Here we go! In honor of 100 visitors, I present some future possible answers to questions posed. This is only what may happen and will probably change in the final version.
So, why am I bothering? Well for one, I don't really have much to offer in thanks, so I figure a love story may interest some. Also, this will give me time to figure out where to go next with the story, and I'll hopefully have some more pics for the characters.
So much has happened since I left my home in France, it's like something from a bad dream. The only problem is, I'm not sure if I can wake up...and with Haohmaru, I'm not sure if I want to, at least not yet.
"Hey, Charolette, what are you thinking about?"
"Oh, Haohmaru! I was, I was just thinking of all of the things that have transpired up to the fight I just had...and about you and..."
"Even after all of these years, you haven't changed, have you?"
"Huh, me? Nonsense!" she then tried to cover up the uncertainty in her voice with a feeble laugh.
"Well, at least you are still trying to maintain a sense of humor. Honestly though, you shouldn't worry too much about it. It's not like there's anything happening."
For a moment, Charolette lost herself, and let him know what she had learned. It's odd, when in love, we often will do things at the spur of the moment; things that we usually don't do, and things we may regret later, or they may turn our world around!
"Is that what you say Haohmaru? Well, I know otherwise. Before our fights, Galford had a chance to tell me something how you feel."
Stunned! That was all that could be used to describe the look and the reaction that Haohmaru now had. He was at a lose for what to do or say.
"What did he tell you?" he asked in uneasy breaths, the kind one has when he has a deep, dark secret, and his girl finds out about it.
So she told him. They were getting ready for their respective fights, and they wished each other the best of luck. Then, as they were about ready to part, Galford asked her to stop. There was something he felt she had to know...in case some of them didn't live through their match. She told him he was nice, but not to worry. He insisted. He told her a bit of how Haohmaru reacted after she had vanished (leaving out some parts so as not to embarrass his friend too much). Galford then said that if Haohmaru was to die, he'd be glad to have her as one of the last people he saw before he passed into the eternal light.
As she talked, she seemed to be weakening. Her voice grew softer and less harsh. Her eyes seemed to have gone glossy and she may have had a slight limp as she walked closer to him. She said she was just tired from the fight. After all, her foe was probably the closet to fighting a demon than it was a human.
"Are you sure it's nothing more? It seems like you are, I don't know..."
"You see, I knew you cared about me, Haohmaru! If you didn't, you wouldn't have went through all of this just for the sake of it! You were going to go through Amakusa's fortress alone, facing him, and maybe Zankuro. That is very noble of you..."
"Well, yea, I guess it was."
"It was also very STUPID! Suppose our friends decided to get help first. Suppose luck hadn't been with you. You would have survived Ukyo, but what about Genjuro. In your state, he may have killed you! I don't ever want that to happen!"
For a few minutes, both were silent. Then, Charlotte took a few steps toward him. She placed her blade down upon the ground with care. She then took a step toward Haohmaru, and reached for his blade. Normally, he would take that as a sign that the person wanted him dead, or something just as evil. But, as love is, there was no need for either to speak. His blade left his hand, as if some unseen force had simply lifted his soul of a great burden. Charlotte then set his blade next to hers. She then removed the gloves that she wore when she fought, and delicately placed them on the blades. She then looked deeply into his eyes, and she saw what she known was there, but had always had some doubt.
The same feelings flooded each and every one of his senses as well, yet there was one thing still on his mind, though he didn't have a name for it.
She was now right beside him. She took his hands in hers and smiled. He felt happy, yet something deep down in his very core was trying to remind him of something. They were now inches apart, the rest of the world was oblivious to them. Then, like a dam exploding with uncontrollable rage, so to did the name come to his mind. Oshizu!
As if by some spirited force, Charlotte fell upon him, as if somebody had just taken a blade and rammed it through her heart.
"Charlotte! What..."
He stopped as he heard the mad laughter. He knew who it was, and now his death seemed certain.
"Now, you will follow her."
"Genjuro, it's you!"
"How fitting! Your loved one dies in your arms, and you will now die. Ah! No! You won't be allowed to use your blade. I said I will kill you now, and I will do that now!"
