"Ryu."

He didn't want to wake up. It just wasn't worth it. This fight...Akuma...it wouldn't ever end. What was the use in getting back up, taking another beating, surviving it, just to fight him again when he became even stronger?

His eyes adjusted, his vision clearing, and he looked around. He was still in that room. There was Sagat, passed out on the floor. There was Akuma, turned away from him, seeming to be focused on something else. When he saw what, he forced himself up. "Sakura, no!" he cried. She was running right for Akuma, but frozen in mid-stride. He blinked a few times, wondering if he'd been hit in the head a little too hard. But everything was frozen in time like this, and he wondered what had happened.

"Ryu."

The sound of the voice finally registered with him, and he turned to find the source of it. His eyes widened, and he shook his head slowly. "Master... You're alive?"

The old man stood there, quiet but resolute. He had heard from Chun-Li that Gen referred to him as Life, opposing Akuma, who acted as Death, and Ryu found these descriptors to be quite apt. "No, Ryu. I am not."

Ryu drew his brows together in confusion, looking down at his hands. "What's happening? I have to help Sakura, before she's hurt," he said quickly, gesturing back towards his student.

"It is her turn to help you, Ryu," the man said. "You will have to trust in her strength. To doubt her will only do her harm in this fight, for you will not be able to help her in your current state."

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"You're dying, Ryu," the man answered calmly. The statement was like a blow to the chest, and Ryu was having trouble processing it.

"No, I can't die," he said defiantly. "I have to help the others!"

"Stay calm," Gouken said. Ryu shook his head frantically, turning his eyes toward Sakura. "You have a task to complete, and you must preserve every ounce of strength you have for it. This is the only way you can hope to survive."

"Tell me what I have to do," Ryu said quickly, turning back to face his master.

"You must wait. As I was able to return to defend you from Akuma, my final duty in this world, so to will you be able to return to perform yours."

"What? What do I have to do?" Ryu asked. He knew, but he wanted to be sure, had to hear it from someone he trusted.

"When I found you, Ryu, you were alone in this world. I knew that day, that I had discovered something special. Someone whose fate was entwined with the fate of us all. I took you under my wing not only to give you a home, but to teach you the right path, to keep you from the dark influences that would seek you out for the entirety of your life. I knew you were delivered to me for a purpose. I had to keep you from him, from all evil, or this world would fall."

Ryu couldn't believe his ears. Had his master known his entire life about who he was? Who he'd been? "You know about the game? Between destruction and creation?"

"All life is destruction and creation, Ryu," Gouken answered. "All life is duality, balance, harmony. It is when the balance is disturbed that a problem occurs. We all have the power to destroy, just as we all have the power to create. You have left your scales to be tipped by the weight of others for long enough." Akuma's influence over him had driven him towards destruction, and Ryu realised it before it was too late. He nodded, knowing that he had to make his own path, and not fall to the will of those around him. Gouken watched Ryu as he thought, and then asked, "What will you do, with the time you will have left?"

"I'll fight, Master," he said with a bow. "I'll protect our home." He wouldn't be manipulated by the dark half anymore.

"Jeez," Sakura breathed, narrowly avoiding another attack that would have left her brains painted on the walls. Akuma was fast, and he was strong, and now she wondered why she thought she ever even stood half a chance. How long could she keep this up for? She slid beneath another flying kick, and tensed up as she waited for the next attack.

"You are foolish to protect him, girl," Akuma spat. "You have not the strength in you."

"Don't even look at him, creep," Sakura snapped back. She rushed forward, spinning and channeling the momentum into a kick. Akuma lifted an arm to protect the side of his head, and she bounced back away from him. He balled up a fist, and smashed it into the ground, the entire floor left shaking as a result. She had to admit, it was pretty intimidating. She backed away from him, lifting her arms, always staying prepared for anything, just as Ryu had taught her. She glanced at his unmoving form on the floor. Was he still alive?

She couldn't be left to wander for too long as a cry from Akuma brought her attention back to him. He was headed right at her, and she panicked. Diving forward, she slid between his legs, jumped up, and planted both of her sneakers into his back. Breathless, a little shocked that she'd even made him stumble, she backed away, awaiting his next attack. "Come on, I could do this all day!" she shouted from the adrenaline rush.

