Disclaimer: I do not own the Street Fighter series or any of its characters.
Her
Chapter One
It hurt…
It hurt so much more than she thought it would.
Another devastating blow connected causing the young girl to double over, the grimace on her face proof that he caught her exactly where she didn't want him to as she slid backwards into the wall behind her. With slender arms desperately clutching her stomach, Sakura tried her best to lift her head and look at the man in front of her.
He was openly amused at her plight but the grin was overshadowed by the burning red eyes that seemed to look through her. By his vicious glare alone she could tell who he was but the black gi and his destructive aura was more than enough to make her certain that she was dealing with the man some called a demon.
Sakura grit her teeth as she forced herself to stand up straight again. Angry that he was toying with her, the street fighter balled up her fist and charged him with everything she had, "It's gonna take more than that!!" She yelled as she rushed him.
Akuma smirked as her attack neared his face, "Little girl…"
Her eyes widened in shock as her knuckles grazed his face and, in those few seconds, she realized that she couldn't stop her momentum. The opening was more than enough for a fighter that had the experience he did and he showed her exactly how bad her mistake was when it felt like her head was about to rip off her body because of his powerful hook. She staggered backwards thanks to the counter, nearly losing her balance until her back met with the brick wall for the second time.
"My fists show no mercy."
Sakura placed a hand on the wall to keep from crumbling to the ground. Her legs were shaking so much that she could barely stand up. While she didn't know if it was out of fear or because she merely took one punch too many from the man before her, she was certain of at least one thing.
This was a meaningless fight.
She was just walking home from school and decided to take a shortcut today. She went through this alley plenty of times before and never had any trouble aside from how quiet it was. Where did he come from? Why was he here? Those were questions she couldn't answer. She wanted to go home and he was in her way but she didn't have any idea how it escalated into such a brutal fight…
Despite that, it was only now that she realized that this alley was as good as any a place for a fight. It was secluded, silent, and the light of the afternoon sun didn't reach into such a depressing place. What little light she was provided came from the street lights that were just turning on. Either way, if she was going to fight such a person then this was the setting for it.
Sakura spat out a tooth as she pushed herself off the wall and Akuma took his stance again. Even if she didn't have any light, his deadly aura was so thick that it alone could illuminate the alley.
There was no denying it now. She could tell that she was terrified of him. Those piercing crimson eyes, that aura filled with bloodlust, that grave expression that told her more pain was coming… She could make a list as long as she wanted but it wasn't going to change anything.
Even if it was a fight that didn't have a purpose, it was still a fight. Wasn't encounters like this the entire point of being a street fighter altogether? If she couldn't at least see this through then what kind of fighter would she be then?
Still…
Akuma took a step forward and Sakura unintentionally backed into a trash can. The garbage can tumbled over and the contents spilled out behind her. The schoolgirl stared at the garbage that covered the dirty pavement. If she didn't fight then she wouldn't be any better than the crumbled paper and apple core under the sole of her shoe. Who would respect a street fighter who was too scared to do what should be her most obvious course of action?
Sakura used her forearm to wipe away the trickle of blood that came out of mouth as she bravely stepped forward, her once shattered resolve now whole again. The Raging Demon? The most dangerous street fighter? She didn't care who he was or what they called him.
She was going to take him down.
She dashed towards him and ducked under the jab that was waiting for her. Taking advantage of his missed punch, the brown haired girl swept her foot under him and he quickly jumped to avoid the attack.
That was exactly what she wanted him to do.
Akuma's terrifying eyes narrowed as he realized that he fell for such a petty trick but it did little to stop him from reeling back to hit her as she gathered the energy she needed for her strongest attack. His fist was so close that she could already imagine how it would feel to be hit by it and the amount of power she collected was so great that it was starting to sear her hands.
She tilted her head to the side and the punch she barely managed to avoid drew blood even though it missed completely. Unfazed by the fact that it was a chance that such a powerful blow could have outright killed her, Sakura charged forward and drove her palms into his exposed chest, "Shinkuu Hadouken!!" She exclaimed as the powerful blast bathed the alley in a magnificent, soft blue light.