"DAMN YOU! Have you any..."
"Same to you! I've waited long enough. It is now time!"
He unsheathed his blade and was going to finally deliver the long awaited deathblow. There was no one to save him. Then, a knife went flying just before him.
"Who dares...you?!"
"If you can't tell, these two are trying to settle some things. You are good, but you can't take us both!"
"You have made a deadly enemy this day, Terry Bogard!"
"Not the first; won't be the last."
Genjuro glared at Terry. He couldn't believe that once again Haohmaru had been able to put off death once more.
"One day, Haohmaru, you're time will come. Each of you I could easily kill, but I'm no fool! I ain't going to fight both of you. It seems that she will remain with you among the living."
He left, but not without casting a menacing look at Terry, the man who had denied him his destiny. Others who had done so, who weren't children, were now dead. So would Terry, he vowed.
After he was gone, Terry went to his new friends to be sure that they were both ok.
"W...where did you...learn that."
"Believe it or not, it was Joe. Actually, he used a fork at the time."
They both gave him a strange look.
"Charlotte, do you think you'll be able to get up?"
"I'm not sure...I feel like my very heart was ripped in two. Just as we were about to...I felt like something reached into me, and tried to kill me!"
"Well, I saw most of it, and I say that you should get some rest. Haohmaru, I think you should take her. If you want, I'll bring your stuff to you in a few minutes so that you can take care of her without any burdens."
"You have my thanks, Terry. I hope that we will get a chance to be matched up. I would like to see that."
"I'm sure that is a match anyone who is here would want to see."
They left, and Terry's mind began to drift. Those two are lucky, their world is so much simpler than the one I'm in. There are crazies, as there would be in most times, but compared to what I left back home, this is nothing. There's the power-hungry Geese Howard, the man that had my father killed. I defeated Geese, but Geese just seems to keep coming back. It's the same story with Krauser.
Then there's Ryuji Yamazaki. It's bad enough that he's a mad killer, but add to that the fact that he's Orochi. The Orochi are some kind of cult that's Hell-bent on annihilating humanity so that the world can be "reborn and restored to it's true glory."
He still haven't figured why Ryuji has been stalking him. It was either that, or he was just trying to drive Terry nuts. Either way, it was working, and was working well.
"I saw it all! Now that's why I love you so much!"
Terry was so deep in thought, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Mary. He then began to pick himself up off the ground.
"Are you ok, Terry?"
"I'm just glad I'm not any older than I am. You might have given me a heart attack!"
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were in such deep thought. Here, I'll help you up. You got a bad bump; I'll kiss it better."
Mary's NEVER been THIS forward! I think I like it. We've been together for some time. So much has happened since our first meeting in Southtown.
I think I'd be willing to give my life for her. I can't recall ever feeling so good. It's like I've found `Heaven on Earth,' and I hope it never ends.
Ah, alas, all good things must come to an end, as Terry and Mary will soon find out. Now, he finds out what Ryuji's been doing, and why.
A dagger passed just over their heads, with deadly accuracy, the kind that says that the man had been doing it for years. It also says that he's damned good, and would have killed them, had that been his goal. They then heard the mad laughter of Orochi Blood.
"I bet you're wondering why I'm doing this Terry. Why is a `mad-man' like Ryuji Yamazaki stalking me? The idea that you defeated Geese AND Wolfgang may impress others, but not me. Actually, I don't want you at all. I want what you have--I want your woman!"
"That's all! You've been stalking me since we arrived in Southtown for Mary! That is totally--pathetic."
"Admit it! You are gonna wet your pants! You can feel it! Your blood's in a frenzy, because you are about to lose your biggest prize, and you can't stop it!"
"That's what you think! Don't you dare underestimate me, you arrogant bastard!"
"Hmn! He's mad! I can feel your power rising. Most impressive! Now, you shall DIE!"
"Wait! I think I should have a say in this!"
They both stopped, although Yamazaki did more out of surprise than anything else.
"Listen, I don't know what you're thinking, but just because we've teamed up a few times doesn't qualify you for having any right to wanting this! You can go jump off a cliff!"
