Romancing Fighters' Saga- Ryu and Chun Li's Story
By Key

"So, Eliza and Ken have a child." Chun Li said, taking a sip from her tea.

"Yea." Ryu said, taking another portionate bite from his steak.

"Cute little boy, from what Ken has told me about his son so far, he's going to be quite a fighter when he grows up."

"That is, if he wants to be." Chun Li said.

"That's something Ken has taken into account." Ryu said, now starting on his second helping of mashed potatoes. Chun Li was suddenly glad Ken told them to meet him at a buffet, this would keep Ryu's mind busy, and less off the fight than usual. His tales of his fights were interesting and all, but there was only so much she could take!

"So Ryu, how has life been treating you so far?" Chun Li asked conversationally. She thanked God that he was dressed like a normal person would be dressed, it was embarassing enough to be seen with a man that ate so much, but in a gi?

"I've been getting some good fights with the newer generation lately." Ryu replied, starting on his salmon now. He didn't notice Chun Li groan. "Last week while in Hong Kong, I got a good fight from Yang. He and his brother will definitely be great fighters one day."

"I just hope neither turn out like you." Chun Li muttered.

"Yang has definitely improved, that teleportation trick of his is instantaneous. Reminds me of Juni." Ryu wolfed down on a large beef sandwich.

Chun Li was only just starting to pick at her salad.

"Why are you eating so little?" Ryu asked, looking at her.

"I have to watch my weight, you insensitive clout!" Chun Li snapped.

"Think of where all those calories might go to if I were you! My thighs are large enough already thank you very much."

"Don't worry about it." Ryu waved her snappish mood off.

*Probably has to do with that PMS thing that Ken mentioned to me once about Eliza* He went back to eating. "Your thighs are perfect."

"Really?" Chun Li suddenly found herself just beginning to like this man.

"Of course." Ryu nodded. "Your legs are perfect for kicking, which has been shown through your infamous Hyakuretsu Kyaku."

At that very moment, a vein was throbbing on Chun Li's forehead.

*Is all he can really think about is fighting?!* she wondered to herself. Ryu was too busy to notice the angry red aura around Chun Li, but the neighboring tables had been emptied quite quickly.

"I'm sorry for keeping you two waiting so long, the traffic was horrible." Ken said, before Chun Li could bring herself to release a full-powered blast of Kikou Shou. Chun Li turned around and smiled at the family that had just arrived. Young Mel was hiding behind Eliza's legs, shy, but was previously amazed at the aura that Chun Li had displayed prior.

"Hi, oh don't worry about it." Chun Li smiled. "We didn't even notice the time pass by."

Ryu was still just busily eating, having waved hello to them already.

"W-O-W!" Mel's eyes were as large as teacups, seeing the amount which Ryu stuffed into himself so quickly.

"Well, let's eat." Ken said, taking his family to the buffet to choose what they wanted to eat. Chun smiled and nodded as the family walked to the buffet. Then she turned a twitching eyebrow to a still happily eating Ryu.

"You should try some of the chicken, Chun Li." Ryu said. "Its very well done."

Chun Li could only sigh as she buried her face in her hands. The buffet went well enough, the whole restaurant employees cheering when Ryu finally left. They all had a good time, which was what counted at least.

Chun Li yawned the next morning in her room at the Master's estate. She smiled dreamily at the soft bed which had given her such a nice rest last night, it had been good for her back as well. Stretching, and clad only in her lingerie, Chun Li had forgotten she did not lock the door to her room last night.

"Ohayo, Chun Li-san, since Ken is busy this morning, I was wondering if you and I could have a sparring match." Ryu smiled as he entered her room.

"D*** YOU!" Chun Li shouted, and sent Ryu out of the room with a powerful flying kick. She quickly grabbed her robe and covered herself.

"I . . . see you've gotten stronger . . . that's . . . good." Ryu said dizzily right before he fainted in the rubble of wood.

"Hey, what happened?!" Ken exclaimed when he arrived on the scene.

"The pervert entered my room without knocking!" Chun Li pointed an accusing finger at Ryu.

"Whoa, what a lucky-" Ken was cutted off by Eliza whapping a rolled- up newspaper across the top of his head. "Eh heheh, how dare he do such a thing!"

"Oi, Sagat . . ." Ryu murmured as he staggered awake from the smelling salt. " . . . your Tiger Blow is as strong as ever . . ."

"Sorry buddy, but you were knocked out by Chun here." Ken smirked.

"Oh, you've most certainly gotten stronger, Chun Li-san." Ryu bowed to her.