It consumed everything in front of her. The narrow path between the brick and concrete walls was entirely engulfed in a stark blue explosion of pure energy. The walls that flanked the girl were disintegrated but she continued to keep herself steady as she maintained the attack. Slowly, the strongest attack Sakura ever did in her life flickered and died down and she saw the carnage she left in her wake.
Just as she observed before, the old, dilapidated buildings she stood between both had holes large enough to step though and the garbage she was stepping on was nothing but melted clumps of trash and ashes. Sakura looked ahead and realized she could hardly see thanks to the thick cloud of dust in front of her but she was certain that she got him; he couldn't avoid it at that range.
Sakura closed her eyes and took a seat on the ground, her energy completely sapped thanks to what was pretty much her last stand. With a sigh of relief reflecting how she felt about the ordeal, the brown haired girl smiled as she opened her eyes and saw Akuma laying motionless a few feet in front of her, "I… I did it…" She whispered, a childish smile still spread wide across her face as she did what most thought what was impossible.
Out of everyone in the entire world, she was the only one who could claim that she defeated him. Of course, she was aware of the fact that he was taking her lightly but he paid the price for underestimating her. If he didn't use his full strength then that was his fault and he would be faced with that whenever he thought about his defeat.
Abruptly, her body crashed through what remained of the concrete wall. Before she could regain her senses, a hand reached out and grabbed her short, brown locks. Pulling her up by the hair, Akuma drove his knee so deep into her stomach that she thought it was going to come out of her back.
He released her and she stumbled backwards until she fell to the floor on her knees, her lunch threatening to come up as she clasped her hand over her mouth. She didn't have the time to recover before the heel of his foot buried itself in her side causing her to skid across the floor, crashing through the old, wooden desk behind her.
"Such arrogance!" Akuma declared his crimson eyes alive with rage. How dare she believe that she defeated him with merely one attack? She had never been more wrong in her life if she truly believed that he would lose to that. If she wanted to stand a chance then she would need far more than an attack he had witnessed countless times before.
Sakura coughed up blood as she used the broken remains of the desk to push herself off the floor. How could did this happen? That hadoken was so strong that she thought she killed him until she saw his body through the dust. His tattered gi was proof that she landed the attack but it also showed her the cruel truth.
She put everything she possibly could into her most powerful attack and he merely shrugged it off like an annoying question. At least, she was hoping that it would render him immobile but he wasn't having any of that.
The distressed girl barely managed to block the jabs he threw at her and was so caught up in trying not to get punched that she couldn't help but be surprised when she felt his foot being firmly planted in her chest.
She couldn't begin to describe how much it hurt as her back roughly met the dusty tiled floor. Not only was the breath knocked out of her but she had to reach a hand up to her chest to make sure it wasn't a hole there. The approaching footsteps urged her to get up but her body refused to move and, again, the traveling fighter again lifted her by her hair.
He tossed her into the air with ease, his hand quickly returning to his side as he gathered his energy for an attack that Sakura was familiar with. As she fell to the ground, Akuma let go of the hadoken and the purple blast that smashed into her caused her body to crash through the bookshelf positioned in the corner of the room.
Somehow, she managed to get her hand to her mouth just in time to stifle the blood she coughed up but it spilled out regardless. The deep red, a gloomy color darker than that of the eyes of the demon in front of her stained her school uniform and she couldn't bring herself to focus on anything other than the small pool of scarlet on the floor in front of her.
Why was this happening to her? She didn't want to fight anymore. Sakura stared up at the man that towered above her, his shadow looming over her as he glared at the schoolgirl. She could feel tears coming to her eyes, "I… I don't want to fight anymore…" Her weak words came out softly but he made no reply, "Please… I-" She paused to spit out the rest of the blood in her mouth, "I just want to go home!" She yelled, the sharp pain in her side enough to tell her that she shouldn't do that anymore.
Akuma's expression was stern and so were his words, "Pathetic."
He took a step towards her and she used all of her remaining strength to crawl away from him. She already knew it was useless since he was blocking the only exit but, even worse, was the fact that it was cowardly. It completely disgusted her that she became something she so violently hated but this was the first time in her entire life that she was scared to death.