He stalked towards her, gritting his teeth. "I've grown tired of you, girl..." he hissed under his breath.

"So take a nap," she replied, jumping up and landing a kick to the side of his head. But he didn't seem fazed, instead trapping her leg between his arm and his head. She bounced on one foot, trying to pull her leg from him, but with little success. "I mean..." she laughed nervously. "If you want, of course."

He growled loudly, taking hold of her ankle, spinning her around, and throwing her into the wall on the other side of the room. The air rushed out of her lungs, and she curled in on herself from the pain. This was too much, she wasn't ready for this! The demonic figure came towards her slowly, giving her just enough time to push herself up and try to crawl away. "I won't kill you. Not until he's woken up again. But when I do, it will be painful, and it will be slow." She continued backing away, finding herself trapped in a corner. How could she have let this happen? Looking around, desperate for any sort for help, she found nothing, and began to despair. "You will not enjoy this," Akuma warned.

A sudden, furious bellow from behind filled their senses, and Sakura grinned at the sight of the source. "Neither will you," she said, cocking her head as Akuma turned around just in time to be headbutted by an enormous draconian beast. Earth let loose another roar, tossing his head from side to side like an enraged bull, and Akuma stumbled over himself as he backed away. The creature was much too large for the room, leaving little room for anyone to move, and in such a confined space, his roars were deafening. But Earth was careful to avoid stepping on anyone-save Akuma. The creature lifted his forelegs, and brought them down over Akuma's head. The man dropped to the floor in an instant, and Sakura rushed to meet the furious dragon.

She threw her arms around his neck, and said, "Thank you." She was unsure if he even understood her, but it needed to be said all the same. The dragon turned his head towards Ryu, and lowed quietly, nudging his companion with his snout. Sakura knelt beside him, trying to shake him awake. "Ryu-san?" Worry overtaking her, she turned to Earth. "Can you take us to Rose? She'll know what to do!"

"Christ, why do we have to cut these things so damned close..." Guile sighed, wondering what had happened to Ryu and Sakura. He'd taken Cammy from Earth's back when the dragon apparently decided it needed find the two of them. Charlie said he wouldn't say what was wrong, but seemed pretty stressed about the situation, which was never a good sign. Cammy had, thankfully, woken up since then, but was in a lot of pain, and was grateful for Guile's assistance.

They'd made it back to the security room, the neutral area, and Bison and Rose were waiting anxiously. Balrog was conscious again, something none of them were particularly overjoyed about. "Shit man, like a blast from the past," the boxer said, rubbing his head and looking around. "What's up?" He nodded to Bison, who simply sighed and rolled his eyes. "Some welcome back party this is."

Ken, who, upon clearing up from the fog his mind had been left in after the possession and beating he'd received, couldn't help but keep staring at Charlie. "Wait til Eliza and Julia hear about this," he kept saying, and Charlie nodded patiently despite all of the distractions.

Cammy was apprehensive about going inside at all, knowing that Bison was present. The situation had been explained to her, but it still didn't seem right. Fei Long had a similar reaction, and it took Chun-Li to convince him that it was the safest place for him to be right now. Gen was the calmest of them all, saying very little but observing everything. None of them remembered what happened to them after Juri found them, so it was jarring for all of them when they woke up somewhere in Shadaloo with various degrees of injury, dressed in the uniforms of Bison's infantry. And the explanations they'd received from their friends were hardly believable, until they saw the dragons.

With everyone in the room but Sakura, Ryu, and their opponents, Bison and Rose made the rounds, checking everyone over for injuries. Charlie had suffered bruises and possibly cracked ribs. Guile found himself to be all right. Balrog wouldn't stop complaining about the beating he'd received, and the shock from Viper pissed him off to no end, especially when she told him just how satisfying it was. Ken was still a little foggy, which led them to believe he may have suffered a concussion. Cammy and Vega had both inhaled more smoke than they should have, and Bison couldn't tell if any of it had been chemical fumes, either. Cammy complained of a serious headache, and that her back hurt spectacularly, but was all right otherwise. Vega, on the other hand, was having difficulty focusing, and had lost quite a bit of blood. It turned out to have a delightful effect on his personality, however, as he was much more agreeable when he didn't have the strength left to argue about everything. Chun-Li had some pain along her side, her back, her entire head ached from her chin to the back of her neck, but she considered herself lucky to be alive after facing off with Gen. The older man was still sick, but his injuries were still minimal. Fei Long was left with an aching head and chest from the number of kicks Chun-Li had delivered, but declared he was perfectly fine in spite of it.

