The Path of the True Warrior Ch. 13
By Ryu-san

"Sakura! You've got it all wrong!" Ryu yells as he runs after her.

"Ryu's right! We haven't done THAT!" Chun-li says.

"Waaaah! I get it, Ryu only likes fat people! I wish I was fat too!" Sakura cries.

*Poit!* *Pop!*

"What did you say…?" Chun-li asks as two anger marks pop out.

"Sakura! I think that…um…that…uh…" Ryu tries to comfort her but fear prevents him as he notices Chun-li's fighting spirit rise. The aura spreads out and starts to singe Ryu. Sakura, undaunted, then puts out her own aura and the two narrow their eyes and their battle auras clash, with Ryu caught in the middle.

"Hey! Ryu! What's up!" Ken yells across from the hall.

"Ken! Buddy, we need to talk!" Ryu says as he squeezes his way past the aura battle and runs from the spectacle.

"Oro?" Ken says as Ryu grabs him by the shoulders, shoves him through the door, into the room.

"Now, what's going on, Ryu?"

"How on EARTH did I get into this mess!?" Ryu screams at him.

"Huh? What mess?" Ken asks, curious.

"For some weird reason, both Li-Chun san and Sakura-san are both angry at me or each other or something. They're both acting very strange," Ryu explains. "You've got to calm them, down! I don't want to see anybody hurt."

"Well, let me check it out and you stay here, it may not be safe for you," Ken says. *Oh, no…don't tell me that it's because of…*

Ken gingerly sticks his foot out and immediately pulls it back in. He blows on it, after it was burned and then he sticks his head out. Beads of sweat drop from his face, from nervousness as well as the heat, as he sees the two glaring at each other, their battle auras fighting.

*Well, against my better judgment, I'd better stop them…*

"Hey you two! What's the problem here?" Ken asks.

"She can't accept the fact that she's fat! Why else doesn't she tell anybody her weight?" Sakura accuses.

"This little brat is just upset because of a misunderstanding that we have!" Chun-li retorts.

"Ha! You can't fool me! You, you…conniving fox!" Sakura tells her. (Author's note: I'm trying to avoid as much abusive language as possible, so bear with me ^.^;) "I know you want him all to yourself!"

"Listen little girl…" Chun-li says, "I don't know what you THINK happened there, but Ryu…"

Ryu sticks his head out.

"Er, can you two stop fighting? I don't know what the problem is here. Listen, Chun-li and I are good friends, just like we are. I don't know what you think happened but as far I as I can tell, we didn't do anything that we should be ashamed of," Ryu tells her.

Ken walks over to Ryu, whacks him over the head, kicks him into the room and tells him, "Ryu no baka! Let me just take care of this buddy…"

"Listen you two, the…" Ken starts.

"LIGHTS OUT! ALL FIGHTERS NOT IN THEIR ROOMS IN FIVE MINUTES WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FROM THE MATCH!" The P.A. system announces.

All the fighters return to their rooms.

"Good night, Dan." Sakura says.

"Good night…zzzz….osha! osha!…zzz…"

"ZZZZZZ…uwo…uwoooo…ZZZZZ…"

"Good night Rose," Sakura says. *How is a girl supposed to sleep with these two idiots here?*

"Good night, young one, do not mind them, merely rest for your battle tomorrow," Rose tells her.

"Gr…how can she be so calm…Better meditate…the fight is all, the fight is all," Sakura repeats as she sits in the lotus position, calming her soul.

"Good night Chun-li," Cammy says as she falls asleep on the couch.

"Good night Cammy," Chun-li responds from the bed.

"Good night, Cammy, Chun," Ryu says as he is covered with bruises and bumps of various kinds as he sleeps on the floor in the corner with only a blanket to cover him.

"Hmph! Did you hear something Cammy?" Chun-li asks her.

"No, nothing at all," Cammy tells her.

The next morning…

"Hup! Hya! Huh!" Ryu grunts as he performs his kata. He spins and punches the air behind him. He then

*PUFF!*

"Oro!"

"Hey! SOME of us are trying to sleep here! Right, Cammy!?" Chun-li screams as she throws the pillow at Ryu.

"mwerezreaqa…" Cammy mumbles, trying to put her head between her pillow and the couch.

"SEE! Now, go back to sleep!" Chun-li screams. "What time is it anyway…!! Four o'clock in the morning!!! Get back to sleep NOW!"

*My opponent can't be scarier than her…* Ryu thinks, as drops of sweat fall from his brow. He decides to quietly meditate.

"Ryu…I'm sorry, if you want to practice go ahead…" Chun-li says.

"Chun-li…"

"But…do it OUTSIDE!" she says as she throws him out the door, slamming it behind him.