Even a fool could see that he wasn't finished with her, the gleam in his red eyes more than enough to let her know that the fight wasn't over just because she wanted it to end. Her heart skipped a beat as his rough hand wrapped around her thin neck and lifted her battered body off the floor before slamming it into the wall. Pinned to the concrete behind her by a single hand, Sakura could only stare at the face of the man that held her.
This time around he had no words to offer her as he held up his fist and reeled back his massive arm to deliver the final blow but he halted upon noticing something so dismal, so out of place that it bewildered him.
She was crying.
There weren't just teams streaming down her face but she was sobbing loud enough that he couldn't concentrate. The eyebrow that was raised in confusion lowered as Akuma's expression darkened. Even if he sought to utterly crush any fighter that appeared before him, Akuma always held respect for the person that bravely challenged him.
"Please…" She cried, too concerned with surviving to be thankful that his hand was not quite tight enough to stop her from breathing, "P-Please don't kill me!" Sakura managed to say as the tears continued to roll down her face, "Please…"
A street fighter reduced to a crying girl begging to be freed? It was disgusting. She was a waste of time and it was only now that he could tell that she was unworthy as a challenger. Not only did she lose his respect but she was disgracing herself. He would end it quickly for both their sake.
His fingers dug into her skin as his hand constricted around her neck. The fist that he lowered was raised again and Sakura knew that this was it. As he drew his arm back once more, Sakura's mind was restricted to a single thought.
There were no flashbacks or anything of that sort as his fist sped towards her face. Her life didn't flash before her eyes and she wasn't naïve enough to believe she was suddenly going to be rescued.
She was going to die.
Sakura was never a true street fighter like the others. She just liked the trill and enjoyed meeting different people from around the world. Even though she had such a violent pastime, she managed to remain pure and untouched by the dark side of her hobby. Fighting to the death? Submerging yourself in killing to sharpen your skills? The brown haired girl just liked having fun with her friends.
Ken, Dan, and even Ryu were always careful with her no matter how many times she demanded a serious match. It was only in hindsight that she realized that, no matter how much she pressed them, they never dared to throw a serious attack in her direction. Of course they were aware that she was serious about being a street fighter but it was more than obvious that no one considered her a threat.
Could it be that one of the reasons she fought was to be acknowledged? Just so she could get some attention and be known for something other than being an obnoxious girl people liked to ignore?
The fact that she couldn't breathe brought her back to the present and reality finally started to set in. With her clouded thoughts fading away, she realized that this was it. He was going to kill her and then cast her broken body into the darkness of the old building for the vermin to feed on.
"You…"
Sakura heard the voice but was couldn't manage to concentrate enough to hear what was said. Regardless, it was enough to let her know that someone was there and it wasn't hard to figure out whoever it was didn't come to make friends.
Even though her vision was blurred to the point that she could barely see in front of her, she didn't need her eyes to be witness to such intensity. Akuma released her to block the sudden attack, his feet skidding backwards across the floor thanks to the hadouken.
"S-Sakura?!"
Akuma smirked as he teleported to avoid the next blast, a new challenger to face would at least save him from dealing with such a disgrace.
The schoolgirl fell to the floor unable to respond to her savior but she held onto consciousness as long as she possible could. Even that was a losing battle but, as her eyes slowly closed, she could hear what sounded like a real fight. The raw impact of fist meeting each other and the dull sound of attacks bouncing off blocks were something she seemed to only hear when she was a bystander…
She was about to black out but she could still feel the tears pooling under the side of her face. If she could move she would cover her ears, the sound of the fight proof of her own weakness. It wasn't just sparring practice or just friends messing around. It was a true fight and it actually sounded like one but it was only then, as she lay crying on the ground, that she realized that it didn't sound anything like her battle…
0
"Are… okay?"
Her entire body felt heavy and her senses so dull that she couldn't tell exactly what was happening until she opened her eyes. The young girl groaned as her blurred vision started to come together and the figure of the person in front of her became more than familiar.
