Oh, Ryu, Chun Li thought. How do these things happen? I would have thought that you, more than anyone, wouldn't succumb to such evil. But then again, I never really did know you.

I never would have known just how torn you are. You seek to strengthen yourself, but to the extent that it's become an obsession. It is all you have lived for, so that some day, you could avenge your master, Shen Long. Yet, in some way, something told you that there was more to life, but you either didn't know how to reach it, or just wouldn't allow yourself. In that way, you may have actually been--jealous of Ken.

He had, before he was married to Eliza, several women admire him world-wide. He had success that you could only dream of. It was so far a dream, that you didn't even realize it...I didn't realize it until now. Having the money would be nice, but not needed. Just enough for you, and a family...if you could ever defeat your demon--if you could ever beat Akuma.

Well, now I have an idea as to what to do. I just hope it works, and that I can do it, and not get killed in trying, like Sakura...

"So, you have shown me that you can attack us, but nothing more. Dare you have what is needed to defeat us? Can you kill Ryu, for it is the only way to win!"

"NO! There is another way. I know there is. I have seen it; I feel it. He did the impossible--Ryu stalled a Raging Demon. He will fight against you! You can't fight both of us off for long!"

"The question is if you can defeat me, before Ryu succumbs! I won't hold back. While you can make all of the cute speeches you wish, you won't dare unleash your true power, for fear of killing Ryu. I am not burdened by such weaknesses. All that is needed, is this."

He then teleported. Although she couldn't see him, Chun Li could feel him, and felt him warp past her. She struck out to where she knew he would reappear, and connected. However, Ryu had caught her foot, and threw her to the ground, before sharply kicking her in her stomach.

He laughed, a laugh that nearly matched Akuma's, before he fell to the ground, coughing, and gagging. His hands were at his throat, and it looked as if he was half-choking himself, half fighting himself off. It was a very--strange spectacle.

Ryu! Chun Li almost yelled. Then, she realized what was happening. He was desperately trying to fight off his dark-side, any way he could. Ryu had already lost Sakura--he wasn't going to loose Chun Li! Or at least, she hoped that was some part of it, no matter how true it was. She wondered if she had been kidding herself. It would have to be asked later, for she was needed.

"...That's enough of that...Ryu. I won't have you interfere! What!?"

"Ryu...please...I'm sorry! Hazan-Tensho-Kyaku!"

In a heartbeat, although to Chun Li, it felt as if it were a heartache, they were up. The barrage of kicks battered against Ryu, hitting each and every part of him, and with each kick, Chun Li felt like she was the one being hit. She knew she had to, to get Ryu free of his demon.

As it ended, she went for her "Demon Blade Kick!" The entire area went black before them, with strange markings glowing from impact, as they each fell back to the ground.

As Chun Li stood up, she froze, as the dark laughter echoed throughout her body. What frightened her even more was that he floated up, like a soul that had died would do. He hovered about a foot off the ground, an evil grin on his face, with eyes showing nothing but the bloodiest of reds. She had hit him with some of her best moves, and yet he was still coming. She couldn't even tell if he was weakening.

If anything, Ryu was weakening, while Evil Ryu seemed to be growing in power! What was she doing wrong? Why was it that Ryu was loosing? How could she defeat him, without killing him?

"You are indeed a very strong fighter, Chun Li. It is little wonder that Ryu is so fond of you. I may even dare to say, had he not felt ties to Sakura, he would be in love with you. Perhaps, with her now gone, he now looks to you, to help him defeat me. That makes you all the more dangerous. Sakura had some success. Now, to destroy you, before either of you can stop me."

Of course, Chun Li thought, realizing how dumb she had been. It was Ryu's love of Sakura that had brought him back. It was his love of her that had prevented him from using a Raging Demon on her. Now, if only she could do it again.

So far, she hadn't been successful. Ryu had been avoiding her, but not without a volley of fireballs to keep her on her toes. She needed a way to get in close, but how. It seemed that no matter what she did, she couldn't get close enough to him to--what could she do? How can you show your love to another, when they are possessed by a Demon, and are trying to kill you!

"I can hardly believe that it is you. So long has the time been, and yet it doesn't seem like all that long ago. What has become of the family I once knew?"

"It has been a very--hard time for us. When you died at the older Subzero's hands, there was an irreplaceable void in not just our lives, but that of the clan's as well. Much had happened, Scorpion."

"I can imagine, Smoke, my son. While we are both halfway through our thirties, I guess neither of us expected our next of kin to be so ready to follow us. I was very young when I first met your mother, and we fell in love almost as soon as we met. I must have been between seventeen or nineteen when she had you. Now, you are a young man, just a little older than I was at the time. How was she, when you last saw her?"

