Hero of Heroes Ch. 17 - Goodbye
By Night

Ryu sat in a seat at the airport terminal, back in his white uniform tied with his black belt, his red bandanna tied around his head, and his duffel bag resting on the floor. He looked out the window at the departing planes, thinking about what lies ahead of him...

Chun-Li sat in the seat next to him, just looking over at his face... He's back to his old self again... back to his warrior ways... back to when the fight was all... She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was thinking about Akuma and how he was waiting to fight him. I wonder if he's thinking about me at all... She felt like reaching over to hug him tight, but knew that he was too preoccupied with other things in his mind...

The warrior of Shotokan continued to look straight, with determination. I will find you Akuma... and finally end your evil influence... and extinguish Satsui No Hado...

There were just so many things I wanted to tell you... Chun-Li continued to think herself, looking at him... Ryu... you've changed so much when you were with me... you opened a little bit of yourself to me... I loved those changes... and now... just when I was getting so close to you... you leave me once again... Trying to hold back tears, she knew she had to say something to him. She needed to. "Ryu..." she finally spoke aloud.

Ryu slowly turned his head, surprisingly uninterrupted in his thoughts. "Yes, Chun-Li?"

The gentleness in his voice drove her crazy... made her feel so warm inside... "It's just that... I just still can't believe that you're finally leaving... I just wish you could've stayed here..."

"I really wish I could stay... but I can't..."

"I know..." Chun-Li said, "You've got to follow your own path... no one can choose it for you..."

"I think you are even wiser than me, Chun-Li..." Ryu said, putting a gentle hand on her opposite shoulder, "You'll become a great warrior some day... I know it. I can see the warrior spirit in your eyes..."

"Thank you, Ryu..." she acknowledged, blushing, "... but the whole world knows that it is you who is the greatest fighter. You are the world warrior... the one who defeated the mighty Sagat who was thought to be unbeatable... the one who defeated the criminal lord Bison... the one who defeated Gill... and many countless others... you are the world's champion."

"Perhaps... but titles... ceremony... those means nothing to me..."

"The fight is all," Chun-Li completed.

They both smiled at each other, and Chun-Li giggled a bit. She knew him so well... maybe knowing even more than Ken. She shared things with Ryu that no one else has ever shared with him before, and vice versa. They had become close companions. But now... they were going to be separated once again... Chun-Li always knew that this may happen. It was in Ryu's nature to constantly be seeking to become a true warrior. She wondered if he ever would reach his goal... and what he would do then if he did. Would he settle down? Come back to her? Or would he still go about, wandering the earth...? She didn't want think about the answer, fearing it would be the latter... But she still wanted to talk to him while she could right now... "Ryu... I just hope that... you finally finish your journey sometime soon..."

"My journey...?" Ryu asked.

"Yeah... to find the true meaning of the fight!" she explained, never thinking she'd ever have to tell that to him.

"Oh... I see..." Ryu was astonished. For the first time, he finally realized that he was not leaving to find battle for the sake of fighting. He was doing it for a different reason... a completely different one. "But Chun-Li..." he continued, "This isn't for the fight... I am doing this... solely for you! I want to protect you... not endanger you... I want to have full control of my power... so that I will no longer cause any harm to anyone anymore."

Chun-Li grinned, loving the words she was hearing. "I know that too, Ryu. But you must never forget your life-long quest. This is your goal... what you live for. You must never stop reaching out for your dreams."

Ryu smiled and his arm drew her closer. "Like I said before Chun-Li... I think that you are even wiser than me." Knowing the meaning of the fight has always been my life-long dream... but I have another one, Chun-Li... it is to be with you, and only you... forever. It is my determination to be the man to care for you... love you... stay by your side for as long as we live... but I won't tell you that just yet... it will only put burden on your heart after I leave... I shall wait until the proper time... and then I'll let you know my true feelings for you.

She giggled, and her attention focused on his neck... and she noticed the bruise... the small love bite she had given him the night before... and she began to laugh.

"Wh-what's so funny?"

"Oh... just that I can... still see that lil love bite I gave you last night... tee hee!"

"L-love bite...? I... heh..." Ryu looked down to see if he could try to see it, but his eyes couldn't see any part of his neck at all. Chun-Li continued giggling pointing at it. Ryu began to slightly blush, running his hand through his hair nervously.

"Sir," a woman interrupted. It was a flight attendant, and she pointed to the corridor leading to the plane. "Your flight will be departing shortly. Please gather your baggage and board."

"Oh..." Ryu replied, his blush fading away, "very well..." Ryu stood up, dropping his hand from Chun-Li's shoulder. He reached over and picked up his duffel bag, which was bigger than usual, stuffed with the many clothes he bought during his stay.

Chun-Li watched him stand up and lightly whimpered... a moment ago they were laughing... and now the feelings of his departure were finally affecting her... and she could feel her heart sink... "Ryu..." she said, standing up.

Ryu turned around and faced her. "... I will miss you, my Chun-Li," he said, gently. He slowly ran a finger through her soft bangs, and down her soft, warm, smooth cheek, and lightly held her chin with his thumb and index finger.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, knowing that this will be the final time she will feel his gentle touch before he leaves... "R-Ryu... w-will I... ever s-see you again...?"

