Tales From the Twilight Tournament: Family Matters

by

RobertCop3

Before you go any further on this one, you should go read JojoDO's "Dusk After Kumite: King of Fighters Twilight Tournament." I'll wait.

… … … … … …

You're back? Okay, then. You may have noticed that there are many subplots running through this fic. One of them involves Kasumi Todoh and the Kyokugens. Jojo was planning on resolving this plot thread in the evening after the Quarterfinals, with a fight between Kasumi and Yuri. I was sad to learn this plot thread was abandoned, as he was not happy with what he'd come up with, and decided not to include it in the story. Which I totally get. As a writer, I would never publish anything unless I was one-hundred percent happy with the final result, and I would never ask any other writer to do differently.

BUT… I won't lie, I was looking forward to the resolution of this plot point, mainly because I felt that Yuri was the only one of my OG Baes who got the short straw in the second Kumite. Jojo mentioned in Discord that if anyone wanted to try and tackle it as a one shot, they had his blessing. So I took it upon myself to write a one-shot wrapping up this sub-plot. It takes place Post-Round after the Quarterfinals, parallel to the "Winter" subplot. And with that… I hope you like it. And I especially hope Jojo likes it, too.

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them or the video games.

Munich, Germany

The Quarterfinals were over, and as night began to cast its shroud on the city, matters of life and death were about to unfold in Odeonsplatz, and the fate of the universe hung in the balance. Kasumi Todoh knew nothing of this, and even if she did, she would not have cared. She was fighting her own war at the moment, one that was far more personal.

The cozy tavern in which she now sat was crowded and lively, full of raucous conversations and the bustle of barmaids delivering tankards of malted beer to tables, but all of this was lost on the troubled teenager. Her thoughts remained fixed on a singular goal, and how best to achieve it.

"Fuck, this thing is huge!" Said the girl seated across from her, her golden blonde hair tucked into a brown bandanna knotted about her scalp. "I almost need two hands to hold it! And these chicks waiting the tables are carrying six of them at a time! Ain't that some shit?"

Kasumi blinked a few times, and then glanced over at the other girl. Malin took a sip from her tankard of ale, set it down, and looked back, expecting some sort of response. "Yeah, it's… something," the dark-haired girl managed, and then looked at the table-top once more.

Malin's large amber eyes took on a rare look of concern. Before her experiences with Bonne Jenet this week, the small blonde had considered Kasumi Todoh to be her only real friend. Their personalities were different, polar opposites almost, but they clicked together in an "odd couple" sort of way. But the aikido girl was usually the cheerful one, while Malin always acted like she had a stick up her ass. Now their roles appeared reversed. "There's something different about you, girl," she said.

Kasumi quirked one bluish-black eyebrow. "In what way?"

"You got this whole new vibe going on. Like you're sick of being good and sweet, and you just wanna fuck some shit up. Like: 'look at me, world. I'm a bad ass bitch and I'll cut you if you cross me.' I mean, that dirty move you pulled on Yuri's boyfriend during the Battle Royale: fucking fantastic!"

"Didn't help me much."

Malin shrugged. "At least Baron von Dickface actually let you compete. But easy come, easy go." She took another sip of ale, then picked up the plate of fried cheese curd in front of her and held it out to Kasumi. "You wanna try some of these? They taste really good if you dip 'em in the brown mustard."

Kasumi looked up again, saw that her friend had a broad grin that she was not used to seeing. "Why are you so happy? We both lost in the first round."

"Because it's been a hell of a week." Malin set the plate down, popped one of the curds in her mouth, and continued speaking around it. "Sure, I lost in Round One, but I lost in style. And I got to make one of the veterans of KoF look like a chump in the process! The whole world watched me humiliate the shit out of her in real time! Then I got to break the law, I got to kiss my bad boy crush, and I got laid! So I didn't make any money this week. Who cares? I have a sex life now!"

Kasumi managed a half-smile before looking back down at the table, and the small cup of sake her hand was wrapped around. Once again, the concern was back in Malin's eyes. "Don't get me wrong, Kasumi, you've always been my bestie. If this whole 'bad girl' thing you have going on is the new you, I won't complain. Honestly, I think it's pretty bitchin'. But I just wanna know that you're all right."

Those dark blue eyes glanced upward towards Malin again, hard and unflinching as crystals. "I'm fine, Malin. I really am. My path is clear. I know what I must do."

The other girl seemed taken aback, her smile fading. "Okay, girl, is… there a reason you're starting to sound like Grimace?" She asked, using her nickname for their one-time teammate, Eiji Kisaragi.

