A Street Fighter Christmas Carol Ch. 1
By Elaine

Christmas. The time for caring and sharing. Making and taking. Love, laughter, family, friends, puddings, parties, Santas, sleighs...the list goes on and on and on! That is, unless you were a certain man named Ryu.

Ryu Hoshi, fighter extrordinaire, brushed a snow flake off his gi and sighed, staring up at the sky. The streets of New York were crowded with random people screaming gibberish at each other as they passed the Yuletide decorations. For them, it was finally Christmas Eve! Tomorrow there would be no work, no hustle, just a tree, some presents and a bunch of carols. For Ryu, it was just another day...to train...

"Stop looking like that," His companion, the Chinese cop Chun Li scolded him. "It's almost Christmas time and you look like someone just died," she smiled to soften the words.

He shrugged. "So?"

"Whaddya mean so?" His other companion, Ken asked. "Christmas! Tis the season to be Merry!"

He shrugged again. "I don't believe in Christmas. I'm Japanese,"

Chun Li shook her head. "And I'm from Communist China, big deal! Just cuz this is a western tradition doesn't mean we shouldn't celebrate it," She paused. "Christmas is such a wonderful holiday...I mean, can you imagine? A day devoted entirely to the wonders of love and the beauty of giving..." She nudged him and giggled. "One of these years, I'm gonna catch you under a mistletoe..."

He shrugged yet a third time. "I don't mind giving and love...but the fight is the most important. And this is taking away from my training time,"

Ken groaned. "Oh please, Ryu! One day of the friggin year...can't you STOP thinking about the fight? You're a great fighter already, okay? Almost as good as me, even!" He punched Ryu's shoulder playfully. "Come to the Master's Christmas Ball tomorrow and we'll show you some good cheer!"

"I don't think I can make it," Ryu replied.

Ken stopped walking...shocked. "Wh-what? Why not?"

"Well...I have this challenger coming up and I want to train before my fight..." He scratched his head, guiltily. "Sorry, Ken. I'd love to but..."

"...but you're too obsessed with the fight to do anything fun...like hang out with your friends," Chun Li finished, rather angrily. "We see how it is, Ryu,"

"I can't believe you!" Ken muttered. "I mean, this is too much! You can't even take one day off from training to...Rrrg!"

"I'm sorry," Ryu replied.

"Oh please!" Chun Li scoffed. "No you're not, and don't deny it. I'm surprised you're even with us now. Why don't you just go off and pick a fight with someone?"

"Because that wouldn't be training...and I thought we were headed for the dojo..."

"Oooh...you..." She glared at him...then sighed and directed her stare to the pavement. "One day, Ryu...one day you're gonna find yourself completely alone in the world. And you'll wonder what happened and why you feel so incomplete..." She sighed again. "And we won't be there to tell you why anymore...we won't be able to help you fill the hole. What will you do then?"

Ryu said nothing. What was there to say? They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they finally reached the small dojo on the upper East side, Ken spoke up.

"Look, I know you don't seem to care or anything but...the invitation still stands,"

"Yeah, and I got a present for you..." Chun Li handed him a small gift wrapped package. "Merry Christmas, Ryu..." She said, a little bit sadly.

"Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," Ken added.

Ryu merely grunted and bowed. His two friends shook their heads and turned around, walking off in the New York skyline. Strange how his friends were acting like this. He thought they had understood his choices. They had always seemed to before...He shook his head and stared at their retreating profiles. So what if he didn't take time to celebrate? Life was short. One must work as hard as one can to obtain his ultimate goal. And mastering the Fight was Ryu's.

He blinked one more time in their direction and was about to unlock the dojo door when he heard a familiar voice ring in his ears. He turned to see who it could be and was greeted by a teenage girl in a school uniform running towards him at breakneck speed.

"Wai! Ryu-sensei!" Sakura cried gleefully, waving her arms in the air as if he couldn't see her. She skidded to a halt a few inches in front of him. "What are you doing in New York? Me and my family just met Ken-sensei and he said there was this big party at his house and we were invited!"

"I won't be going. I need to train," Ryu replied, rolling his eyes just ever so slightly.

"Train? On Christmas Day? You never take a break, do ya?" He shook his head. "Well...can you train me?" She looked up at him, eyes hopeful and shining with enthusiasm.

"I told you already. No, not until I have mastered the Fight myself,"

"B-but...it's Christmas Day! And you're already so good! Can't you make an exception just once this year?"