"Are you okay?" Her savoir repeated softly, his concern easy to note thanks to the tone of his voice. The hazel orbs that were his eyes stared down at her as his hands carefully held her close but Sakura found herself entranced by the ends of the crimson headband that seemed to dance in front of her face.
It was him.
Ryu breathed a sigh of relief as she nodded, "Can you stand?"
He came for her.
The schoolgirl blinked the tears out of eyes and quickly reached a hand up to wipe away any others that threatened to come. She couldn't begin to describe how thankful she was to see him. She had already accepted that she was going to die and he saved her…
"Where does it hurt?"
Surprised by the sudden question, she adverted her eyes away from the man that completely misunderstood… like he usually did. Even though he was one of the strongest people in the world, that didn't at all stop him from being the most naïve person she knew. He could understand the most advanced tactics and even overcome any technique that challenge him but he was all but oblivious to anything aside from fighting.
Could she fault him for completely dedicating himself to his practice and forsaking any distraction? He was just the type of person that preferred to be alone, that didn't mean he didn't have friends or even considered some of them family. Unlike her, he was the real thing. He put everything he had into the fight and valued it all the same.
In looking up at him, she noticed the mark on his face and already knew that it was her fault that it was there. Alas, the look in his eyes told her that taking one or two punches was nothing compared to what she went through, "I think… No, I'm taking you to the hospital."
His words alone gave her the strength to escape from his grasp and somehow manage to stand up, "No…" She whimpered, like a hurt kitten. She backed away from Ryu, the downcast expression on his face informing her that he was going to do it no matter what she said, "No! I don't… I don't need to go there!"
This wasn't something as lame as a fear of doctors or needles but instead something much more devastating. She knew fully well that she lost a fight but how could she show her face in public if people knew she lost this bad?
"I didn't die or anything." She limped away as she spoke, "I lost… That's all."
Ryu stood up, his sight on the ground since he couldn't bring himself to look at the girl that admired him, "What are you saying…? You're hurt."
Coldly, she looked over her shoulder at him, "You never cared before." She quickly shot back, her ability to mask her feelings cracking along with her pride.
He opened his mouth to speak but the impact of her words left him with nothing to say. Determined to at least say something, he looked into the eyes that sadly stared back and said the first thing that came to mind.
"I care because you're my friend."
She knew that he had honest intentions but it hurt all the same…
"Exactly."
"Wait," Ryu, too worried about her to notice the double meaning in his words, found himself even further confused by the girl, "What are you getting at?"
"If…" Sakura turned away from him and wrapped her arms around herself before limping away, "If I was Chun Li, you would have got here sooner."
Again he found himself speechless and struggling to reply, "It isn't like that."
"What is it like then!? Why are you always so cold to me!?" Sakura exclaimed, her temper flaring as his words pushed her off the edge, "When I win, you don't even care but let me lose and then you show up to save me like-"
"I felt…" Ryu started, interrupting her as he continued, "I felt his presence so-"
"Why didn't you just come to see me!?" She yelled, a sharp pain in her chest causing her to tightly wrap her arms around her small frame.
Something that happened because of a chance encounter was quickly becoming more important than the fact that she lost or even the fight itself. The cracked or possibly broken ribs hurt but not nearly as much as the ignorance he rained on her.
"I'm the one that loves you more than anyone and I don't get anything!" The dangerous look in her eyes dared him to say something, to interrupt her again with the nonsense she knew he would sprout, "Why is fighting more important than me?"
"Sakura…"
"I started doing this to get close to you… but you only moved farther away." The temper that flared gradually calmed and the look in her brown eyes became as soft as her voice, "Do you hate me that much?"
"I don't hate you at all!" He answered, his voice raised because of the accusation, "It's just-"
"My age?" Sakura chimed in, fully prepared to tell him it wouldn't put a dent in their relationship.
He shook his head as he found his sight drifting to the floor again, "No, it's someone else…"
His honesty was considered one of his best traits but, right now, it was one of his worst. The effect his words had on the schoolgirl were easy to see in the stunned expression that he looked up at, "What?" She muttered, the only response she could offer in such shock.