"Now, what's happening again?" Ken asked. "Why are we here playing doctor with Mengele over here?"

"Ryu, Chun-Li, Vega, and Charlie have to be kept safe at all costs," Rose explained. "They were chosen to defend the planet from the same force that possessed each of you."

"That's quite a lot to put on somebody's plate," Cammy whispered, glancing around at the ones mentioned who were still present.

"Ryu needs help!" a voice cried suddenly, bringing all attention to her. It was Sakura, with a stunned Sagat at her side, and an unconscious Ryu on the floor beside her. She didn't have time to question why Earth hadn't come into the room with them-probably because he wouldn't fit at all. Guile rushed to her side, Rose on his heels. The woman looked worried, as if she already knew what was wrong.

"How-?" Balrog asked, pointing a finger at the girl and raising an eyebrow. "I mean, where the hell did they come from?"

"Are you okay?" Guile asked quickly.

She nodded furiously, and said, "But Ryu, I don't know what's wrong with him."

Rose passed a hand over his face, seeming intensely focused on something. "He is very close to the brink. We must end this, now," she declared.

"Brink?" Sakura echoed. "What do you mean?"

"Help us get him outside," Charlie said, nodding to the door.

"Wait-" Sakura protested, shaking her head, still not comprehending. Everyone was talking at once, so much was going on. Charlie and Guile were lifting Ryu to his feet, carrying his weight on their shoulders. Bison was pulling Vega up, frowning as the Spaniard swayed from the light headedness that followed. Chun-Li was waiting at the door, heart pounding in her chest, unsure of what to expect next. "Why won't he wake up?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned, seeing Cammy. "It'll be okay," the woman said, watching everyone head out of the room.

"Does anyone know what to do?" Chun-Li asked as they headed outside. She glanced over her shoulder. They were all tired, hurt, some more than others, but they couldn't give up now. They had to act fast, while Ryu was still... She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"They'll tell us," Charlie answered, nodding towards the door. The dragons waited outside.

"Keep up," Bison said, taking Vega by the arm and pulling him away from the wall. "It's almost over." The blond nodded, eyes falling closed again.

The blue sky outside was gone, having been replaced not by a blanket of cold grey like the rest of the world, but by intimidating black. A wind had kicked up, and they knew a storm was coming. Earth was stomping from foot to foot impatiently as he spotted Ryu. Air and Fire swooped down on the group, causing a few of the uninitiated to cry out at the sight of them. Water slithered up as well at her normal size. "Bring Ryu to Earth," Chun-Li called back, waving Guile and Charlie forward.

The dragon groaned at the sight of his companion, could sense the life slipping from him. "What is he doing?" Rose questioned as they laid Ryu before the dragon.

"He's going to keep him here as long as he can," Charlie answered quietly, watching with curiosity as the dragon seemed to be sniffing Ryu's face like a dog. And then suddenly, the Japanese man's eyes fluttered open slowly. Sakura perked up, smiling immediately, and she ran to him.

"Ryu-san!" she cried, falling to his side. "You're okay!"

The man nodded in response, smiling weakly to the girl. Earth stepped back, watching with some satisfaction as Ryu climbed to his feet. "What you did was very brave," Ryu said. He still sounded weak and pained, but she supposed it was to be expected. Drawing her into a tight hug, Sakura blushed, not used to this sort of affection from Ryu. "Thank you, Sakura." He held her at arms length and smiled. Finally, he turned to face everyone else. So many familiar faces...

"This is the end of it," said a soft voice that carried a surprising amount of authority. All eyes turned towards it, revealing the machine that had helped them get this far. Lightning flashed, and thunder followed soon after. "Your trials are at an end, save for one." He held out a hand, beckoning the four to him. "Complete the task you were chosen for."