"Is he a masochist?" Chun Li whispered increduously to Ken.

"Um, I really hope not." Ken whispered back.

"Hey, Ken, you want to spar now?" Ryu asked.

"Sorry buddy, maybe later. I promised Mel I'd take him bike-riding in the front yard this morning." Ken replied.

"Chun Li, will you spar with me?" Ryu asked, turning hopeful eyes on her.

"Oh, alright." Chun Li sighed. *Kicking his ass would make me feel a little better at least.*

"How long have you had that gi anyway?" Chun Li wrinkled her nose as she glanced at Ryu in his white gi. It was the main article of clothing he had been known to wear.

"I've had this one for five years already." Ryu said proudly. "It's made from some great material, so it actually looks newer than it is."

"No kidding." Chun Li facefaulted.

"So, Miss Chun Li, shall we have a match?" Ryu smiled eagerly as he adjusted his headband, then his gloves.

"I guess so." Chun Li bowed forward towards him with both hands together. Whether this was done on purpose or not, there was a koi pond nearby the dojo where the two were to spar at. A perfect replica of the dojo which Ryu and Ken had trained under Master Gouken. And when once a fish popped up out of the pond, did the two actually begin their match. Both fighters took defensive stances as they circled one another, eyes meeting eyes without blinking. Both were well-seasoned fighters who had sparred often against each other in the past, knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses in an almost 'intimate' way. Chun Li chose to take the initiative after a long period of waiting, since trying to outwait Ryu was almost hopeless until you made an opening.

Parrying her first two attacks, Ryu crouched low and performed a sweep. Chun Li took the fall on purpose, surprising Ryu with a rising elbow backed by the force of two arms. The elbow smashed Ryu at the side of his face, sending him flying to the side.

"Gomen ne!" Chun Li smirked as she held up her hand in a form of salute.

"You've definitely improved, Chun Li-san." Ryu grinned as he stood up. He adjusted his gloves and headband again before he took stance.

Chun Li grinned inwardly to herself, she had beaten Ryu some times in the past, mainly because she held attacks that he found unexpected. She frowned at the thought that these tricks usually didn't work more than once.

"HADOUKEN!" Ryu shouted, his hands pushed forward a huge wave of ki energy.

"KIKOUKEN!" Chun Li shouted, meeting his blazing ki energy at point blank with one hand shooting off ki itself. Chun Li quickly leaped back before Ryu could come in with a flying fierce kick. "SPINNING BIRD KICK!" Chun Li shouted, flipping upside down on her head using the powerful spin made by her legs strengthened with ki.

"Ugh!" Ryu grunted as he crashed against the dojo wall.

Chun Li only smirked as she stretched her back.

Ryu stood up shakily as he got into his defensive shotokan stance. Chun Li fumed when she saw his face, the man was actually grinning! Chun Li's mood softened when she remembered that he really did enjoy fighting strong opponents, whether he won or not, the latter which didn't happen quite very often. Chun Li's own lips started to curve up slightly despite her earlier irritation at this man. Chun Li smirked as she motioned for Ryu to go on the offensive. Ryu obliged as he ran towards her. Expecting a solid forward kick, Chun Li braced her midsection to intercept it. Him sliding under her on the other hand, was a different matter. Chun Li gained her sense of balance in the air quickly as she pivoted with her hand to land on her feet once more. She growled at the unexpected attack and switched to the offensive.

Chun Li didn't know how long the two fought as they parried attacks back and forth. She didn't care much either as they used one form of ki attacks against another. His Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku was still as strong and solid as it once was, causing Chun Li to wince as she blocked. It was a great feeling as adrenaline coursed through her blood fighting a strong opponent for fun, not for vengeance or hatred. It was perfect.

It was also too good to last.

The sound of Ryu's rumbling belly stopped their match as he shrugged sheepishly at Chun Li, who glared at him venomously. Chun Li's face became embarrassed when her own stomach growled as well. The two stood there looking at each other in embarrassment, then bursted out laughing as they headed back towards the mansion covered in sweat and bruises.

"You've gotten stronger, Chun Li-san." Ryu smiled.

"Of course." Chun Li grinned, placing her hands behind her back and stretching.

A slow trickle of sweat came down the side of Ryu's head as he watched Chun Li's chest heave upward and forward for a moment before they finally setted themselves in place, but not after a bit of jiggling . . .