He exploded with his insane laughter before he spoke words that will remain carved into their minds for the rest of their lives.
"I am Ryuji Yamazaki of the Orochi Clan. I take what I want, for I am of the clan that will soon dominate this world, whatever the time! Those that oppose us will die! You should be honored, Blue, that you have been extended the grace of being among those that survive! As for you, Terry, I will rip open you and everyone else here, no matter who, until I have what I want! I give you your last few days to remember and to wonder what may have been. Once this is over, what I've said will come true. Here or our own time is not important. You can't stop fate. It is nearly here!" he finished by taking his blade out of the wall, and left, after flicking Terry off.
"Terry!...Can you handle him?"
"I really don't know! The Orochi is something that is beyond me, but that won't stop me," he finished, still having doubts swarm through his head.
"Come on. Let's go and try to forget about this."
"Yea!"
"There you are, Charlotte. It's only water, I hope it's ok."
"Yes, thank you...Haohmaru, have you ever thought about, the future?"
"We are living it now, aren't we?"
"Well, I mean besides this time-jump thing. What about before all of this craziness?"
"Only a bit, but I'm a loner kind of guy..."
"Please don't tell ME that! I don't even think you fooled Oshizu!"
"Hey! What's this all about?"
"When I ask you a question, I'd like a serious answer, nothing else."
"I guess you deserve that...it's just that now, it's kind of weird. We're now about 100 years ahead in time, so, amongst others, Oshizu would be dead, I think."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know. It has been some time since I last saw her...you know what I'm trying to say. To be honest, I'm not sure. I guess that since you are here with me..."
"Yes, what is it? Please don't stop!"
Without realizing it, they had both become absorbed into their conversation, and couldn't "just stop" in the middle. The rest of the world ceased to exist, with only the two of them seen within their private world. As love is, it can make it so that to the two lovers, nothing else matters, everything is an empty void to them. So too was the surroundings for Haohmaru and Charlotte.
"Well, you've been there for me on several occasions. Like that time when Genjuro was wanting to fight me before my first match in this tournament, and you stepped in. You told him that he'd have to fight you before he could fight me. I don't think I ever saw him so pissed! I needed all of my strength for the first fight. I don't think I ever thanked you for that."
"You have never thanked me for anything!"
"Um, thank you!"
"Ooooh! Haohmaru! You are such a...such a..."
"Jerk! I guess so. I guess I could try to make up by saying yes."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"You asked if I ever thought about the future."
"Y-yes...I did. And..."
"I've thought about what the future would hold for me and Oshizu."
"WHAT!?"
"I've also thought about you and I."
"Oh! And what have you decided?"
"I'm clueless. But I know that I was really an ass when you were gone. I'm not sure why. Maybe in a few years...if we ever get back...we could maybe try and get together. Who knows, we may even settle down."
"Oh, Haohmaru!" said Charlotte with a slight blush. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. He had actually thought about them getting together. Maybe when they got back, they could do something.
"Do you rally think so?"
"It's for time to tell. It's as good a shot as any."
They then shared the kiss that would define the future of their lives.
Their lives. It's an interesting concept; to share your life with another. Your joys and your sorrows, your success and your failure, everything. Maybe, just maybe, such a relationship is about to form.
"Hmph! He makes me so angry. He's such a jerk. I can't believe what he just tried to do! If he wasn't Orochi, I'd say he's insane!"
"If I recall right, you said that all of the Orochis ARE insane!"
"Don't you even start! It's bad enough he even has to do it, but for the two of you to carry on like I'm some thing that you can own, that's just too much!"
Terry got up, stood behind Mary, and slipped his hat on her head, which was too large for her.
"You're trying to ruin my ranting, aren't you?"
"And it's working too!" he finished by pulling the big cap over her face. He laughed at his little prank. Mary than tackled him, and they fell on her bed.
"So, you want to play rough, do you?"
"Well, if you can't handle it..."
"I can take all of what you have, and a lot more!" she finished with the laugh he loved so much. Terry then laughed too.
"If we ever get back to our time, do you think we might ever..."
"The world's a big place, you just never know what to expect!"
©1999