Ryu removed his hand from her chin... and dropped his duffel bag, moving both his hands behind his head. He slowly untied his red bandanna... removing it from his head. The bandanna's two ends dangled from Ryu's two hands as they were positioned in front of him and Chun-Li... and he slowly reached behind her and tied her long, soft, beautiful black hair back with it... slowly tying it in a perfect bow.

The tears now flooded her eyes and began to flow endlessly down her cheeks... and she sniffled... fully crying... holding both hands at her raging heart... closing her eyes as she felt him completing the bow behind her... "Oh... Ryu..." she whispered...

The warrior completed the bow, and wiped her tears away with his finger. More and more tears replaced the ones he wiped away, but he did his best to wipe as much as possible... He placed his hand once again on her chin, and moved his other hand to hold hers... He looked deep into her tear-filled, deep brown eyes, so full of love for him... and he opened his mouth to answer her question. "What does your heart tell you...?"

Chun-Li mouth quivered, and her tears kept flowing... "I-I... I d-don't know... I... I guess... I hope so... I so dearly hope so..."

Ryu gave an innocent smile, the kind that made her heart melt. Wiping away another tear, he whispered, "Then you will! You will..."

She looked up into his innocent eyes, and smiled back through her tears. Her hand squeezed his, never wanting to ever let go. And she moved closer up against him... tilting her head slightly upwards, and reaching her other arm behind his neck...

He ran his hand down from her chin to her neck... and wrapped his arm around her waist... slowly drawing her completely up against his body... feeling her breasts pressing deeply against his chest... her waist against his...

Both breathed lightly... feeling each other's hot breath against each other lips wanting dearly to kiss each other... They took one final, deep, long gaze into each other eyes... and both slowly began to close them... drawing their lips closer until they finally made contact... They kissed... slowly... gently... sweetly... putting all their passion in this kiss... so much passion that it caused both of their knees to go weak... and causing Chun-Li to lightly bend one of her legs backwards... her foot lifting off the ground, and her heel almost reaching her rear...

Her tongue began exploring his mouth... and she could feel his tongue meet hers... and they gently swirled each other... increasing the passion of their final kiss...

Ryu ran his hand slowly up and down her back, and she moaned lightly into his mouth... continually swirling her tongue with his... they squeezed their hands together harder... both never wanting the moment to end...

And after what seemed like an entire lifetime... they finally broke away from each other... their tongues brushing against each other as they did so... Ryu looked down at her... holding him in his arm... and is eye slightly formed a tear... he knew he was definitely going to miss her...

Chun-Li waited for the tear to fall... and she let go of his hand and lightly brushed the tear away when it did. She wrapped her arm around the back of his neck, and he wrapped his around her waist... and they hugged each other tight, both resting their heads on each other’s shoulders. Chun-Li's heels slightly lifted, and she stood on her tip-toes to push herself deeper into the hug... In Ryu's arms... it felt so warm... so secure... so safe... so right... her heart completely filled with love...

Both finally released each other after a long moment and simply held each other, facing each other, looking deep into the other's watery eyes... remembering all their happy, exciting, and private moments with each other. They were the center of attention at the terminal, as people passing by and boarding the plane looked at them briefly. Ryu and Chun-Li paid no attention to anyone looking at them, and concentrated on each other... taking in their every last moment together, and Chun-Li took both of Ryu's hands into hers, and brought them up to her throbbing heart... Ryu lightly blushed... but maintained control of himself as he could feel it pounding ferociously beneath her heaving breasts...

"Now..." Chun-Li finally whispered... "go... my warrior... go..."

"Chun..." Ryu whispered back...

"Go..."

Ryu reached over and lightly kissed her forehead... and took one final deep look into her eyes...

"Go... and don't look back... don't look back..."

The warrior held squeezed her hand covering his other hand... "Goodbye... my beautiful flower... goodbye..." He slowly began to walk... still holding her hand... dragging her arm until it reached its full length... and finally broke away from her gentle hold... his arm returning back to his side... She reached out for him... but only grabbing air...

"Goodbye... my warrior... my love..." she whispered...

Ryu picked up his duffel bag on his way to the corridor and slumped it over his shoulder.

He's leaving... he's really leaving... Chun-Li's face was covered in watery tears as she watched the man she loves slowly walk down the long corridor...

As the warrior walked down... he remembered her words not to look back... but he refused them... he must look at her beautiful face one last time. He turned his head over his other shoulder... and looked back at her... seeing her crying in the distance with her hands held at her heart... His own tears began to streak down his face as he saw hers... and he lifted up his hand to slowly wave at her as he came across the corner... and then he was gone...

Chun-Li covered her face with her hands, and she sat down, weeping endlessly... She wiped away her tears with her hand, and weaved through her bangs and her long back hair with the other... feeling the soft material of Ryu's red bandanna tying the hair back into a pony tail... She let her tears run freely, and she adjusted the bow of his bandanna with both her hands... She put both her hands at her heart once again, feeling it throbbing with overflowing love for him...

She sat at the terminal as she watched the gates to the corridor close... and she walked up to the window still holding her hands to her heart, and waited there until the plane took off... and watched until it was out of view... "Oh I love you Ryu..." she said aloud, "I love you soooooo much..."