Both of the Bogard brothers are worried, and with good reasons. They not only have their own personal dilemmas to deal with, but they also share with their brother; it is like they are each carrying the woes of not only themselves, but their flesh and blood as well. To be honest, I don't think that either has a "bigger load," as it were.

First, there's younger brother, Andy. Not just in the US, but around the world, he is often called by those who aren't a part of the main fighting stream media "Terry Bogard's younger brother." That, I'm sure bothers him, although he wouldn't actually complain, much, if he even cares. They both share their hatred for Geese killing Jeff. Andy, however has a tendency to rush head on into things...it's not that he wants to control nature; it's just that he doesn't always think with a clear head, causing him to make mistakes. Still, he knows how to stay sharp, and was able to take out a man who could control the wind!

Then, there's is Mai. No, it's not that. Despite what some may tell you, I'm NOT an old pervert! Yes, I'd lie if I said I don't have my dreams, but I'm NOT obsessive! What I'm saying is as to how she can be a pain at times. How Andy doesn't go insane, it's beyond me. She flirts nonstop, only to break the poor saps' hearts. I will give her this much: she is 100% loyal to her man, a quality that seems to be dying in today's life...for both men and women (as I'll assume both sides may hear about this).

To have her simply disappear 200 years into the past - I can only guess the anguish that caused him. Why wasn't he there for her? If he had only paid a bit more attention to her, she may never have left for what has blown up into an epic (and this would never be told!). Still, I think that now that they are spending some time, alone, together, they may be able to work things out. I wonder if she'll mention...

That brings me to Terry. He also has a certain somebody, by the name of Blue Mary...I'm an old man, and I can't guess why she's called Blue Mary! Oh well, some things are best left as is, yes? They haven't known each other as long as Andy and Mai, but I think they pair well. Mary tends to be more business, trying to find out what Geese is doing, learning about Orochi, the works. After their initial...meeting, she spent a lot of time learning about Geese, before Terry left for Joe's return fight after the outing with Krauser. In that time, she learned about Orochi, and Terry had defeated Mars. Now, learning all about Orochi may be all that saves them.

There's a madman, Ryuji Yamazaki, who is of Orochi. For some crazy reason, he has his sights set on Mary, and is willing to kill Terry, and everyone else here! While he couldn't kill us all, he could easily kill off half of the people here before he finally was down. I hate to tell Terry, but only another Orochi can stop him, or a member of one of the Clans. However, he can stop him for the time, and I'm afraid that is the best that can be done.

"Excuse me, Mr. Yamada, but it is time for our fight," spoke Yagyu in a very formal, yet polite manner.

Very strange, they each thought, having someone who shares the same first name. The first was...

All of their friends were there, for they were the elders of their respective sides, and they each wished to see how they fought.

"I'm sorry, believe me, I'm not one to complain, but I feel it's unfair that you have two weapons, while I have none!"

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry," and Yagyu tossed one of his blades to Yamada.

"Actually, I had thought that we'd go hand-to-hand."

"That, I cannot do. I would be giving up all of my abilities without it," and without waiting, Yamada ran toward Yagyu, and drove him into the dirt, dropping both the blades. As Yagyu rose, Yamada lifted him and they spiraled up, and back down, landing a distance from the weapons.

"Well, now we shall see how you handle without the weapons," and Yamada clucked hysterically.

To the surprise of several onlookers, he flung his shoulders back, and then rushed toward Yamada, hitting him several times, and then shooting upward. Yagyu landed lightly on his feet, while Yamada crashed on his back. Yagyu then turned toward Yamada, and drove his fists into the old man, causing him to cough out blood.

He turned and went to pick up his blades. He turned, and in a blur Yamada ran up to him, and with a small shower of sparkles, they rocketed up, and crashed back down, both unable to move.

"Double Fatality! Help those two out, and get ready for the next fight!"

II

"Oh! You know what? You look a bit like the late Caffeine! Very interesting...let's see, there's you two, the Jubies, Wan-fu and Hon-fu...this is good," sang Amakusa in his annoying laugh.

"I don't see what you think is so funny, you fool...You know, you laugh like a woman! I wouldn't be surprised if history somehow records you as being one! I'll bet that when you least expect it, you're so called partner, Zankuro, will cut you in half! I don't blame him! I'd do it too if I had to put up with you!"

"Oh, is somebody having a bad day? Would you like me to come and kiss it better!" replied Amakusa sarcastically, who was obviously oblivious to the insult.

Sokaku replied with an odd chant and an unseen force drove Amakusa into a wall, leaving a deep impression in it. As Amakusa freed himself, he was driven back, deeper, harder, and faster. This nearly doubled the size of the whole from the impact, and had it not been empowered, the sphere Amakusa wielded would shatter.