Unsure of what was going to happen to them, the four exchanged glances. Chun-Li turned finally to Guile, Ken, and Fei Long. "Knock 'em dead, kid," Guile said with a smirk and a nod.

"You've got this," Ken said, grinning broadly. "Whatever it is."

"They couldn't have picked a more capable person," Fei Long added, nodding along with them. "Good luck." She smiled back.

"Thank you, for everything you guys have ever done for me," she said, throwing her arms around Guile and Ken. "I've never had better friends." She hugged Fei Long, then turned to Gen and bowed. "Nor a better teacher."

"You will persevere," the man responded, bowing in response. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and said quietly, "Your father would be proud." She smiled, closing her eyes and nodding as she did.

She turned to Sakura, Cammy, Maya, and Rose, and smiled to them. "Good luck!" Sakura shouted. Cammy and Rose nodded. Chun-Li glanced towards Bison, who observed all of this silently. She narrowed her eyes at him. She would get her chance, one day. Turning away from them finally, she approached Water's side, prepared to face the unknown.

Charlie was giving a few good-byes of his own, shaking hands with Ken. "Man, it's good to see you again," Ken said enthusiastically. "I can't wait to tell Julia and Eliza, they'll flip! Things'll be just like they were before."

Charlie nodded, more for Ken's sake, as he wasn't so sure that things would ever be like they were before. Too much had changed, and there was no telling what was going to happen next. Guile, being a little more mature than Ken, seemed to realise this, wasn't smiling. He seemed to realise that there was a good chance that his friend wasn't coming back this time. Their hand shake ended abruptly when Guile pulled him into a tight hug, and he said, "I'll miss your hippie rock music."

"I'll miss your redneck country songs," Charlie responded with a grin.

"Give that bitch hell, kid," Guile said finally, letting his friend go, possibly for good. Charlie had one more person to say something too, and she didn't expect him to look to her.

"I know what you've been through," Charlie said to Cammy, who raised an eyebrow as he spoke. "But don't let who you were get in the way of who you want to be."

She seemed a little shocked by the statement, but finally nodded, and said, "Thank you." He nodded back to her, glanced over to Guile one more time, and gave a salute. The major returned it in earnest. Then, he turned away from them, headed for the others, and hoped for the best.

Vega admitted he didn't have much to say to anyone. He'd made enemies of nearly all of them, in some way or another, and now, facing what could be the end of his life, he had a little time to regret it. Inhaling deeply, he turned towards the dragons, and headed for them. "Buena suerte, Andres." Vega turned around, and Bison nodded to him. He exhaled and shook his head. At least, maybe, this would be a beautiful death, to make up for the manner in which he lived. He headed for the dragons, leaving the rest of them behind. He'd never felt so alone in his life.

That left Ryu. He looked around at all of these familiar faces, his body supported only by what strength Earth had spared him to finish his task. He saw Rose and Bison, and thought of the duality of which Gouken had spoken. The gypsy woman nodded to him, able to sense his end, even from where she was. Bison simply crossed his arm and eyed him critically, as if analysing him. The man had caused him no end of trouble, until now. His eyes shifted to Gen and Fei Long, who he did not know quite so well, but who had been influences in the life of a good friend. He saw Cammy, who smiled brightly to him, and he thought of her bravery in facing Bison again after breaking free of the life that had been created for her. After freeing herself from dark influences. He saw Maya, the woman who he'd thought of as just another pain, another enemy, but who had, begrudgingly become a friend. And then, he found Guile, who had been through a lot alongside him. "It's now or never, Ryu. Good luck," he said, shaking hands with the Japanese man.

"Man...somehow...I always knew you were meant for something big," Ken said, trying to smile but finding it hard to do so. "I just never knew it'd be something like this." He gestured towards the amazing creatures. Ken was like a brother to him, and they'd been through nearly everything together. Ken would drag straight-laced Ryu into so much trouble, and it was up to him to get them out of it again. They'd rubbed off on each other in a variety of ways. Ken taught Ryu to be more outgoing. On the other hand, Ryu taught Ken that there were times to be serious. If there was anyone in this world that Ryu considered family anymore, it was him, and it pained him to know that this was the last time they'd ever see each other.