"She was often sad, yet for a reason I could never understand. She rarely spoke of you, and whenever I would try to talk about my father, she would find it very hard to talk about you. All she knew, regarding your death was that it had to do with the clan you were a part of, and had heard that one from some other clan had taken your life. That is all she knew."

"Yes, I can see it. It must have been just as harsh on you, as it was her. My first thoughts, I am so sorry to say, were not of either of you, but to avenge my death. For me to do that, I needed to make a deal, one that would not allow me to see either of you. Blinded by my hate for Subzero, I agreed. It has been something that will forever haunt me. How is it, that you came to join up with his younger brother?"

"The only clan I knew of, was the Lin Kuei. I don't recall my age, but I wasn't much more than eleven. I was only allowed in because one of the guys knew you. In training, I would eventually not only prove my skills, but would meet the younger Subzero. I had actually met him a short time after you had killed the original Subzero. I didn't know it at the time, but I followed him on a mission, which would lead me to our first meeting."

"Ah, yes. I recall it now. I had just finished my first fight in the second Mortal Kombat, when you had appeared, to challenge me. I must admit, for your first major match, you did very well. I only wish I could have been there, for you."

"You did just as good a job, though. When you took your vow to be the guardian angle of the younger Subzero, you also vowed to watch over his friends, myself included. It was, with your help, after our freeing Earth from Khan a second time, that I was granted my humanity again."

"I just wish I could see your mother, one last time."

"Perhaps, you shall. You have had a chance to meet your son; what's to say that you won't meet mother again?"

"But how? We our both eliminated from this tournament. There is no other way!"

"Don't give up. Perhaps, another will come, and we shall all be reunited once more."

"So, Chun Li, are you ready to die now?"

"I don't know what this power is that has such a hold over you, Ryu, but I will free you from it, somehow, I swear. I'll do what it takes, even if it kills me!"

For a moment, Ryu flinched, almost as if somebody had just stabbed him through the heart.

Chun Li had an idea, she just hoped that she would be able to live through it--and that Ryu would be able to live with what he had done, afterwards.

"Now! Shinku-Hadouken!" Ryu yelled, as a beam of his red fireball shot forward, to strike at Chun Li.

To his utter amazement, she didn't even try to dodge it, or to block it. She just closed her eyes. As it engulfed her, she screamed as if she were being killed. Being burned alive, and living through it would probably be more than most would care for, though. Only the deepest love, with the most desperate of gambles, would dare endure such Hell.

"What are you, stupid? Attack!"

Using a tree, she got up, but was still too shaky to do much. Ryu grabbed her, and butted their heads. He slammed his right fist into her face, and followed up with a left to her stomach, but she still wouldn't fight him.

He then kneed her, before he hit her with an electric Hurricane Kick.

Chun Li fell, bruised, battered, with small sparks flowing over her. She could barely get up on all fours, not that it mattered much.

Ryu took a swipe, and kicked her closest arm, causing her face to crash into the ground. He then kicked her so hard in the stomach, she bounced up for a moment, before a sickening thud to the ground.

"You see, Ken. I told you I wasn't kidding. Ryu's fallen under control of his dark side. He's going to kill Chun Li, unless you stop him! You had fought him when he was like this, sort of! You must do something!"

Although they were still a respectful distance apart, Ken could see. It was as Sean had told him. He had hoped that Sean was wrong, even though he could feel the evil, and knew that it wasn't merely Akuma. He had to do something, and fast.

"DAMN! This is going to be ugly! Sean, if any of the baddies show, holler to warn me. Then, try your best to hold them off!"

"Me? Hold off Shadowloo? Ken, are you nuts?!"

"Wouldn't be the first time I's accused of that! What choice is there? If I don't, Chun Li could be dead before I move!"

"Wait. I know you mean well, Ken. But, this is something Chun Li must face herself. It is up to her to save Ryu."

"Rose? Are you crazy, lady? I think you've been drinking too many teas, or looked into crystal balls cross-eyed. Ryu's kicking the shit out of Chun Li. If I don't stop him..."

"You could very well cost them their chance. She is gambling her life, to try and save his. By interfering, you risk more than by not helping."

"You've been reading too many fairy tales! This is reality. I don't go for all this bull, or whatever."

"Have I? I seem to be doing something right, Ken. I have defeated Sindel, Mileena, and XSakura, each of which are demons, or tormented by demons. This is my expertise, if you will. You will have to trust me."

"Sorry, I'm not buying it. You'll need a lot more than talk, to convince me not to get in there, and save her ass!"

"Tell me, when you were under control of your dark-side, what brought you back? What did this young man, Sean, do? How did he help to free you from your dark-side?"

"Sensi, I..."

"Damn; I hate it when a woman is so dead right! So, how do we..."

