that they were standing in, you could see Ryu turn red with embarrassment. Here he was holding this beautiful woman he just only met. But he felt relieved that she was happy now.
Meanwhile....
Ken was collecting his money from the bookie, since the fights were abruptly cancelled due to most everyone tearing out of the door after Ryu.
"Come on Dan! We got to go find out if Ryu is alright." Ken said heading for the door.
"Of course he is alright!" Dan said angrily. "He is always ALRIGHT! Sheeze....Hey! wait up!"
Dan and Ken left the building, Dan was still grumbling about how the night went.
"Well, I don't think we will be able to hail a taxi around here." Ken said. "I had to pay the driver who dropped up off an extra $200.00 just so he would. Looks like we are walking back.
The two fighters walked down a couple of streets, still searching as they went for their lost comrade. When they were perhaps a mile away from the arena, they saw Ryu leaving a building.....'but wait!!' Ken thought to himself.
"That guy must have hit me harder than I thought! Is he with a girl??' he said without thinking.
"What? Oh man!! WHAT IS IT ABOUT HIM???!!!" Dan said rather loudly. "Why do all the chicks flock to him?"
"Quiet Dan!" Ken warned. "Hey! Ryu! You okay pal?" Ken shouted as he ran up to him.
"I am okay Ken." Ryu replied to his friend.
"That was quite a crowd that came after you." Ken laughed.
"Yes, I managed to elude them all except for this young lady." Ryu said stepping to the side.
"Hi! My name is Chun li." she said shaking Ken's hand.
"Ken....Ken Masters" he replied. "You are quite a skilled fighter Chun li, your fight was spectacular! Plus, you managed to corner this guy here. That is a difficult task in it's self." Ken laughed punching Ryu's shoulder.
"Yes, it was tough indeed." She said looking up at him and giving a squeeze on Ryu's arm she was holding in her's." Ryu was now turning a brighter shade of red.
Dan noticed Ryu's uncomfortable situation, and decided to turn up the heat on him a little. "Hey! Ryu! why are you tur...."*OOMMMPHHH!* Dan was cut off from Ken's elbow smashing into his stomach.
"What was that Dan? We didn't quite hear you. This is an old friend of ours. He holds the record for the record for the fastest Knockout....his own." Ken snickered.
"HA HA... Dan said sarcastically. I am heading back to my room now. Dan said walking off.
"You staying anywhere around here Chun li?" Ken asked turning his attention back to her.
"I have a room over close to the airport." She replied.
"Well, We have the top floor over at the Ritz, you are welcome to stay there if you like. Airport hotels are so small and noisy. Besides, it looks like you two have some 'things' to discuss." Ken said with an evil grin towards Ryu.
"If it would not be to much trouble." She said with a smile and another squeeze on Ryu's arm.
"Nope, no trouble at all. C'mon, we'll head back and grab a cab over to get your things. Then grab some dinner. I don't know about you two, but I am hungry!" Ken smiled.
They finally made it back to the hotel and had gotten Chun li settled into one of the adjoining rooms of the top floor and were ready to go eat. Dan declined to go saying he had other things he wanted to look into for the night and left. The three went to a small little restaurant that was located a block down the street from where they were staying. Ryu was quite during most of the meal as Ken and Chun li talked like old school chums.
"So, you wish to learn the ways of the Chi mastery?" Ken asked sipping his wine.
"Yes, that is why I have been looking for Ryu here for a couple of years now." She replied glancing at Ryu.
"Well, I don't think you will find a better teacher anywhere. When we trained together with Master Gouken in Japan, if it was not for my old buddy here, I don't think I would know it either."
"All the other lessons we were taught I picked up on ok..." Ken continued. "...but when we started to learn that, I just could not do it. Ryu picked up on it really fast. It surprised Sensei how fast he was able to wield it. I thought I would never learn it, but Ryu took the time to help Me." he said with a smile towards Ryu.
"I don't think I would find a better teacher anywhere either." she said also smiling at Ryu.
"When I was entering the different tournaments, I had heard some pretty incredible stories about the man who beat Sagat."
"If you will both excuse me, I need to get some air and retire for the night." Ryu said as he slowly got up.
"Okay, pal. We'll see you tomorrow morning then." Ken said as he took another drink.
"Good night Ryu." Chun li called out to him.
"Good night Chun li" Ryu replied, as he walked towards the door.
;She followed his every movement to the door until he disappeared into the night. Ken politely cleared his throat, which snapped her back from her dreamy gaze.
"You know, he really likes you." Ken said putting his glass back down on the table, which was instantly refilled by the waiter. Chun li blushed at this. "I've known him almost all of my life."
"When we first left the dojo to travel the world years back, we meet many women who tried to capture his attention, but he never gave them a second glance. It's always been
the 'Fight' for him. I really can't blame him, he was raised by our Sensei who was a monk."
"He is very naive about the world, but he has so much passion for the 'Fight' I've always wondered if anything else mattered to him. There have been many who have asked him to train them, and he has refused them all."
"Re...really?" she asked.
"Yup! But somehow you are special, you have gotten to him somewhat. You do not have to answer this if you do not want to, but...please excuse me for being blunt.. I've seen the way you look at him. Do you like him?" Ken said taking a large gulp of wine.
"I..." she turned a deep shade of red, adverting her gaze from his.
"I'm sorry to have embarrassed you." Ken apologized. "You don't have to say anything. "I just see so much of him in you."
" I... I am attracted to him" she said slowly, looking into her glass. "I don't know what it is about him, I've heard all these stories about what a fierce fighter he was, but he is nothing what I expected. He is gentle and so unbelievable shy."
"I know..." Ken replied. "Well, it's getting late, we better head back."
Ken paid the bill and they both headed back to the hotel.