The Return of Dark Bunny! – By DS Wynne

Disclaimer: SM, R1/2, Street Fighter and other properties belong to their respective owners

Note: This is a limited series.

Special Note: This is a sequel to "Dark Bunny".

Author's Note: This story is NOT connected to the SMST series. I'm also "skipping" the remaining part of "Sailor Moon R" to jump right into "Sailor Moon S". As always, C&C are welcomed. Enjoy!

Part 1: "Twilight"

Once upon a time, there were two brothers named Gouken and Gouki. Born in the Year of the Dragon—in fact, some would say that they were sons of an actual dragon named Shen Long—the brothers were taken in by a legendary grandmaster of Shotokan Karate named Gotetsu. Under the watch of their "sensei", the brothers excelled in their new art. However, equally fierce was their rivalry and competitive spirit, so much so that Gouki would secretly learn the forbidden aspects of the Shotokan Karate, even as Gouken vowed to progress the art beyond its murderous aspect. In the end, Gouken would pursue the path of righteousness, while Gouki, renaming himself "Akuma", would pursue a murderous path.

And the rest is history.

In recent years, Gouken, seemingly returned from the dead, would confront Akuma, after he became aware that his brother was corrupting his students and his very martial lineage. Still, he was not prepared when Akuma "evolved" into a full oni...

Still, as always, Akuma arrogance proved to be his undoing.

The circle containing Akuma shuttered, as he, now known as "Oni" raged. His hair glowed white, his ebony skin glistened with sweat and his eyes glowed fiery red.

"Your reign of terror is over, brother," Gouken said, as he stood in front of his exhausted students Ryu, Ken and Dan, and their students, of sorts, Sean and Sakura. Each one fought hard against the Master of the Murder Fist, but it was Gouken, who spent years setting up the trap in Gotetsu's old dojo, that proved victorious.

"You and your Art are banished from this world!"
"No," Oni said, as he spoke in a dark voice. "It will NEVER be over. For you see…there is another. And SHE will follow the path that I have instilled in her…"

Pause.

"And in the end, it will be MY lineage that will surpass you all! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-!"

With that, Oni is sent to Hell.

"It is over," Gouken said with a tired sigh. He then looked around at the abandoned dojo.

"There is much work to redeem what my brother sought to corrupt-"

"Ryu!" Sakura said, as she goes to her idol's side. "Are you alright?"

Ryu's pallor returns to normal, as the evil within him subsides. Oni had attempted to bring out the murderous intent within Ryu, in order to have a stronger opponent…

Ryu slowly opens his eyes.

"What…happened?" Ryu said with hesitance.

"Ryu!" Sakura said, as she hugged her idol. "You're okay!"

Ken hears this, and immediately goes over to his old friend.

"Hey, buddy," Ken replied, as he crouches near Ryu, even as Ryu sits up. "That fight was…something, eh?"

"I feel ashamed for being corrupted so easily," Ryu said, as he held his head. "Ow…"

"But we won, right?" Sean asked.

"Our path is a hard one," Gouken said solemnly. "I didn't want any of you to embrace the dark aspects of our fighting Art because of this."

"Whatever," Dan said, as he fished out his cell phone. "All I know is that I got new material for the boys of Hollywood to create a script around."

"And you wonder why I kicked you out of the dojo that long time ago…"

"Master Gouken, I managed to catch your brother saying that he has an heir or something to that effect?" Ryu asked.

"Aye, that he did, and that is what concerns me now," Gouken said.

"He must be a powerful martial artist, if Akuma was willing to use as an heir," Ken said.

"'She'," Sakura said.

"What?"

"I distinctively heard Akuma say that his heir is a she," Sakura replied, as she turned towards Ryu. "Come to think of it, why can't I be your heir?"

Ryu just shook his head, before turning to look at Gouken full on.

"What should we do, Master Gouken?" Ryu asked.

"I will have to meditate on this matter," Gouken said. "Only after we discern the true identity of my brother's heir, can we make our next move."

"And then what?" Ken asked.

"We will decide when all the facts have been gathered, and not before."
"Humph!"

"Well, whoever this person is must be a powerful fighter," Sakura said.

"And dangerous and evil, too," Sean replied.

Meanwhile, in Azabuu Juuban, the powerful fighter in question was eating a sundae.

"Hmmm," Usagi Tsukino said, as she licked her spoon. "I'm really glad you're treating me to desert, Mamo-kun."

"I'm not sure that I am glad of that," Mamoru Chiba said, as he broke out a big sweat, as he observes the stack pile of used sundae bowls.

