Racing up the mountainside, Ryu's worst fears were confirmed when he saw Gouki waiting for him, a limp and bleeding Chun Li hanging from his oversized fist, a large smirk on his otherwise impassive face. "Chun Li!" Ryu called out to her.

She lifted her head slightly at the sound of his voice. "Ryu…" His name was barely a whisper. Suddenly he was four years old again and watching his mother die.

The rage that was becoming all too familiar began to grow inside him. "Oni! Let her go!"

Gouki's teeth glinted in the dim light as his smile grew wider. "It has come full circle now, has it not, Ryu? Will you watch and let her perish as you did your mother? Or will you fight me?" Clenching and unclenching his fists, Ryu felt the same helplessness he'd experienced the day his parents were killed. Sensing his indecision, Gouki pressed on. "Killing your parents was nothing for me," he laughed. "And this one, a few seconds is all that is required for her to join them." He smiled as Ryu became visibly angier. "She has made you weak. Now release your satsui no hadou. Awaken the darkness within you." He began to squeeze his fist, and Chun Li fought from crying out, but the pain in her face was undeniable.

A strange glow began to surround Ryu. "I'll kill you if you hurt her any more," he swore. His eyes began to glow a menacing shade of red.

"Yes, kill me. Release your own demon and unleash it on me." The akuma continued to put pressure on Chun Li's rib cage. "Will you let me rob you of everything? Your mother, your father, Gouken, and now, this woman. Are you so afraid that you will do nothing? Pathetic."

The anger he felt was consuming him. Pulling back his arms, energy began to collect between his hands.

"Ryu, don't!" Chun Li pleaded.

"I will not let you die!"

"How touching," Gouki scoffed.

"Ryu, you musn't!" She muffled a scream as Gouki tightened his grip a bit more.

"But you will die if I do not stop him!" he said, his voice cracking with grief. "I cannot let that happen! I will not!"

"Shinryuken!"

Ken charged Gouki, attempting to free Chun Li. Though he fought with everything he had, Gouki swatted him away with little effort, never relinquishing his grip on his captive. With a loud bellow he punched Ken with such force that he smashed through five trees before bouncing unconscious off the sixth. He landed heavily on the ground with a loud crash.

"Ken!" Not knowing what to do, he looked back at Chun Li.

She smiled softly in spite of her pain and met his eyes. "Ryu, don't lose yourself because of me. If the price of my life was your soul, I'd never forgive myself."

"But I cannot be without you." The energy was continuing to grow between his palms. "I cannot – I cannot watch you…die," he said, his voice breaking.

Tears gathered in her eyes and she smiled again. "Knowing that you cared is enough for me. Have the courage to resist it. Don't let him win."

"Enough of this insipid chatter." Gouki's voice was contemptuous. "Whether you open yourself to the evil within you or not, she dies regardless." Lifting her high above his head, he prepared to crush her skull into the ground.

He thought back to the time they had spent together since coming to the dojo and how in that short span he had come to love her so fiercely. I must not be afraid, I must not be afraid, Ryu told himself over and over. Looking at Chun Li's face, he whispered, "I love you," before launching everything he had at Gouki.

Ken regained consciousness to the sound of a loud explosion behind him. Grimacing with pain, he tried to make out what had happened, but there was too much smoke and debris. When the air cleared, he could see Ryu sitting in the middle of what looked like a large impact crater. "Ryu!" Running over to his friend, he saw that he was cradling Chun Li's body in his arms. She wasn't moving. "Did you do it? Did you use the satsui no hadou to kill him?"

Ryu turned to meet Ken's gaze, his eyes filled with tears. "No, I did not." He looked down at Chun Li's face and softly stroked her cheek. His tears began to fall on her face. "But I wish I had died rather than see her like this. I wanted her to know how sorry I was. I was so foolish and wasted so much time. And now it is too late."

Ken had never seen him look so fragile or dejected. "Ryu…" For once, he was speechless.

Cradling her body to him, Ryu gave in to his tears and began sobbing in earnest. "Forgive me, please forgive me," was all he could repeat over and over.

Staring at the ground, Ken's heart broke for his friend's sorrow. One of Chun Li's hands lay limp against the ground. His heart stopped for a moment when he thought he saw her finger twitch. "Ryu!"

"Chun Li?" Ryu looked incredulously at her face as her eyes fluttered open. "You're alive?" Overwhelmed with joy, he hugged her tightly.

Wincing, she chuckled softly. "Not so hard, Ryu. I think he broke a few of my ribs."

"Gomen!" Ryu apologized, hastily loosening his hold on her.

Ken punched his fist into the air with triumph. "Yeah! Ryu 1, Gouki 0! Come on guys, let's get you to a hospital."


oni: demon

akuma: devil

gomen: sorry