Chapter 9: Darkness Rising
Ryu was walked down a long street. He was so self absorbed in thought, that when he did finally notice where he was going, he ended up in a park. He made his way to the center of the park where a small pond was located. A small little bridge was located to one side of the pond where children and adults could look out into the clear water. Walking to the center of the bridge, he stopped and leaned over onto the handrail.
'What am I going to do?' he thought to himself, watching his reflection on the moonlit water.
'I am no teacher. How can I train her, when I do not know the meaning of the fight myself?' He mused. 'I wish I could ask Master Gouken for advice.' he sighed.
Ken and Chun li were walking back to the hotel. They were engaged in light conversation about each other's pasts. As they walked down one of the main streets of Hong Kong, they noticed Dan running full tilt for them.
"Yaahoo!!!" he cried, a tear running down his face. "I told you it would happen!!" he said as he came to stop in front of them.
"What's that Dan?" Ken asked with skepticism.
"I'm going to be cast in a Kung fu / action flick." he said with glee.
Ken let out a laugh. "As what? The water boy?"
"NO!, I was chosen to act! They were shooting down by the waterfront, when one of the actors quit. They needed a replacement, so they choose me! They said they saw me at the fights tonight." Dan replied.
"Well, I guess you deserve congratulations then Dan." Ken said patting him on the back.
"Yaahoo!!" Dan called out again and took off running down the street. Ken just shook his head. "This I just have to see with my own eyes."
They were a few blocks from the hotel, when Chun li stopped. "Thank you for your kindness Ken. I don't know how to repay you for it."
"Hey, any friend of Ryu's is a friend of mine. Besides we have the entire top floor rented out. Might as well use it." Ken smiled at her.
"Thank you again. I will see you tomorrow then." she smiled back at him. Then she turned and headed off down another street.
Chun li had always enjoyed walking down the streets at night. Seeing the different colored neon signs and sites. Sighing to herself as she walked, she felt as if things were finally falling into place in her life. 'I am finally going to be able to learn the secrets of Chi mastery' she thought. I am sure I will then be able to defeat Vega and avenge father's death. 'I have new friends now... and of course there was Ryu.
The wind started to pick up slightly as she walked, her white hair ribbons flowing out riding in the wind. She closed her eyes and let the warm breeze caress her. She opened her eyes finally looking to the sky. Clouds were now moving in, it felt as if a storm was moving in. She hurried on another street to make it back to the hotel she was staying at as fast as possible. As Chun li was passing by a park on the way back, the wind was now picking up considerably. The clouds were now being illuminated by streaks of lighting in the skies.
Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw Ryu on a small wooden bridge overlooking a pond. Creeping up silently to a tree for a closer look, it was indeed Ryu. His long red headband was wildly flapping against the wind as he looked out into the water. Chun li felt her heart race as she silently watched him. He seemed to be troubled about something. Suddenly he tensed up and was looking around. She cursed herself for being spotted staring at him.
;Ryu suddenly felt a presence. This time it was unmistakable. It had started to slightly mist rain now. He focused on the spot where the strong aura was coming from. He shifted his body into a fighting stance and gave an icy cold glare at unseen force that was here at the end of the bridge.
"Show yourself Demon! I know you are here!!" He shouted above the wind.
'Demon?' She thought to herself as Ryu was staring in her direction. 'What is he talking about? Does he mean me? And why would he call me that? I did not intentionally follow him this time.' she thought. She started to step out from behind the tree when she stopped. Shimmering out of nothingness, She saw a man in a charcoal Grey gi similar in cut to Ryu's own, standing about 12 feet away from him. He had fiery red hair pulled up in to a spiked top not. Chun li felt an enormous amount of evil radiating from this man.
"You are improving, Boy!" Gouki sneered as he faced Ryu. "You was able to detect my presence, even though I was trying to conceal it. Soon you will find your true power."
"Fight me Demon!" Ryu snarled. "I would see an end to your evil!"
Chun li froze in place looking out from behind the tree. She looked upon Ryu's once warm-hearted eyes and experienced what all fighters had seen when they had faced him. Ryu's face was emotionless. Only cold brown eyes stared back at her.
"HAHAHA!!! I only said you were improving whelp! You are no where near ready to take me on. Forgot so soon the fate of your Master and my brother? MWHAHAHA!!!"
" How could I ever forget?! It is burnt into my mind Demon!" Ryu replied between clenched teeth.
"OHH HO!! What have we here? We have a visitor!" Gouki said turning to stare at the tree Chun li stood behind.
She finally looked at the face of the 'Demon' grinning wickedly at her. He had only glowing red eyes. She tore her gaze away from him as if his look could steal her soul, and focused back upon Ryu. Their eyes met, and she now saw something in his eyes that no one had ever seen before. It was the look of fear.
"Ch...Chun li??!! What are you doing here?" He thought to himself.
"So...has this little witch stolen your heart? "She will make you weaker than you already are!!" The Demon laughed. "I should just take her for myself! She has a very strong will that I would enjoy breaking."
Gouki was about to take one step forward to the frozen Chinese woman, when Ryu let out a blood curdling cry as he launched into the air with a flying kick aimed at the Gouki's head.
"NEVER DEMON!!!" Ryu cried out above the intensifying storm.
His foot went through the image of the demon, only to make contact with the ground. Ryu whirled around to see Gouki standing in the exact spot Ryu had been just seconds ago.
"HAHAHA!!! You are no match for me right now. I will take my leave of you now, but I will leave you with a parting gift. Say good-bye to your heart!" Gouki laughed.
Gouki leapt high into the air as lighting streaked the sky, and rain pounded down hard on the ground. He held out his hands and a small purple glow started to form around his hands. Suddenly it expanded into a huge ball of pulsating purple energy that streaked from his hands towards Chun li. Chun li could only look in horror as the purple energy nimbus came hurling towards her. As she adverted her eyes from it, she was thrown to the ground as Ryu pushed her out of the way and was struck in the back by the energy. There was a flash of brilliant purple light that subsided.
Chun li regained her footing and turned and felt her heart stop. Where she had been standing, a crater was there with charred and blackened grass with little piles of flame dying out in the storm. In the center of the crater was Ryu's prone body. His white gi blacked by the blast.
"RYU!!!" she cried as she ran towards him, cradling his head in her lap.