"No! What is it with Christmas Day? It has absolutely nothing to do with me!" Ryu growled, voice getting louder with each word. "I don't CARE if it's Christmas, I don't CARE about Christmas, and I'm DEFINITELY MAKING NO EXCEPTIONS FOR YOU, OR KEN OR ANYBODY ELSE ON THIS PLANET!!!"

There was a moment of silence after the echo of his words had died down. Sakura gently, slowly took a step back and folded her trembling hands on her lap.

"I'm sorry, Ryu-sensei..." She murmured quietly, eyes focused on the ground. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't know it would be so much...trouble... for you...I hope you find the fight soon..." and she turned and ran.

Ryu tried to apologize for snapping at her, but he couldn't seem to open his mouth. In the distance, he thought he saw the sparkle of tears reflecting off her cheeks. What was the matter with him today? He shivered, suddenly cold...and went inside.

He walked slowly into his spartan house and sat down on his small futon to meditate. Christmas. What was so special about it anyways? It was just another day...steeped in the wishes of some foreign religion. He closed his eyes and tried not to picture the disappointed faces of his friends. What was their problem? They knew him..why did they want him to change this day of all days. No. No more thinking of them. Just clear the mind and focus on the Fight. The Fight is all, the fight is all, the fight is all.

"Is that all I taught you, boy?" A voice muttered in front of him.

Ryu opened one eye. The eye reeled in shock and shut quickly. Oh Gods. Slowly, as not to scare himself again, he opened both his eyes. Then he blinked. And blinked again.

"Need Visine?" The man in front of him asked.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRG!" Losing all of his patented Zen-like coolness, Ryu jumped up, waved his arms around like a girl and pushed himself against the wall.

"Stop that boy, you look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Y-you are a gh-ghost..." Ryu replied, stuttering. In front of him, in shades of translucent gray, was Genki...his master.

"Oh yes," Genki paused for a moment and chuckled. "I completely forgot just now. So sorry," He smiled warmly.

"Genki sensei...I-I th-thought you were d-dead!"

"Oh, I still am. Now stop talking like that. Sit straight, regain some composure. I should be ashamed with you," He tsked.

Ryu did as he was told. You didn't mess with the ghost of your former shotokan sensei. Hmmm...Ryu wondered if he was slowly going crazy. He hoped it didn't interfere with his fighting sk-

"OH ENOUGH WITH YOUR FIGHTING SKILLS!" Genki roared. It was very very fearsome. Ryu quailed.

"Sorry, sensei..." He murmured.

"That's better. Now, Ryu...you seem to be obsessed with the fight,"

"Yes, Chun Li told me that. But I think she was wro-"

"DON'T INTERRUPT!" Genki roared. Ryu quailed yet again. "She is very correct. I am afraid this is primarily my fault though. You see, when I was training you, I neglected to inject a sense of 'fun' into your soul..." He added hastily. "With good reason of course. Gouki, my brother had always been an undisciplined lout...I didn't want you turning out like him,"

"And I didn't, Genki-sensei..."

"No. You went to the other extreme instead," Genki sighed and massaged his temples. "I wasn't planning on dying so soon, you know. I was going to teach you discipline...and then teach you the world outside the Fight. I was going to let you experience the joys of raising a family, or drinking with friends or..."

"What? the Fight isn't All?"

"Sadly enough, no,"

Ryu got up and tried to digest this. It was a little too much to swallow. "And there is more than one path for the warrior?"

"Yes. For someone so wise, you can be rather narrow-minded at times,"

Ryu crossed his arms and frowned. "So you're telling me that everything I've been doing the last decade or so is a lie?"

"Not exactly, you've got heart boy but-"

"But the Fight isn't all. Even though that's the mantra you trained me with all my years under you," He frowned even deeper. "Remember, Genki-sensei? You used to have me sit under a tree for two hours reciting the Fight is All, the Fight is All over and over again. When you died I continued doing this. And now, you come back from the dead to tell me you were wrong? I don't believe you,"

The ghost floated back a few steps, flabbergasted. "Wh-what?" This hadn't been the reaction he was expecting.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave now," Ryu said, sternly. "It is a little too late to take back everything that you have taught me. It hasn't done me any wrong so far...in fact, it has become my center of balance. So if you'll excuse me..."

Genki frowned. "Stop that, boy. You are acting like a fool. I came all the way down here to tell you that you were missing out on the true path of the warrior. Fighting isn't the only thing we're supposed to do,"

"Leave," Ryu commanded.