"For too long I've failed him, Malin. I've tried to be the 'good girl,' tried to follow the straight path of the warrior… but it's not working. All of my training, my long hours of devotion to my family's fighting style, and I'm still not strong enough. Ryo defeated me a year ago, and my loss to King-San at the start of this week… shows that the path I've chosen is not working. So I need a new path. One that will make me stronger, strong enough to destroy my enemies and finally make him proud of me. So I'm ending this tonight, whatever it takes."

The atmosphere around the table had grown much more somber. Malin knew all too well who "he" was, and she had a good guess as far as what Kasumi's task was. But she had to be sure. "So… you're going after the Kyokugens?"

Kasumi's eyes narrowed to slits. "I am. I'm going to put that scum in their place, and this time… I won't fail him."

The smile returned to Malin's face, a bit colder this time. "Awesome! Well, you know I've got your back! Frankly, I like the idea of fighting dirty with you!" She took a long sip of her beer.

Kasumi shook her head. "You are a good friend, Malin. But this is my quest. Bushido demands I do this alone."

The blonde girl wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Ah, that's the… warrior… code... thingy?"

"Yes." She checked the straps on her wrist guards, making sure they were buckled tight. "First, I'll deal with Garcia-San. And then… the man who shamed my father!"

"Okay, and… what about Princess Bubble Butt?"

"No. I'm leaving Yuri-Chan out of this. I have no quarrel with her."

"Well, I do. So mind if I take a stab at her? Pun intended." Malin laughed at her own joke.

"I wish you wouldn't. This doesn't concern her."

"Why not? She's a part of the school, too, isn't she?"

"She's off limits!" Kasumi's tone became more forceful.

"Well, what gives you the right to decide that?" Malin snapped back at her. "You're not the only one with a score to settle."

The aikido warrior calmed down a little at hearing that. "You're right. You also have a quest to restore your honor. I can understand that. But... as a favor to me, while we're here in Germany for the Kumite, can you please leave Yuri alone?"

Malin eased back as well, took another sip of ale. "Okay, I'd rather fight her after she's recovered, anyway." What had happened to Yuri during her fight with Mature in the first round still left a bad taste in the small blonde's mouth. "So as long as we're here, I won't touch her."

"Thank you, my friend," Kasumi said with a nod. She then picked up her white and red headband from the table and fixed it in place. "Well, I have to go to work. Wish me luck." She raised her sake cup at the Malin, drained it, and placed it on the table along with some Euros.

"Happy hunting!" Malin said cheerfully, and raised her own glass. After Kasumi had left the tavern, she pulled her phone out from her black hip satchel and started scrolling through her contacts to find Jenet. "Well, since I can't stab anyone tonight, may as well see what Bonnie's up to..."

Two Hours Later…

"ROBBIE!"

The door to the hospital room burst open, and every head except one turned to see a familiar figure standing in the doorway. Yuri Sakazaki's gaze swept over the two people standing by the hospital bed: Her brother, Ryo Sakazaki, and her dear friend, King. Occupying the bed was Yuri's lover, Robert Garcia, though it took her a moment to recognize him. His normally handsome face was marred with black and purple bruises which caused swelling and discoloration over most of his features, and his nose was twice its normal size, most likely broken.

Yuri moved from the doorway to his side, took his hand in both of hers, and kissed it. "I'm here now, Robbie. Come on, wake up! Tell us who did this!"

"We're still waiting for him to regain consciousness," King said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Where have you been, anyway?" Ryo asked her, his usual tactless self. "I've been trying to reach you for the last forty-five minutes."

"I was… at the castle," Yuri explained. "In my room, waiting to, um, surprise Robbie. So I… had my phone turned off." She left out that when it was clear he was running late, she checked her phone and saw the several dozen voicemails and texts both King and Ryo had left, at which point she'd quickly changed out of her negligee and into her more familiar attire of sleeveless white gi, tight purple leggings, and red sneakers, then got to the hospital as fast as she could.

Ryo shook his head. "Well, anyway, we know damn well who did this, even if Robert can't tell us yet. It had to have been one of those Anti-Kyokugen bastards."

"So we just need for Robbie to wake up and tell us if it was Kisaragi or Malin."

"Don't forget Kasumi," spoke up a voice behind Yuri.

She turned to see Khushnood Butt, who like everyone else in the room had connections to Kyokugen-Ryu, laying in the room's other hospital bed. Though he looked better than he had when the Sakazakis first visited him, he was still recovering from his ordeal with Freeman, and was unable to get out of bed. "How can you even think that?" She asked him.

The Brazilian master gave a shrug. "She gave me a good beating the night before the first round."

"Well, you were trying to take her entry card," Yuri huffed. "So no offense, dude, but I really don't blame her for doing what she did."