"Well, I thank you for the treat, nevertheless," Usagi said with a smile. It had only been a few days since her return to Tokyo from Kyoto, after spending a season from home. But for some reason, the Sailor Scouts, a band of youma-hunting "magical girls" were insistent on Usagi coming back to Tokyo, much to Usagi's reluctance…

"Well, sure," Mamoru said. "After all that you went through-"

"'All that I went through'?" Usagi said. "That's an understatement. But that's nothing compared to what you and the girls have been going through, with this…Black Moon Clan and all."

Mamoru nods his head in reply. The Black Moon Clan was a group of rogues from a possible future, where they attempted to change the past in order to prevent the creation of a "Crystal Tokyo", in the name of an entity named "Wiseman". A little girl named Chibiusa, the daughter of the Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, the rulers of Crystal Tokyo, had journeyed into the past in order to save her timeline. However, without Usagi around, the effort to secure the future was much more difficult, since Naru Osaka, not Usagi, was Sailor Moon in the "present". In fact, Chibiusa did not reveal who her mother was, save for the fact that she had a Crescent Moon Mark on her head, and displayed a talent in Shotokan Karate, much to the surprise of those members who attempted to kidnap her on several occasions…

And, the fight between the Sailor Scouts and the Black Moon Clan escalated, after the Wiseman had successfully corrupted the young princess Chibiusa into becoming his newest general: the Wicked Lady, Queen of Darkness.

Thanks to her mastery of Shotakan Karate, Chibiusa was a formidable opponent, even at a young age. As the Wicked Lady, Chibiusa was able to tap into her Art's "Murderous Intent" with ease. In fact, Wicked Lady nearly crippled Sailor Moon during one altercation, sending her to the hospital in tractions, and forced the Sailor Scouts to seek the help from an old ally: Ranma Saotome. Ranma initially held his own against Chibiusa. However, he was unprepared for the magical aspects of Chibiusa's potent arsenal. As a result, Ranma, in his "girl-form" reluctantly became the newest incarnation of Sailor Moon to defeat Chibiusa in personal combat while saving the future princess' soul. In end, the newest iteration of the Sailor Scouts defeated the Black Moon Clan, with the help of the so-called Nerima Wrecking Crew, and their master the Wiseman (also known as "Death Phantom"), who turned out to be a future version of Oni, aka Gouki, aka Akuma, who returned from exile to undermine the peace that Crystal Tokyo had created on Earth.

In the end, it became clear that Usagi was needed to assume her destiny as Sailor Moon, if Crystal Tokyo was to become a reality…

"So, have you thought about what I mentioned to you earlier?" Mamoru said, as he decided to broach the subject.

Usagi pursed her lips, before suddenly getting up from the table.

"No," Usagi said, as she turned around to leave the sundae shop.

"Usagi, wait," Mamoru said, as he quickly paid the shop for the desserts, and pursued Usagi outside, only to see her nowhere in sight.

"You can't run away like this!" Mamoru yelled aloud, as he looks around the nearly empty street. "You have to take responsibility for the future!"

No reply.

Mamoru sighs in defeat, even as Luna the Guardian Cat jumps from a nearby tree branch.

"What happened?" Luna asked. She had been nearby eaves dropping on Mamoru's conversation with Usagi, trying to get a handle on Usagi's disposition.

"I don't know," Mamoru said, as he shook his head. "It's like every time I try to broach the subject of becoming Sailor Moon, Usagi just clams up."

"And you told her what Neo-Queen Serenity had said? That there could be more enemies the Sailor Scouts could encounter, if the timeline is changed?"

"I did," Mamoru said. "Maybe we should have told her that Neo-Queen Serenity is-"

"If we did, we might risk tempting the fate of Crystal Tokyo," Luna replied. "We have to try to get Usagi to become Sailor Moon without tipping off this foreknowledge."

"Humph."

Elsewhere, Usagi was running down the street towards Juuban Park with tears streaming down her face.

'Don't they know that I can't risk bringing back my old self?' Usagi thought, as she skids to the canal near the park. She then screamed aloud.

"Ahhhhhh!" Usagi screamed. "Why me? Why must it be me?"

'Because you are the heir of Gouki the Akuma, in the murderous aspects of Shotokan Karate,' said a voice within her head.

"Who said that?" Usagi yelled, as she looked around wildly.

'Down here, Dumpling-Head,' said the voice.

Usagi looks down into the canal. Since there had been a heavy rainy season, so the waters in the canal were close to the high-water mark, allowing people to see their reflection up close. Ironically, it wasn't Usagi's reflection that was staring at her.