Genki looked his student over and sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't get through to you, Ryu. I guess there is no easy way through this," He smiled slightly and reached out, as if to touch his former student's head...but stopped himself. "I suppose that seeing you acting the way you did this day of all days gave me the strength to come and tell you...Tell you that I too once thought the fight was all. And then I found love...albeit a little too late. I did not want to wish the same fate on you..." He searched for a reaction, any...but his stoic former student remained as stoic as ever. He sighed again. "Tonight, at the stroke of one...you will be visited by three spirits. I hope they will get through to you..."

Ryu bowed slightly, out of formality...and the ghost of Genki faded away, looking infinitely sad.

"I must have overexerted myself," He muttered to himself, as he lay down on the futon. "I can't believe I'm starting to see ghosts..." He propped up the only pillow on his bed and rested his head against it.

"It's probably a good idea to sleep now..."

And he dozed off.

@@@%@@@%@@@%@@@%~!

The bells rang out once, announcing that it was now one o' clock in the morning. This would not have been strange, except that there was really no clocks around the area he lived in. Ryu woke up with a start. Had he just been hearing things? He was about to settle back down when the wind started to call out his name.

Ryuuuu... The wind whispered.

"What? Who's there?" Ryu called out.

Ryuuuu...

"Come out!" Ryu replied, sitting up in his futon.

I am the ghost of Christmas Past, Ryu... the wind whistled in his ear.

He jumped and shivered. "I said come out!"

There was a slight giggling, and a bright light suddenly filled the room. Ryu groaned in pain as his vision blurred and his irises burned. Then, as he slowly regained his sight, he saw a small figure, dressed in white, standing in front of him.

"Who are you?" He asked, slightly stunned.

"Ibuki, the Spirit of Christmas Past...I represent your childhood, Ryu,"

"B-but...isn't Ibuki the one ninja girl I fought back in the third Street Fighter tournament?" He stared at her closely. "Yes...you look a lot like her..." He reached out to touch her, but she jumped back... and giggled a little.

"Coincidence, I suppose," Ibuki shrugged. "Does it truly matter? Your sensei Genki told you I was coming...and here I am,"

"What are you supposed to do?"

"Show you your childhood, silly. After all, that is what I represent!" She took his hand in hers, and he marveled at how cold it was. "Now come with me, we are going to see some Christmases past..." She tugged, and he nearly flew into her. God, she was strong. Still hand in hand, she leapt through the open dojo window...and soared into the night sky.

"Japan, around twenty some years ago. You were nine, I believe..." She floated down with him and landed by a shack.

"A-buh-buh-ah-buh..." Ryu replied with extraordinary intelligence. He had just gotten the crud scared out of him. It wasn't everyday when a teenage girl grabbed you and flung you into the air...and have you land halfway across the world. He sat down, knees a bit too shaky to stand in.

"Are you okay?" Ibuki asked, punching him playfully. "You look like you're ready to p*ss in your pants,"

Ryu honor deemed it appropriate to assert his manliness at that point. "No I don't. I'm fine!" He growled, indignantly.

"Good! Then hurry up!" She caught hold of his arm and dragged him to one of the windows. "Look inside!"

He did. And was greeted by an incredibly merry looking scene. In the corner, he recognized Ken's parents laughing and singing. Ken's dad was playing a tune on the banjo. In the other corner was Gen, looking very very...the same...who was matching Ken's dad note by note on the erhu. In the middle were a bunch of children...all dancing to the merry song.

"The first Christmas party you'd ever been to. Master Genki had finally allowed you to go to one. This was Gen's temporary estate in Japan... do you remember?"

"Yes..." Ryu breathed, drawing closer to the scene. He saw a miniature Ken, hitting on one of the local Japanese girls and chuckled. "I didn't know Ken was like that back then too though..."

"Oh he was. That boy hasn't changed much from his childhood years. Unlike you, Ryu..." She pointed at a boy, looking incredibly awkward, sitting on a pile of wood. He had blackish brown hair, that glowed a slightly dull red in the light and a white gi on.

"Is that me?" He whispered.

"Who else could it be? And look! You have a visitor!" She paused melodramatically. "Now who would dare tread on the ground of the apathetic gloomy-boy?"

"Hello!" a little girl said as she approached the awkward kid. Her hair was arranged in two neat buns perched on her head. She was wearing a green/red sweater and a skirt that had a slit up to the mid thigh.

"Hi," The awkward kid...known as Ryu answered uncertainly.

"Why aren't you dancing with the rest of us?" She asked him.

"Why aren't you?"

"I was. But I saw you here. You look really bored,"

"I guess..." The boy answered non-committingly and shrugged.

>> "Nevermind," Ibuki giggled. "You're still the same too..."

"Hey!" Ryu responded. He turned back to focus on the scene. >>

"Well, it would be a lot less boring if you'd dance, you know?"