For Ryu's good fortune, Chun Li did not notice his gaze upon her chest, and down upon her long powerful legs . . . He knew they were powerful, he had felt their power a number of times when he sparred against her, her form of Chinese Martial Arts flowing from one attack to the next, her powerful legs allowing her quick movements combined with powerful attacks from her lower body area. And whenever he watched her seriously fight someone, he could not help but wince for the man whenever one of her kicks connected.

"We're back!" Ryu grinned happily when he smelled breakfast as they neared the table Ken had set up for them all to have breakfast in the morning.

"Ken, what happened?" Chun Li asked, noticing how Ken seemed to be sitting a little uncomfortably, his face a bit red for some reason as well. "Didn't you go bike-riding with Mel?"

"Me and daddy decided to train! And I beated daddy!" Mel proclaimed proudly as he smiled a big smile.

"Oh, really?" Chun Li's eyebrow arched in amusement. "How?"

"I punched him!" Mel smiled happily and proceeded to show how he punched.

"Where did you punch?" Ryu asked as he sat with big eyes fixed on the large plate of bacon, eggs, and the warm biscuits. "Right between his legs!" Mel replied and giggled. "My punch was powaful! Daddy went down in one!" Ryu visibly winced for a moment, his attention taken away from the food.

"Ouch." he winced in sympathy to his friend, then smiled. "He'll be quite a martial artist when he grows up if he can beat his father in just one hit."

"Oh, I don't know . . ." Ken smirked. "You know how fathers usually are, we like to go easy on our sons."

"Never mind about that." Ryu said, his attention turned back to the food. "Let's eat before this delcious breakfast becomes cold!"

Chun Li mentally rolled her eyes as she watched him stuff the food into his mouth. Chun Li merely picked up an apple and nibbled on it as she watched him eat, this was more entertaining than most of the programs on TV. Chun Li's thoughts also drifted to wondering how the coldly calculating warrior which many street fighters had fell before could hold such a socially relaxed attitude with his friends. Chun Li tossed her apple core to the side once she finished it, she reached over to bring in the plate of grapes to eat.

"Chun Li-san, there's more than just fruits in this meal!" Ryu said when he saw Chun Li sticking to such a meager diet in his opinion.

Chun Li merely glared at him with grapes in her mouth, it was such a funny face that the rest of them suddenly bursted out laughing.

Chun Li fumed, which only made them laugh harder. Chun Li stood up with a huff as she chewed down the last of the grapes in her mouth and stomped off. Eliza had been the first to stop laughing and motioned for the rest of them to stop laughing.

"We've hurt her feelings." Eliza said sadly and looked to where Chun Li stood with her arms folded in front of her looking down at the fishes swimming lazily about in the stream under the bridge. She kicked at Ryu's shin. "Go and tell her you're sorry!"

"What did I do?" Ryu asked, looking miffed. "I wasn't the only one laughing at her."

"You insulted her first." Eliza said simply and pushed at him to get up. "Come on, go apologize to her."

"Yea, Ryu." Ken grinned. "You can't just leave a girl hanging like that."

Ryu looked at him suspiciously, he had heard that tone from Ken before . . . "Ken, you better not be thinking what I think you're thinking." Ryu warned his long-time friend.

"What am I thinking?" Ken smiled innocently at the two.

"What I think you're thinking." Ryu's eyes narrowed.

"What am I thinking then?"

"You know what you're thinking."

"So tell me."

"Why should I tell you? It's your thoughts."

"I want to know what you think I'm thinking."

"No, I KNOW what you're thinking."

"Then what am I thinking?"

"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!" Eliza screamed as she held her head. She then controls her voice. "You're both acting like a pair of children."

She then turned to Ryu and poked at him on his bare chest in the folds of his gi. "I want YOU to go to Chun Li, and apologize to her NOW!"

"Alright, alright, but can I at least finish this roll . . ." Ryu sweated when he felt the dangerous battle aura of womanhood glow around Eliza. He had heard that Eliza once beated Ken badly to the ground when she found him dating the succubus Morrigan . . . "I'll go now!" Ryu said quickly, and reached for the roll to take with him. Eliza's hand slapping down on his caused him to wince and pull the hand back. Taking another frightened look at her, and Ken's pale face, he ran off towards Chun Li breaking the the world record in running.

"Oh God Eliza, I haven't seen you that angry since me and Morri-"

Ken cutted off as he cringed away from the battle aura of 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.'

"What were you thinking anyway, Ken?" Eliza asked when she had finally calmed down.

"I forgot while we were arguing." Ken frowned as he scratched the back of his head. The aura began to slowly grow around Eliza.