'Hey, there,' said Dark Bunny. Save for the reddish-tanned skin, red eyes and darker blond hair, Dark Bunny looked exactly like Usagi.

"Go away!" Usagi yelled, causing some of people nearby to wonder if the girl with the Dumpling hair was crazy. "I don't you around me anymore!"

'But I am you, and you know it,' Dark Bunny replied. 'Admit it; you love being me.'

"At the cost of my self-respect and soul? I don't to lose my friends and family! I don't want to hurt people!"

'You won't have a choice in the matter. You heard what 'Mamo-kun' said. The Sailor Scouts need you because more enemies could threaten the lives of innocents…'

Pause.

'And you will have a chance to prove that you are the strongest fighter out there. Only then can you truly be a 'senshi'."

"I won't do it!" Usagi said, as she tips a nearby trash can, and throw into the canal, breaking the image of her "dark" reflection in the process. "Not you or anyone else will make me fight. I've given that up-"

"Ahhhh!" yelled a nearby scream.

Usagi turns towards the source of the scream. Across the canal, in the park itself, a girl and boy were being picked on by older youths.

"Heh!" said the lead bully, as he cracked his knuckles.

The girl was at the side of the boy whose nose had been punched. She then looked up at the lead bully.

"Leave us alone!" the girl said. "We didn't do anything to you!"

"We simply want your money," said the lead bully. "You know, for 'protection'."

"So, you better hand over your money, or else!" said a second bully.

Usagi turned away from the scene, as she slowly walks away…

"Let me help you to your feet, kid!" said a third bully, as he grabs the boy on the ground.

"Don't!" the girl said, as the second bully grabs the girl, in order to allow the lead bully to work over the boy.

"I'm not going to give you anything," the boy said with defiance. "It's my money. I earned it!"

"Okay, then you've earned another fist to your face!" the lead bully said, as he cocked his fist, and threw a punch. Or, at least, he intended to do so, when a dainty hand intercepted it.

THAK!

The lead bully tried to pull away, but found that he couldn't, even as Usagi came into view.

"No," Usagi said, as she stared at the lead bully with cold eyes. "There will be no bullying while I am around."

The lead bully wanted to say something, but felt something off about this new girl…

"Hey!" said the second bully, as he pushes his captive aside to help his friend. "Who do you think you are-?"

With a solid punch that was faster than the eye could track, Usagi fells the second bully without moving her head. She then let's the lead bully go, even as the second bully falls to the ground.

"I won't repeat myself," Usagi said.

"You think you're tough, eh?" the lead bully said, as his pride kicks into gear, as he produces a switch-blade from one of his pockets.

CLATCH!

"I'll show you, you little witch!"

The lead bully lounges forward with the knife. At the same time, Usagi twists her upper-body, and delivers a solid punch to the lead bully's gut with her right fist.

"Oof!" the lead bully said, as he hunches over.

Usagi then twists her body to deliver another punch with her left fist, this time to the jaw.

"BUNNY UPPERCUT!" Usagi yelled, as she delivered a specialized rabbit punch that multiplied the damage of a normal uppercut.

"Arrrgh!"the lead bully said, as he sails into the nearby canal.

SPLASH!

Usagi stares at the water, and sees that the lead bully was alive, even as he attempts to swim to the nearest port of entry. She then turns to face the remaining bully, and gives him a murderous look.

"Heh," said the third bully, as he suddenly turns and runs away.

"Th-thank you," said the boy, as he pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket. He then fishes for his eyeglasses, and stared at Usagi.

"Wait, I know you! You're-"

"Yes, it's me, Gurio," Usagi said, as she sighs, before turning away. She then glances back a bit.

"It's…nice seeing you again."

And, with that, Usagi walks away.

"Weird," Gurio Umino said, as he scratched the back of his head.

"Do you know her, cousin?" said the girl next to him. She had been spending time with her cousin Gurio, while her parents were away on business.

"Yeah, she was in my class, Kei," Gurio said. "Supposedly, she ran away, or was kidnapped or something, before coming back to school. But then…she just took off."

"You know, I have a friend who would love to meet her," said Kei Chitose. "She's always looking for martial artists her age to spar with."

"Heh, good luck with that," Gurio said. "Ever since I've known Usagi, she's been acting a bit weird, more so when she demonstrated her skills at street fighting or something."

"Huh," Kei said. Already, she knew what she wanted to talk about, the next time she sees her best friend, Sakura Kasugano, a potent street fighter in her own right.

'If anything, telling Sakura about this Usagi person will give her the excuse to come visit me,' Kei thought with glee. 'Yes, I think I'll do that…'

Tbc.

Next Time: "New Moon"