"We don't. We watch, and hope that a kombonation of how he felt about Sakura, her death, and Chun Li and his feelings of her can, somehow, bring him back. If it can be done, I think that she can help him reach his potential, but without succumbing to his evil."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I can't, Sean. However, she has a move that has been called a `Demon Blade Kick.' It's power is nearly identical to the dark power that Shotokan warriors face. She has, somehow, been able to use it, but without the evil overtaking her. Now, let us hope that I'm right."

"You'd better be, Rose. It's hard enough to know that one girl who loved him died, trying to save his life. It could kill my buddy, knowing a second one died, doing the same."

"Yes, I know."

"You have yet to attack me, little girl. Why do you hold back? Have you excepted fate? Have you finally realized that your Ryu is no more! You are ready to go into eternal night."

All she did was glance at him, between gasps and trying to pull herself to her feet.

"Very well. I send you to your grave."

He made his stance, and entered another Raging Demon. She looked at him, with a defeated look on her face, a sad, yet almost familiar face. Her face was so young, and full of tender hope. She reminded him of some one else.

Suddenly, she seemed to fade, and before him was Sakura! She was looking at him, just as Chun Li had a moment before. She heard his voice is his head.

"Ryu, don't! I can't be with you, but don't turn your back on another who would love you as much as me--even more than I do. I'm dead--but you don't have to die. Remain strong. Chun Li can help you, in ways that I can’t. Ryu..!"

Suddenly, his eyes seemed to go blurry, and he saw Chun Li before him. In a flash, he grabbed her, and they were engulfed in the fury of the Raging Demon. The three had to shield their eyes, or risk blindness, not that it would have mattered much.

"Chun Li! My God! No! What have I done?"

"Ryu! Chun Li!" yelled Ken, as he broke into a sprint, followed by Sean and Rose.

"Ken--I, I didn't want to; not again!"

"Are you happy now, Ms. know-it-all! Yea, Ryu's back, but it has cost Chun Li her life! You--"

"But sensi! She spoke what we both thought to be the truth. It had worked for you, and worked for him, the first time. We just didn't think he would..!"

"No, Sean. He is right. I thought I knew best. I was wrong. I don't know how I can ever make it up to you."

"What does it matter?" Ryu said, bitterly, "Sakura, and now Chun Li. I'm a curse to any woman who comes near me. I bring only their deaths!"

"You may, if you keep that up. I may die...of guilt."

Ryu nearly flew out of his skin when he heard the whisper. He lifted his head from hers, and saw her blink a few times. Then, overcome with emotion, he kissed her for what seemed forever.

"Ryu..?" was all she could say, when it was over.

"How, could she, survive? He hit her with the Raging Demon, right?"

"I don't know, Sean. Rose?"

"I don't know. Maybe, he suddenly realized what she would mean to him. Then, somehow, he was able to weaken it. Honestly, I don't know."

"What does it matter? As long as I didn't kill her, and that she's alive...I don't care why!"

"Nor do I! I'm just glad it worked. It's odd, but I thought...I heard Sakura."

Ryu looked at her, in deep surprise, wondering how she knew.

"You did a very difficult thing, Sakura. Are you sure you wanted it?"

"Not really, Alpha-Omega. I do know that I want to do what I can, to make Ryu happy. I also didn't want Chun Li to be killed, especially in a way similar to mine. If she can help him, to realize his power, without a dark-side awakening, then she will be doing better than I ever could for him."

"Yes, that could be. I also feel another question in you."

"I died; I know I did, after feeling that stab. Yet now, I don't feel dead...I feel like I always have? Why is that?"

"You will learn, in time. For now, I'll take you with the others who have fallen in battle."

She looked at the figure, and to her surprise, it was in the form of her first love, from her Freshman year. When they were Juniors, he had been killed by a drunk driver. She wondered what it meant, as the light surrounded her, and she was gone.

So, I hope the wait wasn't too long, this time! 8]

Actually, this one was done, more-or-less, in the same day as 31! This one just may have come shortly after midnight, but, you get the idea.

Two main reasons for such a quick updated:
1) The cliff-hanger at the end got me excited so much, that I couldn't wait to see what happens next, and I'm the writer! I just had to follow-up, so that I could leave this to a part that I liked!
2) I watched SF2: The Animated Movie (MUCH better than the live one!), after who knows how long--buried under more tapes than I care to think of. After watching it, what can I say, I was inspired!

A third reason was that I wanted to touch on the Scorpion-Smoke relationship. This explains how Smoke could possibly be Scorpion's son, maybe. Maybe, maybe not...just let you try and sort out the messes these gaming companies make in their stories, knowing that you won't get paid, and see how what you come up with.

Oh well. At least I have fun, and I hope you, the readers do to! Now, if just somebody at Capcom and Williams (or Midway, or...) learns about this, and I get an e-mail...Hey; allow me to quote those McDonald's commercials: "It could happen!"

©1999

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