"Give it up, evil one! Your quest won't succeed. You've formed this alliance not only with Zankuro, but with the men from my time in an attempt to take that which you could not swipe before. Now, there is so much more than merely control of a world. There is the control of possibly the darkest power in existence. To add to that, there is the control of space and time. It shall not come to be!"

"For one who is so `enlightened,' you don't know how to stop talking. I will teach you the lesson!" and Amakusa disappeared seemingly through the ground without a trace. In a split-second, he was behind his stunned foe, and leveled him with a dark projectile. Amakusa then hurled forth a dark orb, which smashed him in his face, and returned before he fell on his back, forcing him to fall forward.

"This has proven too easy. Now, you die!" and Amakusa shot into the air, formed a huge ball, and dove in a suicide manner into Sokaku, all but killing him.

Sokaku looked up, vision blurry, and each part of him ready to explode. He saw Amakusa throw his arms back, the orb rush toward him, and then - darkness swallowed him.

"Winner of Round 1, Fight 11, Amakusa!"

Some of Shiro's followers came to take up the body, and Amakusa gloated over his victory, claiming that any who opposed him would share this fate.

III

"My, my. That Caffeine look-alike was pathetic! How are you? Are you better, or are you just as pathetic?" mused the demonic Zankuro.

"One way to find out, ya fat pig!"

In a blaze of raw fiery power, Chon-rei exploded into Zankuro, hitting him with a power that is second to few. The flames burned the very hair on his head, and he yelled in pain. While he may be a demon, he is still flesh and blood. If you cut him, he bleeds...if you set him afire, he burns, as does the flesh of others, including all of the countless villages he culled.

"Very good, little one. I have existed for many a year, and few have a power such as yours. I am impressed, and will find it an honor to kill you in combat. I like being in the company of such powerful beings such as yourself, it gives me much to think about. Tis a shame to kill ye, but it shall come to be. Feel my wrath, and thou shall fall!" boomed the giant Zankuro, as he shot a green blaze across the ground. Chon-rei laughed as he effortlessly got out of the way. He wasn't impressed by the power of this "demon."

"That is good! One who laughs and is in control of his fear at the moment of death is one to be admired. That is the mark of a true warrior. This is good, and I'm glad that we are fighting. Engarde!"

Zankuro set loose a rabid fury of cuts, slices, thrusts, and hacks at his unarmed foe. However, the young man was surprisingly fast, avoiding each move with little more than a few cuts, and considering the size of Zankuro's huge blade, he was lucky that was all he suffered.

This same weapon had been wielded by him when he had slaughtered countless lives, before he heard the crying of a lad, later to be called Shizumaru Hisame! Not too long ago, he revealed to the young one his reason for sparring him. He, and others, may deny it, but it is the cold, hard, and deadly truth. It will soon come to pass.

"So, demon, have you shown me all of your cheap, pathetic gimmicks, or is there more for me to see? Do you think you will last much longer, or have you chosen to forfeit? You are weak. You would wait until you false friend, Amakusa, has been beaten to a pulp before slicing him in two!"

"Hm, just when I'd thought you to be a great man, you call for the fight to end. So, it seems that you are not a great fighter, but a master of deception. Even with your quest to capture Orochi Blood, you would not soil your own paws, but rather have others work with death, and you reap the rewards. That is the way of a master of deception, isn't it, Chon-rei?"

"Where do you get off with that? I don't know what sort of `demon' you are, but you don't talk that way with me! Die!" and Chon-rei summoned forth his power, but it was too late.

While he had been insulting Chon-rei, Zankuro had more than enough power summoned to level the most petrified tree in a single hit. This power was unleashed upon Chon-rei, still amidst his own powering up. The power building up took most of the impact of Zankuro's death-thrust, which would inevitably kill him had he not had his aura surround him, weaking the impact of the gigantic sword. He then followed up with a monsterous fist to Chon-rei's heart.

Chon-rei was down, shaking like he was in a seizure, though it was all involuntary from the sea of pain that washed over him. Zankuro looked at his defeated foe, and let his sword fly.

He was knocked back by a power that was similar to Chon-rei's, yet had a slight distinction. He turned toward the source, and saw a small girl dressed in red.

"You shall not kill Chon-rei! Chon-shu has spoken!" and without anything more, she took him up, and left.

"Winner of Round 1, Fight 12, Zankuro!"

IV

The events of over 400 years ago may soon be played out once more. Although it shouldn't occur for another 200, time has been tampered with, and the will of the Dark One looms. This time, the results may prove to have a chaotic end. During the last time there was the Kusanagi, Yagami, and Kagura. These clans sealed off Orochi and caused him to sleep, suspending him from fulfilling his duty of "cleansing our world." Now, only a man filled with Orochi exists. There is no one from any of the three clans to seal it off.