"Oh," the 9 year old Ryu said. The girl paused for a moment, as if waiting for something more. Nothing came...so she rolled her eyes.

"You're Genki's other student, aren't you?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Your name is Ryu Hoshi, right?"

"Yeeaaah,"

"No wonder then. Hi, I'm Chun Li! I train under Gen-shifu!" She held out a hand for him to shake. Not wanting to be rude, he grasped it and shook. She then proceeded to drag him onto the dance floor.

"H-hey!" Mini-Ryu cried, trying to get away. The girl's grip was uncompromisingly strong. "St-stop that!"

"And let you get away with sitting the whole night there? No way! I planned this party with Gen-shifu...and EVERYONE'S going to have fun, whether they want to or not!" She giggled and grabbed his other hand. "Dance with me!"

"I-I don't know how to,"

"Just do a simple kata or something, you lead. Stance 1!" Out of habit, he obeyed and got into the first stance. She followed him into it. "Stance 2! Stance 3! Now back to 1!" He followed her calls, and was soon having the grandest time.

>> "See? Now SHE knows how to have fun," Ibuki lectured him. "And she managed to thaw Mr. Ice-man too,"

"Yeah...she always was a very extroverted person," Ryu commented.

"Not always. But she wasn't afraid to go out of her comfort zone and help other people. Unlike someone else we know..." She coughed sarcastically.

"Hey! I danced, didn't I?"

"This year, yes...but let's take a look at Christmas a few years later..." She waved her hand and the scenery changed ever so slightly. He looked in the window again. >>

"Come on, Ryu...just one dance! It's not like I'm asking you to kill yourself for me," a Chun Li, now well in her teens, pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Chun...But I can't. I don't see why everyone's trying to be so merry. After...all that's happened..." A teenage Ryu replied, frowning and trying to shrug her off.

"Sometimes, in the face of tragedy...we should try to force in a little happiness. Isn't that what Master Genki would want? Isn't that what my dad would have wanted?"

>> "This was the year Master Genki died?" Ryu gasped, shocked.

"Yes...and Chun Li's father too. It's so weird that both father figures would die in the same year...a conspiracy of some sort, methinks"

"Then why is Chun Li asking to dance? Doesn't she know her dad died?"

"Yes," Ibuki nodded. "And that's exactly why she needed it. She was trying to move on, to let go of the pain and live life to the fullest. And all she needed was one Christmas dance with her best friend..." >>

"No!" Ryu commanded, a little louder than he intended to. "I can't believe you Chun! Your father is dead! Murdered! And all you care about is dancing? You should be out there finding out who killed him! Exacting revenge! What kind of person are you?"

"It's Christmas..."Chun Li reeled back, shocked. She unconsciously raised a hand to her heart and looked like she was about to cry. "Dad wouldn't want me to do that on Christmas...would he?"

"Why not?" Ryu answered. "How can you treat his death so lightly? Master Genki was like my father...he found me alone as a baby on the mountainside and raised me...and just barely a month ago, he just..." Ryu choked on the word. "Died. Was slaughtered..."

"I-I know how you feel, Ryu..." Chun Li mumbled, drawing near. "My father was killed too..."

Ryu held her at arms length. "Then why the h*ll aren't you out there looking for the b*st*rd who killed him?! Don't you care? Didn't you love him?"

"I-I did! Ryu...don't say stuff like that!" She sobbed, hugging him tight and burying her face in his chest. "I do love him! I do!"

"Then go and avenge his death," Ryu replied coldly. He untangled her arms from around him and walked briskly out the door.

Chun Li stood in silence for a moment, then fell to the ground, crying uncontrollably. The scene faded to black.

>> Ibuki smacked his head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You are such an *ss!" She replied, slapping him again. "H*ll, I've seen this scene before and I still can't understand you..."

"Ow...I'm sorry!"

"Unfortunately enough, Chun Li took your advice and locked her heart in a box for years. Thanks to you, the rest of her High School and College years were spent obsessing on the death of her father. She missed out on normal teenage life and love all because of you!" Ibuki paused and took time to hit him again. "Thankfully, after Bison was killed...she became fully normal again..." She paused again. "I'll betcha didn't know she had the biggest crush on you too at that time,"

Ryu gaped. "She did?"

"I can not believe how clueless you are," She sighed and shook her head. "I'm going now. Go back to sleep and contemplate..."

"But...she did? For how long? Why did she forgive me for doing that to her? How about Ken? Where does he fit in all this?"

"Sleep!" Ibuki commanded. And Ryu fell to the ground...sleeping.