"…sighs…" Ryu trains on the battlefield, as he has been kicked out.

"hm…heh…ha…haha…mwahahahaha! RYU!!" Ryu turns around.

"GOUKI!!" Ryu says, his eyes full of hatred. "SHI-NEEEEEEE!"

Chun-li hears the hatred-filled voice of Ryu, blinks a few times, and looks outside her window.

"Ryu…? Who is that man!? I can feel his immense power from this distance…Ryu!" Chun-li yells as she instinctually runs outside to help him.

"Hadoken!" Ryu yells as he projects his pent up anger at him.

"Hmp! Yowai!" Akuma says as he teleports through the attack and ends up right next to Ryu.

"SHORYUKEN!" Ryu cries out as he gathers up his chi, placing it into his fist for his strongest dragon punch ever and striking at Akuma. Akuma smiles and decides to have a little fun.

"Gou-shoryuken," he says. He elevates only five feet into the air but he jumps and with his left hand, brings Ryu's shoryuken down, while striking Ryu's chin with his right fist.

"Ugh…Shinkuu…Tatsumaki-SenpuuKyaku!" Ryu gathers up his chi and prepares to launch his strongest attack he ever thought possible. Akuma frowns, grabs Ryu's oncoming foot and throws him against the wall.

"I have given you more time than I should, little dragon. If you do not submit to Satsui no Hado, there will be no saving you…" Akuma says.

"I will never give in to the darkness, demon! You killed sensei! I'll kill you!"

"You'll not give in…? How disappointing, then die…" Akuma says as he teleports slowly towards Ryu, utilizing Shun Goku Satsu. Ryu braces himself for his death…

"Koro mi da…" a mysterious voice says.

"Nani!?" Akuma turns around and barely blocks the incoming blow.

"…you are indeed strong demon…" Gen says.

"Gen-sama!" Ryu yells.

"Let us see who can survive this battle, win or lose…I am victor!" Gen yells as he runs toward him. *This is the battle that will allow me to rest in peace…*

"Messatsu…" Gen sees the incoming chi attack and sidesteps out of the way. He jump kicks Akuma in the face but Akuma doesn't budge. He then pummels him with a barrage of punches and kicks, all attacking vital chi points. Akuma doesn't even flinch. He then takes one arm and punches Gen in the chest. Gen slides back forty feet and slams against the wall.

"Ha…That was mildly…entertaining. Now…to finish this," Akuma says as he turns and faces Ryu.

"Ryu! Kikoken!" Chun-li says as she throws her chi at Akuma. Akuma scoffs and hits the fireball with his fist, sending it back towards Chun-li. She is hit with her own chi and staggers back.

"I knew there was a reason…very well…All I need to do is kill this one and your anger will consume you…DIE!" Akuma runs toward her at untraceable speed and pulls back his fist to strike her.

*CRACK!*

Akuma's hand is broken and he turns around to see the hand that caught his own hand. A pair of glowing red eyes faces him, eyes oozing with the scent of death and destruction.

"hehe…hehehe…hahhaha!!!! Ryu! Imagine the anger if I had even killed her! You would be the ultimate opponent! Haha! Die!" Akuma says as he prepares to kill her with his other hand.

*CRACK!*

"Formidable…I did not anticipate this…but…still not my equal.." Akuma says looking at his broken fists. Akuma concentrates for a few seconds and a red aura covers his arms. Moments later, his wounds are healed and Akuma teleports away.

"Ryu! I'll return, be prepared!" Akuma's maniacal laughter fills the air as he teleports away.

Ryu's eyes revert to normal and he falls down. Chun-li runs over to him and catches him.

"Ryu! Are you okay? Answer me!" Chun-li demands. She feels for a pulse and she feels a steady normal pulse.

"Sifu!" she yells, as she runs over.

"Hmph…he was…too strong. I did not anticipate that," Gen says as he easily gets up. "I need no assistance, Ryu does. The only thing that's hurt is my pride…That demon…"

Together, they check up on Ryu but moments later his eyes open.

"Chun-li! Are you ok!? Where's the…Gen-sama…? What happened?" Ryu says as he notices Chun-li's tear-filled eyes and Gen's transparent fear.

"Ryu! We thought…" Chun-li starts.

"…that you trained too hard. You must have tripped and hit your head," Gen tells him.

"Oh, waka ta (ok or I know), well, I'll be ready for my fight in a few hours. Chun-li was angry that I woke her up with my kata!" Ryu says light-heartedly. Chun-li looks over at Gen, with a look of concern and confusion. Gen merely shakes his head.

"Come, we must return so as not to worry anybody else. Chun-li, let's talk later," Gen tells her.

"…well, I'm glad you're back, Gen-sama. Fei will be overjoyed," Ryu says as they walk back.