Now, the madman has killed off my good friend, Caffeine. As to whether Ryuji knew that he knew enough to be a threat or not is impossible to say. It could have merely been a case of a Blood Riot; yet I wonder just how much control they really lose. Am I his next target? Caffeine and I talked about it a while...Haohmaru must somehow reach his untapped potential. He cannot seal off Orochi, but he can stall it from flowing forth, until those who can seal it have come. I just pray that it will work, and that it will be in time.

"Hey, bag man! Ya gonna fight, or just stand there like a bloom'n idiot? And why are you standing like Tung Fu Rue? Come to think of it, you both seem about the same size! Hey, are you..."

"I'm neither him, nor in any way related to him. Any similarities is purely coincidental."

"Well, if I understand this right, your group's 200 years into the past, or, ours is 200 years in the future. How do ya know he ain't a descendant, or something."

"Well...maybe..."

"Hey! You ok! You, uh, don't look so good (although it's hard to say, being totally covered in black). S'up, ref. What's...shaking?" Franco felt so awkward. This was the first time he would actually fight a ref. Sometimes he'd smack one in the ring, or threaten to fight one, but it wouldn't happen. Now, it was, but with a man who's over 200, or something. He wondered if any other fighters felt as strange if they were given the chance to fight a ref.

"I - feel the calling. It's another Blood Riot! Somewhere in this place, the one called Yamazaki is awakened once more. It is stronger than before. No, this isn't an awakening, but a pre-shock, if you will, to one that will happen soon! When it does come, it will be brutal. Aaarrgghh!" and Kurko fell over as he flinched from an unforeseen attack.

"I...got to close. Orochi doesn't like others prying into his agenda. I was lucky, for the moment. If he wasn't aware before, he is now. Ryuji will come for me. It's just a matter of time."

"You act like this loon's going to come after you, just for spying on his boss. I think that's kinda out there."

"Mr. Bash! Do you not recall what had happened but a short while ago. He has single handily killed off four powerful men, went toe-to-toe with Genjuro, and was cut up severely by the blade, yet he goes on as if nothing happened! That, sir, is enough cause for concern. If there is any chance that being is looking for you, I think you would have a strong sense of concern also," to which he admitted he did, after a moment of hesitation. He then asked what was next.

"Well, we go on with our match for now. If nothing else, we will at least have a little warm-up before he may come to seek us out. Then, we may at least stall the inevitable. Let's go."

Franco had never before had such a difficult opponent. The Bogards, Joe, even Howard seemed mild compared to this man clothed in black. He tried all of the basic boxing moves to get in close, but Kurko countered each and every one, seemingly without effort. He tried a few large, power moves to force his way in on his smaller foe, yet he was set back afire for his efforts. What seemed to be most embarrassing was being beaten back by flags. Yet when they connected, they felt like anything but flags. Rather, they felt like some staff or cane, and they were as effective. Bash was becoming irate, for he had landed only a few hits, but each of them were blocked by the small ref.

"ENOUGH! Eat this!" and a short burst of power came from him, and staggered Kurko back, pinning him against a wall, but little more.

Bash went in to drive him down, but Kurko easily side stepped, and added to Bash's momentum, causing him to smash into the wall, and some already loose bricks crashed down on him, finishing the fight.

"Winner of Round 1, Fight 13, Kurko!"

Amakusa then remarked, "When we got this place, it was already falling apart. With all of these bodies smashing into it, there won't be anything left by the end of this! Oh well!"

"NO! I feel him coming! He has the same intention as before! When will Ryuji stop?"

If I haven't already mentioned it, I will here. Call it a "confession". The last FF game I played was FF3, about 5-8 months after it came out. Played it for a few months, and haven't seen it since. As for SS, had 3 for a few months; and didn't get much time on it. Just found 4.

Why am I saying this? This will (hopefully) explain why I only go into detail on the moves of certain characters, and not others for the most part. For example, as Rick is of RBFF2, I know little more than some pics I've seen on other sites, and just fill in the blanks. Others, like the SS ref, I've only seen one (me) fight against him in 2 once, a few years back. I decided against him using his powers of SS3, at least against Bash. I try to give as much as I can, but as some of these titles are NEVER released in my area, I have to rely on still pics of what I've seen, and sometimes, guess based on the motion of the move (charge back/down, fireball, etc.).

This is one of my reasons that I'm messing with emulators and roms...so I can try and write an "accurate" fic. So far, neorage is a bust; neogem loads the first 10 roms of kof97, then my monitor cuts. I tried what romlist said, but it didn't work - maybe cuz they're talking about neorage...and probably because either I don't have enough memory, or I can't translate them.

Anyone who has played the more recent titles and would like to help, thanks. Any help, suggestions, comments, etc are welcomed! Until then, just hang tight, and enjoy the good parts; like the eventual showdown between Terry and Ryuji...or Haohmaru and Genjuro. Yes, they will happen, but we're still in rd1! Just something to come back for ~_^

©1999

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