"I was thinking of how I can pair Ryu up with Chun Li!" Ken said quickly as he held his hands up to shield his eyes from the brightness of her aura.

"Oh." Eliza said in a thoughtful tone, calm again. She thought this all through in her head for a moment, tapping her finger against her lips. She suddenly hugged her husband with great ferocity. "Oh, Ken, that's a wonderful idea!"

"Yeah, it is, I guess . . ." Ken was beginning to have second thoughts however. What would either really see in the other? But he couldn't really see anyone in the current nearby vicinity that could really get to know Ryu before the guy decided to get up and go find himself another fight.

"It'd be wonderful!" Eliza breathed as she hugged her husband around the neck, sitting on his lap. The occasional movement of her hip caused him to clear his throat uncomfortably. "I mean, they're both fighters, dedicated to their profession, have something against a bad guy for killing their father or sensei, and plus . . . they're both single! Oh, us four can go double date to that party Dudley is holding for all of us!"

Ken grinned a big grin, this ALSO might actually keep Ryu from wandering off so much that Ken had to pay private investigators to track down his friend for one sparring match! Ken and Eliza worked close together as they began to lay out the plans to somehow get the two together.

Mel paid no attention to this as he ate his wheaties.

Chun Li was looking down the small bridge at the carps swimming about in their merry way, with possibly no real care in the world except to eat, swim, and be merry. Chun Li slightly tilted her head to the side and wondered how it would be to be a fish. She realized only a moment later that she was crying a little bit.

Tears? Chun Li looked down at her fist which held some of her tears. She hadn't cried ever since her father died . . . why was she even crying now?

"Chun Li-san, are you alright?" Ryu suddenly ask near the end of the bridge.

"Hm, oh, it's you." Chun Li turned to see Ryu and looked back to where the carp where swimming.

She felt Ryu walk up the bridge and behind her, he peered over her shoulder.

"Hmmm, these fishes look nice." Ryu commented.

*Nice to eat.* Chun Li thought bitterly. *Can't he think of anything else but food for once?!*

"While I've worked as a fisherman back in Japan for a while, I've always felt a little bad how we've had to eat some of these pretty fishes." Ryu continued, gazing down at them. "But we weren't always fishing of course, usually we'd just throw rice down to feed them, and admire how pretty they look. The way their scales seem to reflect the light so beautifully at times . . ."

Chun Li turned to look at Ryu's smiling face in astonishment. She would never have thought that he would be interested in anything else but martial arts, sleeping, and eating. Chun Li silently chided herself for labeling him by her first impression of him. And just when you thought you knew someone . . .

While she and Ryu stood there at the top of the bridge looking down at the small stream, she reminisced the moment when they first met, although they had seen each other in fights plenty of times prior to that meeting, but their first fight still held a special, yet confusing, meaning in her heart.

Begin Flashback . . .

"You're my challenger?" the young man who wore a standard white karate gi with a white headband tied around his head, adjusted the red gloves on him.

"Of course, disappointed?" Chun Li wore a tight blue jumpsuit which did little to hide the impressive figure she had, she calmly tapped her sneakers into place behind her.

"No, your fighting spirit is strong." Ryu replied in an indifferent tone of voice. "This should be a good fight."

Something was bothering him, this she knew, she could feel it as his eyes looked at her. Chun Li had never cared one way or another whether male opponent ogled over her body or not, it was a distraction and comfortable combat outfit all rolled into one. But his indifference to her looks seemed to upset her for some reason.

The setting was to be taken place on the Great Wall of China, Chun Li's setting to meet any opponent against her. It was a good day to fight on the Great Wall as the sun was high with a nice light allowing both fighters to see well, unless either opponent used a dark lighting which gave them considerable advantage by ambushing their opponents out of nowhere. If it were dark, Chun Li would have held a significant advantage, because she knew the footing of this area by heart.

"Are you ready?" Ryu held up his fists to signal that he was ready.

"Ready." Chun Li's left hand came up at a level parallel to her chest, while another stayed itself at her waist.

Without another word, the two had slowly begun to circle one another. Ryu's form had become defensive with his right fist close to his chest and his left fist running perpendicular from his body close to his waist.

Chun Li's own patience taught by the art of Tai Chi could not match against her opponent's aggravating patience for his opponent to attack first. It did not mean he was superior, but that he was far more used to fighting this way. Chun Li leaped high into the air to initiate her attack by sending a spinning side kick to her opponent's head.