How could there be someone else? No one had any idea how long she waited. No one had any idea how patient she tried to be. No one in the entire world could possibly even comprehend how much she thought about him so… how could there be someone else?
"Who? Please… at least tell me that." She whispered, somewhat recovering from the shock. As his lips moved, she realized that she didn't want to know but it was already too late. She motioned to place her hands over her ears but the question had already received its answer.
"Chun Li."
It hurt…
Chun Li was everything she wasn't. She was elegant, feminine, and already a much better fighter than she was. How was she supposed to compare to someone like that? How was she supposed to be better than someone who was obviously superior to her in every way?
Without a word, the young girl hopelessly limped towards the hole Akuma made when he threw her through the wall. As she stepped over the bricks, she couldn't help but find the entire situation amusing. She lost a fight she never had a chance to win, she lost the person she treasured the most to another woman, but the only thing she didn't lose was here life.
She forced a smile as tears streamed down her face.
In hindsight, maybe she should have.
Suddenly her vision blurred and she stumbled but, before she fell into the pile of bricks she was trying to cross, Ryu easily covered the distance between them to catch her. Normally, she would be happy to even indirectly be in contact with him but now…
Using the last of her strength, Sakura flung herself out of his arms and collided with the wall on the other side of the alley, "Don't touch me!!" She screamed as loud as she could, the sharp pain in her side causing her to press her hand against her chest, "Don't touch me…"
He couldn't leave her like this. Despite her pleas, he carefully made his way towards her, "Sakura, you-"
She punched him.
Another blow hit him in the chest and another slowly followed after that but both of them knew the petty hits didn't have enough vigor behind them to actually hurt. Despite her feeble attempts to fend him off, he continued to endure her pathetic attacks.
Ryu did nothing except endure and his pity fueled her anger but the fire in her eyes did little to stop the tears that fell. It didn't take long for the time between each punch to grow longer and, in one last desperate attempt to get away from him, she tried to push him.
She failed and nearly fell herself but he was there to gently catch her in his arms. Too tired to put up any kind of resistance, Sakura could do nothing aside from give up before she lost consciousness. He lifted her with ease and, with one more look down at her to see how she was doing, he decided his destination.
He held her close, her head pressed up against his chest as he started to walk with as much caution as possible. As she tried her best to keep from passing out, she noted with a sad smile that he was being extra careful since he was carrying her.
There was no doubt that he was taking her to a place she didn't want to go. Still, the sound of his heartbeat soothed her and she continued to listen to it even as she sunk into the darkness that was unconsciousness.
Water splashed and her eyes snapped open.
Swiftly looking around to see what she was, she discovered a few things quicker than she would have liked. For one, she was in a bathtub filled to the top with hot, soapy water that made her wounds sting but still provided the comfort that came from a relaxing bath.
Another thing she noticed was that the only thing she had on was the white headband that was already wet. Blushing, she turned to find an equally embarrassed Ryu holding a sponge.
The schoolgirl blinked before taking in a deep breath and slowing exhaling. This had to be a dream. A situation like this was far too awkward to be reality. Successfully fooling herself, Sakura could virtually feel her brain seeping out of her ear when Ryu, shocked that she woke up so fast, dropped the sponge in the water.
"I didn't…" The street fighter paused as he gulped, "I didn't want you to lie down while you were like that…"
While he continued to spit out excuses, she regained her composure enough to realize that she was in a hotel. Now that she knew where she was to an extent, she only had one more question to ask. Blankly, she turned to her savior who quickly turned away and closed his eyes as he once again became aware of her nudity, "Please d-don't misunderstand!!"
The detached expression on her face gave way to a small smile as the anger she directed at the man melted away. Sakura's smile became larger as Ryu blindly waved his arms around in search of the sponge he dropped. It was cute that he was so scared to look at her body.
The smile on her face faded away as she paused to think about her body. She held up back a sigh. There was nothing much to look at… She was just a tomboy. Obviously he liked women that actually had sex appeal.