"I never wanted things to end like this," Ryu said. "But I don't think we have much say in the matter."

"Gotta do what you gotta do," Ken replied despondently, trying as usual to stay upbeat in spite of it all. "You...you're my best friend, you know."

Ryu smiled, and said, "Yeah. It takes a master of meditation and self-control to put up with you."

Ken laughed. "Man, I've taught you well after all." His smile faultered, and he blinked rapidly, shaking his head. "Just don't...don't forget us, okay?"

Ryu shook his head, and said, "Never."

That left one final good bye, and the young girl seemed almost like she didn't want it to come. As if part of her knew what was happening, while the rest didn't want to face it. She shook her head slowly as he approached her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "This is good-bye, Sakura. For now," he said as gently as he could, though such words would always be painful for someone to hear.

"But...Ryu-san..no," she responded slowly, still shaking her head. "You're going to...you're going to beat the bad guy. And then, we'll go back home."

"Not this time," he said quietly. It hurt more than any physical wound to see Sakura so crushed. He'd never witnessed it before-she'd always, always been cheerful and positive, was always there for people when they felt down, never once letting slip a complaint of her own. Tears sprang to her eyes when he said those words, and he wished he could take them back.

"Ryu..." she managed to say around the sobs. Finally, she threw her arms around him, and he rested a hand in her hair as she cried. "You can't! You can't go!"

"Sakura," he said, brows drawing together. She turned tearful eyes up towards him, shaking her head once more. He smiled to her, and said, "You are the strongest person I've ever known." She gripped him tighter, not wanting to let him go, not wanting to think about a life where he wasn't in it. Like a big brother, a best friend, he'd been there for so long she forgot what life was like without him. Who would she have to run to after school for a day of meditation and training? Who would she tell excitedly about her latest accomplishment in the amateur tournaments around town? Where would she hear stories about past tournaments, learn the ropes, get to know the styles of the regulars? She wished she could take back every time she got distracted during meditation, or didn't practice like she promised if it just meant getting a little more time with him.

"I don't want this to happen," she managed to say.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, but it has to," he responded. "I have to do this. For you. For everyone."

She finally nodded, still unable to compose herself, and he had to gently urge her away. "Ryu...I'll miss you so much."

He closed his eyes and nodded. "I'll miss you too, Sakura." A quiet noise from Earth brought Ryu's attention back to the matter at hand, and he turned around towards the rest of his companions. He took a step forward, and didn't look back. He couldn't. He didn't want to see her cry anymore.

The weather had only gotten worse, the winds howling, becoming a deafening drone. Juri was nowhere to be seen as they approached the android that had beckoned to them before. It stood in front of them, as if waiting for something, and then, lightning struck the ground just a few meters from where it stood. They all flinched, but didn't move. And there she was, glaring at all of them. "You. All of you...I hate all of you," she growled. "Do you know how close I was to ending this?"

"Not close enough," Chun-Li replied with a shrug.

"It's not over yet," Juri snapped, livid and uncomposed. Her feet left the ground as she levitated, and spread her hands. "None of you will come out of this alive, and I'll be the winner." She narrowed her eyes at the four humans, then snorted. "What poor choices you made in your warriors. They're all so easy to manipulate, so easy to control. All you have to do is push the right buttons."

"The same could be said of your own choice in representative," the machine responded, glancing behind him and nodding.

"We'll just see about all that!" Juri shrieked, diving forward, nearly a blur of purple and black. Charlie intercepted her first, sending a bright projectile spiraling towards her. She knocked it aside with one arm as if it were nothing, and took hold of his ankle as he made to deliver a roundhouse kick square to her jaw. She twisted it, and he flipped twice before hitting the ground, where she pushed off of him with both of her feet, feeling satisfied with the way his chest gave out beneath her. She heard him give one sharp gasp, and grinned, knowing he wouldn't have much longer to live. "Not quick enough," she spat as she searched for her next target.