He raised his arms to quickly block it. Chun Li's eyes widened when she realized her opponent somehow anticipated this attack, because one fist that stayed low was fast coming up to . . .

"SHOURYUUKEN!" Ryu shouted as he connected with her jaw and flew up adding more pain to that one hit.

Chun Li tumbled across the ground a bit before she finally flipped herself up, and wiped at the blood dripping from her mouth.

First blood, first hit.

"You left yourself open in the last part of that attack." Ryu said coolly as he pulled at his bandanna and adjusted his gloves again. Chun Li merely glared at him as she took up a more defensive stance now, aware of how powerful and solid her opponent's offense could be as well.

Ryu, obviously satisfied with what he knew so far of his opponent's offensive technique. He dashed and lunged forward at Chun Li with a punch that went low, Chun Li blocked it from a standing position, successfully parrying away the attack and returning it with a side kick across Ryu's gut.

Ryu grimaced as he quickly gathered his arms into a defensive position, saw an opening, crouched and sweeped at Chun Li. Chun Li fell easily to the hard floor, but bounced back up quickly as she letted loose a huge flurry of kicks at him.

"YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA!" Chun Li shouted, an arm raised high over her head to help her balance herself on one leg as the other moved repeatedly in front of her.

"Uaagh!" Ryu groaned as he flew back, bruised and battered by the quick multi-hitting attack against him. His eyes flashed blue for a moment as he pulled his arms back, blue energy bubbles gathered about his body and into his hands as if holding a ball. It all hapened in less than a second as Chun Li's eyes widened when she realized what he was about to do. "HADOUKEN!" Ryu shouted as he shoved his hands forward, letting loose the ball of swirling ki energy before him.

"Aaaah!" Chun Li cried out as she held the huge swirl of ki before her, struggling to keep it at bay. She gritted her teeth as she slowly gathered her own ki around her body and into the two open palms before her. "KIKOUKEN!" Chun Li shouted, letting loose her own ki, fighting at the strength of Ryu's ki.

The loud explosion resulting from the combatting kis setted her back a few steps, she was slightly burnt, but not as bad as it would have been if she met the blast head on without her kikouken. Chun Li glared furiously at Ryu, but stopped when she gazed at his eyes. He seemed to . . . enjoy this . . . not in the sense of the strong overpowering the weak, but joy in actually finding a worthy challenge. Chun Li grinned inwardly to herself, it was great to fight a good fight once in a while . . . now if Bison hadn't . . . Chun Li shook her head furiously at that, and took the cue from the warrior before her. The fight was all at the moment.

"Let's finish this!" Chun Li grinned as she raised her arm across from her shoulders, her battle aura glowing strong.

"Hai!" Ryu smiled genuinely for the first time in their fight as he raised his fists again.

"HYAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Chun Li shouted as she ran forward at the Shotokan warrior. She came in quickly with a crushing elbow smash to his gut, followed by an upward palm strike which would knock him senseless into the air. "YA TAI!" Chun Li shouted, before she realized the mistake she had made, underestimating her opponent's stamina.

"SHINKUU . . . TATSUMAKI SENPUU KYAKU!" Ryu yelled when he found himself in range of a vulnerable Chun Li in the air as his battle aura glowed bright as he began to spin in place.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Chun Li shouted as the world went dark . . . "Next time we fight . . . you will be stronger, ne?" Chun Li smiled as she held out her unbandaged arm.

Ryu nodded and smiled at her. "We will fight again, and we will both be stronger."

End Flashback . . .

"So, what are you thinking about, Chun Li-san?" Ryu asked her as the two walked about the forested estate of the Masters' front yard.

"About the past." Chun Li replied, her arms behind her back as she smiled happily as she listened to the sounds of the birds singing from the trees.

"Oh." was all Ryu said as he too listened to the song of the birds which thrived in the Masters' estate.

The two walked about with a small space between them, enjoying the natural setting which Ken's parents had hired people to so thoroughly preserve. The forest held a truely natural feeling as they stepped across the dew-ridden grass, from what they both knew of what had been done, Ken's parents had shelled out good money to preserve this natural beauty.

"We've had alot of good fights, haven't we?" Chun Li said suddenly as the two stopped to watch a small waterfall dribbling into a creek.

"Of course." Ryu smiled as he looked to the woman next to him, but she wasn't facing him, only looking in front of her. "Every fight we've had has always been great and allowed us both to become stronger than when we had first begun the fight."

"Is that all you've really cared about?" Chun Li turned to look at him, her eyes filled with a certain serious intensity which Ryu felt slightly nervous under. This was not a fight, he could not stare her down as he usually did to his opponents in a fight . . .