His hand brushed against her shoulder as he continued his blind search and he quickly blurted out an apology as he kept flailing his arms around. The thoughts concerning her appearance disappeared as she turned to focus on the blush that almost covered his entire face.
Sakura silently took a good look at him.
The serious expression he usually had was replaced with a determined yet embarrassed look as he fished around for the sponge and finally found it. Her brown eyes drifted away from his face as she noticed that he wasn't wearing the white gi everyone associated with him. The white, loose fitting tee shirt he was wearing was more than enough to surprise her but the stonewashed jeans almost made her eyeballs roll out.
"Those clothes…?"
"Ken said it would be good to try something different and I agreed."
The schoolgirl nodded as he squeezed the sponge. This wasn't the first time she saw him dressed differently but this was the first time she ever had trouble saying what she really wanted to say. Bracing herself as he dipped the sponge back into the water, Sakura decided she would just force herself to ask the question she held back ever since regaining consciousness.
"I thought…" She paused as the water splashed, "I thought that you were taking me to the hospital."
"You said you didn't want to go…" Ryu muttered, his sight glued to the floor as he spoke, "I think you'll be alright if you rest for a while."
"I see…"
The awkward silence that was once broken returned to the bathroom as the conversation fell flat. Sakura quietly stared at the shaky reflection in the water and it showed her the downcast expression she usually hid with ease. Ryu timidly brought the sponge to what he hoped was her back and, with excruciating caution, blindly rubbed it across her skin.
Instantly, she attempted to think of anything to put in the growing distance between them. An apology would only make things worst and honestly telling him how she felt wouldn't be any better. Making up her mind as the sponge slowly moved down her back, she spoke before she knew exactly what she wanted to say.
"Did you wash me… down there?"
She teased him despite the fact that she knew neither of them were in the mood for jokes. When the silence continued, she feared that her attempt to cut the tension had failed until she turned to see him blushing.
"Yes," He admitted, his face becoming a darker shade of red, "I did."
The thought of him touching her there was something that never happened even in the wildest of daydreams. Sakura couldn't help but match the blush on his face with one of her own as she pictured him shyly reaching the sponge under the surface of the water. With one hand on her back to keep her up, she could envision him bringing the sponge to the most delicate part of her anatomy.
Only if she had been awake…
"I was just starting on your h-hair when you came to."
Sakura brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, "Thank you." She whispered, nodding as she listened to him.
Ryu cleared his throat, "I think I ordered something to eat but I have to go pick it up… After that, I'll walk you-"
"My parents aren't back yet." She cut in before turning towards him, "Can… Can I stay with you just a while longer?"
He couldn't refuse if she asked like that…
Ryu, finally finished with the tedious sponge bath, took a deep breath as he stood up. With his mind made up, he opened his eyes ready to tell her that it would be better if she went home but the sad face that looked up at him quickly changed his mind, "O-Okay…" He said regretfully.
As she reached for the sponge he left behind, he silently left the room but she still caught the look on his face and she knew fully well what it meant. He didn't forget what happened earlier and it was obvious he was uncomfortable because of that.
"How unlucky…"
Today changed everything. Her ambitions, her feelings, and even some of her dreams were broken. How did she go from happily rushing home to enjoy the video games she rented to sitting in a tub lamenting over things she couldn't possibly fix now?
That wasn't even the worst part.
He was virtually right in front of her but, at the same time, he had never been farther away. Conflicting feelings? Another girl? Lost fights? Why did everything have to stand in her way? What did she do to deserve this?
"Sakura?"
"What is it?" She asked, idly noting that his voice didn't have the same spirit it usually did.
"I…" Ryu leaned on the doorframe, his face turned in the opposite direction as he spoke, "I was wondering if you felt alright now?"
What a joke.
Did she feel alright? This was one of the worst days of her life and he wanted to know if she felt alright? Sakura could feel herself getting angry again but, upon realizing the sadness in his voice, she forcefully calmed herself down, "No."
"I'm not alright…"
Continued
Author's note: I touched up the first chapter in preparation of posting the final chapter. I fixed things a bit but, most importantly, I changed some of Sakura's lines around to make her train of thought clearer.
Either way, thanks for reading friends.