Within seconds, she pounced on Vega. He smirked at her as he caught her by the shoulders, prepared to burn the girl to death and finish the botched job he'd started when she smashed her head into his without hesitation. Sparks leaped from his fingertips as he stumbled back slightly, and she cried shrilly, "Time to return a favour!" She raked her nails across his eyelids once and he screamed. His vision blurred with red, then was gone completely as he blinked rapidly, trying desperately to see anything at all before he felt something hard connect with his cheek. He hit the ground with an aching jaw and literally blinding pain in his eyes. He heard her cackle with satisfaction, the noise receding as she bounded off towards her next opponent.

Chun-Li was ready for her, heart racing, and she made sure Juri didn't get an easy hit on her. The Korean girl's fist passed harmlessly through Chun-Li's liquid form. This only served to enrage the girl further as finally, with a thrust of her fist, she shrieked, and a pulse of energy raced through Chun-Li. The Chinese woman gasped, forced to return to a solid state, and felt Juri's fist rip painfully from her side. Blood oozed from the wound left there as a sadistic smile lit Juri's face. She watched only for a second as the Interpol agent gripped her side, gasping for breath. She wasn't dead yet, but it couldn't be long.

Finally, Juri found Ryu, and grinned to him, holding up her blood stained hands for him to see. "What kind of chance do you think you stand? You're two steps from death's door as it is," the girl said, cocking her head to the side. She didn't wait for a response-she wasn't looking for one. Ryu braced himself as she jumped for him, both of her feet colliding with his already aching chest. He caught her ankles with his arms, and did his best to flip her over. She spun once, but her feet touched the ground with unnatural speed and her fists were working on him before he even saw her land. He tried to block, but she was too quick, and finally, she smashed the heel of her hand into the man's nose, and he stumbled backwards, the entire world spinning from the pain.

Juri relented in her barrage, taking a moment to observe her handiwork. Charlie was pushing himself back up, panting heavily, his crushed lungs unable to provide adequate oxygen. Vega was a wreck, long bangs matted to his blood smeared face as he tried to clear his vision, but ultimately realised he wasn't getting it back. Chun-Li struggled to remain standing, the pain in her side spreading, more blood seeping out as she tried to keep the wound compressed with her hands. And Ryu slowly pushed himself up, swaying on his feet as he did so. The girl smirked at them, shaking her head at the machine which watched all of this with passive eyes. "See? It's nothing at all. Don't know why you even bothered to waste your time here."

Ryu felt more than heard Earth urging him to come to him, and he didn't hesitate. He knew now what they were going to do. That it wasn't their physical strength that was needed to eliminate the threat held within Juri. He wasn't sure if it was due to his more direct link with Earth, or if he'd simply remembered, but he knew what would happen next. He watched as Fire reeled overhead, swooping down and landing across from him. He roared angrily at the sight of the girl, and said, "Come to me, boy. It's reached its end." Vega, one hand still pressed to his eyes, staggered to the red dragon who he could only sense as some massive source of heat near him. Air dove down next, and Charlie headed for her without a second thought. And that left Chun-Li to take her place with Water across from Air. She looked around at everyone. Ryu seemed so calm, so accepting of the situation, and it somehow helped to make her feel more at ease too even as she bled out into her hands. Charlie looked more resigned than anything, ignoring the fact that it was becoming impossible to breathe, his eyes focused on Juri before them. Finally, she saw Vega, hands shaking, barely able to stand.

"What is it you think you're going to accomplish?" Juri snarled, dark mist wrapping itself around her extremities. The very clouds themselves seemed to be pulling towards her, and it was an intimidating sight. Her eyes lit up purple, and she cracked a grin. "It's over!" she cried, lifting her hands into the air, and the clouds-which they realised now were more than simply clouds-dove down to pierce the earth. But the android, calm and complacent as ever, stood in the way. He spread his hands as she thrust her own down, and as the dark mist raced towards him, he smiled. Each of the four humans felt rather than heard their draconian counterpart's command. Ryu focused, turning to stone. Chun-Li slowly became a beautiful sight, turning completely into living water. Vega put all the effort he had into letting fire wrap itself around him. And Charlie smiled, ready to be done with it, and slowly began to disappear into air. Dust, leaves, and other debris that collided with his form was all that was able to indicate that a man still stood there.