"What do you mean?" Ryu asked uncomfortably.

"To fight . . . to dedicate your very existance to fighting." Chun Li said softly as she turned to face forward. "You're kind is very rare, to be so very focused on fighting, always seeking a higher level of awareness."

"It is the only way I know." Ryu said defensively. "All I had was the fight, that was all that life had given me, my two fists." He looked down and flxed the fingers of his hands in a form of psychological assurance that they were there. Chun Li noticed this. "What if those two fists are taken from you, what then?" Chun Li said.

"I still have my legs." Ryu whispered softly, the meditative calmness which he had continually worked at gaining was slowly beginning to slip away.

"What if those are gone as well?" Chun Li asked levelly.

"Then I have nothing!" Ryu shouted, his fists clenched at his sides and shaking. He had never thought much on this, all that had really mattered had been his own ability to fight, to continually meet each challenge head on without thinking of what the consequences may be. Gouken had been his mentor, his father-figure, and all he really had. Gouken had given him the ability to fight, and he refused to willingly give up this precious gift.

"What about your friends?" Chun Li asked softly as she turned away from him, standing there, holding her right with in front of her. Small sniffles could be heard from her, the sound of one trying to hold back their teas but unsuccessful at doing so.

"Without the fight . . . I would have no friends." Ryu whispered as he stared at his hands once more. "Without it . . . me and Ken would never have met, and I would never have felt the true joy of giving it my all whenever I face him in a fight."

"It's not your fighting that matters to us . . ." Chun Li whispered.

"It's how you make us all feel, giving us your all in our fights, and the optimism which you've displayed even when the chances had been slim. The fight is only a small part of what you really are . . . if that was all you really were, then fighting you would have been a depressing thing. No joy . . . no life in the battle."

"It's all I really have . . ." Ryu choked out desperately, tears beginning to gather at his eyes. The tears fell as he tried to blink them away, then he tried to wipe them away with his hands, he stared in astonishment at the wetness in his hands . . . tears? He hadn't shed tears ever since his sensei . . . Ryu's closed his eyes tightly.

"You're not the only who has been so narrow-minded by such things in life however . . ." Chun Li whispered softly, her back still turned to him, and still holding her right arm. Ryu looked at her in the high altitude of the noon sun, shining bright around her, giving her the impression of an . . . Ryu shook his head, these thoughts were strange, unneeded, unknown to the fight. "Remember . . . I've killed away my innocence myself by seeking the man who murdered my father . . ." Ryu blinked and looked at her, Bison . . . a person who had been the very bane of her existance. Ryu understood her all to well, a red- haired demon in a black gi was always at the edge of his vision, constantly taunting him with the broken form of his master's body . . .

Chun Li laughed softly like a person who was discarding away all of her single-minded pipe dreams of the world, realizing only what had truely happened to them. "I know you understand me well . . . someone killed your master after all . . ."

"Yes." Ryu said softly as he stood there in the clearing with her. His eyes were tightly shut as he fought off the urge to succumb to his anger, anger in the way of the Shotokan, great anger which would bring upon him the rage of Satsui no Hadou.

"Fighting is your only joy, isn't it?" Chun Li asked softly.

"It is." Ryu said softly, and he opened his eyes to look down on his two fists once more. "It always has been, and always will be, the fight . . . is all. The last gift my master had given me . . ."

"Thank you . . ." Chun Li said softly.

"For what?" Ryu blinked as he looked up to her.

"For sharing your joy with me." Chun Li replied, tears still streaming down slowly at the sides of her face. "I was . . . empty. And you came with your love of the fight . . . I'm . . . happy to fight with you."

"Chun Li-san . . ." Ryu whispered softly as he looked the woman he had constantly sparred against over the years between tournaments and during the tournaments.

"Ryu!" Chun Li suddenly turned and sobbed against his chest. "Thank you . . ."

Ryu could only pat her shoulders awkwardly as tears stream down from his own eyes. They stayed that way for a moment until they cried all their tears and sorrow away from the past . . . the distant horrible past . . . Chun Li looked up from her position to Ryu, a certain hope in her eyes . . . a look of acceptance? Ryu's own eyes met hers, the look from his eyes accepting what her eyes offered, and then his eyes seemed to plead to her eyes . . . her eyes accepted. Their lips drew in closer . . . a bond grown and given to them by the fight and the friendship which had first sought understanding . . . . . . that friendship had become love . . .

The End