The dragons were taking back what was theirs, and funneling it all to the machine. Chun-Li felt herself becoming human again beneath the water, the liquid retaining some semblance of her form as it was pulled from her completely. She fell, sudden pain shooting through her, as if something essential had been taken. The pain from her wound was more intense now, and she panted heavily as she tried to stay focused long enough to see what would happen. The dragon behind her had taken on her own aqueous form, and the resulting water shot towards the machine. Sparkling ribbons swirled around him and he waited patiently for the rest. Vega went next, the fire racing on the wind first to the red dragon, and then, the entire creature became a mass of flames. They shot violently towards the machine, and joined the water in its dance around the android. Vega fell to the ground, having finished what he'd come here to do, pain shooting through his head, and all he could make of the world was a noisy, impenetrable blackness. Charlie opened his eyes as he felt himself becoming solid again, the air being sucked back to the dragon behind him. She became invisible now, nothing but a collection of gases, which whipped by him furiously as he fell. He gasped desperately for more oxygen, but his lungs weren't inflating anymore. He couldn't even laugh cynically at the way this was ending. Then finally, the stone that encased Ryu crumbled, ground down to dust as a similiar thing happened to Earth. The dragon was now completely made of fine sand, which swirled on the wind into the machine's waiting hands. Ryu fell to his knees, eyes sliding shut for the final time as he hit the ground, his last connection to the world severed as the dragon took back what was his.

None of them were able to see it when the machine threw its hands into the air, repelling the threat of their opponent. Juri shrieked wordlessly, enraged that this was happening. Air, fire, water, and earth all rushed towards her, colliding with her and wrapping around her all at once. She thrashed madly, the storm got worse, and the spectators from afar began to fear for their own safety at the sight of the phenomenon. But no one really dared to move.

Juri let loose one final scream, one final burst of energy bequeathed to her by a force she didn't understand. But her fight was over now, too. The elements around her exploded outward, a concussion racing through Shadaloo, knocking everyone from their feet as it rushed by. And...

The girl fell to the ground at the android's feet. Rain fell from the remaining clouds, but the wind began to slow.

Sakura jumped to her feet first, ignoring all protests from everyone else to not approach the scene until they were sure it was safe. But it didn't matter to her. She needed to know, needed to see him. She raced to Ryu's side, not thinking twice about it. Dropping down onto the wet grass beside him, she shook him hard. "Ryu-san. Ryu!" she cried, rolling him over onto his back. She laid her head on his unmoving chest, and a shuddering sigh escaped her as she felt sobs building up in her throat. Guile had followed her, not wanting to see her get hurt. He drew his brows together at the sight of the bodies strewn on the grass. He glanced from Ryu, to Chun-Li, to Charlie. He put a hand to his head, and sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. He'd lost his best friend just as quickly as he'd found him again.

Ken was beside him soon enough, shaking his head. "Are they..." he started, but never finished as he dropped beside Charlie. He put a hand on his shoulder, turned him face to him. He shook his head again, then withdrew his hand, turning his eyes to Ryu, where Sakura still sat, sobbing.

"May they find peace, after all of this," Rose said quietly as she approached, knowing that this would not be easy for some of them to handle. Cammy blinked hard, as if she couldn't believe her eyes. She dropped down beside Vega first, turning his face towards her. The blood smeared over his face made it hard to tell it was even him. Then, she turned to look over at Chun-Li, where Fei Long sat, visibly distraught.

"Jesus," Maya breathed, crossing her arms. "What a shitty way to end it."

A sudden, shrill cry from Sakura caught everyone's attention as she leaped to her feet and ran at the machine. It waited, almost as if it expected this, and she slammed a fist into its cold chest. Then another, and another. "How could you! It isn't right! It isn't fair!"she cried angrily, tears blurring her vision. She lost focus as her blows became weaker. "They won, they beat her, why are they dead?" She cried harder when she finally said the word. "Why is he dead..."

But the machine smiled one of its calming smiles, and put a hand under Sakura's chin. "Now Sakura. One does not finish a game without cleaning up the mess one created while playing it." It turned its mischievous eyes to look at all the people around it, surveying each of their reactions. "And the winner is generally rewarded."

Sakura sniffed, confused and upset. "What..what are you saying?"

"You'll see. When everything's finished." And then, it was.