"Hey, it's all good."

The karate girl looked back at the viciously beaten face of her boyfriend, ran her fingertips over the bruises in a loving caress. "But… an unprovoked attack like this... this is too much. She could never do something this severe."

"Yuri, I don't want to believe it, either," King said. "But I don't think we can rule her out as a suspect. She has been acting strange since she lost to me. Like she's obsessed with winning, for some reason. I know you don't wanna hear this, because of how close you two are, but… the Battle Royale was her last chance to get back into the tournament. What if losing that pushed her over the edge?"

Yuri remembered her last conversation with Kasumi, the harsh words that the aikido girl had thrown at her, the raw emotion in her dark blue eyes that Yuri had never seen there before. But still… there was no way the Kasumi Todoh she knew was responsible for the battered mess of Robert Garcia now laying in the hospital bed. She just couldn't be. "You… don't know what you're saying, King. She's not capable of this. I… can't believe it. I just can't. It had to have been one of the other two."

Ryo looked like he had things he wanted to say, but King silenced him by placing a hand around his shoulder. The sight of her best friend and fellow OG seated by the bed of the man she loved, head bowed and hands still wrapped around his own, told her that Yuri didn't need to hear what her brother had on his mind.

A short while later, everyone heard a groan as Robert Garcia clawed his way back to the land of the living. Only one eye came open, as the beating he'd endured had swollen the other shut. But the very first thing his good eye gravitated towards was the familiar face at his side, holding his hand. "Hey, babe," he groaned. "S… sorry I ruined your plans."

Yuri's large brown eyes went wide with relief. "Robbie," she whispered, wrapping both arms around her man in a hug…

...And she was met with a grunt of resistance. "Easy, babe," he said. "Don't squeeze too tight. She dislocated my shoulder."

Yuri recoiled at his response. "She? So… it was Malin who did this?"

Robert managed a small shake of the head. "No. It… was Kasumi."

Although they'd had a strong feeling about that, King, Ryo and Butt all were taken slightly aback at the revelation. Yuri just stared slack-jawed. "That… that can't be. Robbie, are you sure about this?"

"I am. I… saw her clear as day. And… I've… never seen her looking so… that look in her eyes… it was like when she knocked me out of the ring, except… colder… deadlier… it wasn't the girl I knew. And her focus… was so much harder. Something's come over her. Like… she's possessed."

Yuri's eyes shone with unshed tears. A small part of her still wanted to believe it was Malin or Kisaragi, but she heard it straight from the mouth of her love, who had no reason to lie. The revelation hurt more than the wounds that Mature had inflicted on her. She bowed her head and whispered: "No… Kasumi-Chan… how could she do this?"

While she was processing this, Robert turned his good eye towards Ryo. "She… said you were next, bro. Said... she'd be waiting… in the center of Olympia Park."

"Then that's where she'll find me," Ryo growled.

"No!" Yuri snapped, rising from the chair and turning to face her older brother. "You're not going. I am!"

For once, Robert was able to protest before Ryo. "You can't, Yuri. I've… seen what she can do. And… you're still wounded."

"I'm in better shape than you, Robbie. And whatever's gotten into Kasumi, it's up to me to bring her back to the light. She's my teammate, and my friend. I know that deep in her heart, she hasn't forgotten that. She'll listen to me. More than she'll listen to Ryo."

"Hey!" Ryo snapped.

"You know I'm right, bro. And anyway, I'm grateful for what King did, but I'm getting tired of just sitting on the sidelines of this tournament, watching other people fight for me. I can take care of myself, and I can take care of this."

Robert Garcia knew he wasn't going to talk her out of this. "Okay, Yuri," he grunted. "I trust you. Just… come back to me in one piece, okay?"

Yuri pressed her lips to his in a kiss that made Ryo look away. After it ended, Robert gave a sigh and sank back onto his pillow, asleep once more. Yuri placed a softer kiss on his forehead, then turned to King and said: "King, will you and Ryo please look after him?"

"No!" Ryo snapped. "Because you're not going! This is my f...mmmph!" He was cut off by King slapping a hand over his mouth.

"We will, Yuri," she told her friend. "Go do what you have to."

"Thanks." She gave the blonde kick-boxer a quick hug, and then left the room.

Ryo seemed ready to go after her, but he felt his girlfriend's restraining hand wrap around his arm. "Forget it, Ryo. This is her fight."

"But… she's in no condition to…"

"Yuri is hurting bad inside right now. She and Kasumi have a pretty long history together. Kasumi is like a sister to her. Whatever's gotten into that girl's head, the two of them need to sort this out together, through words, or fists, or whatever it takes, and no one else can interfere."

"She's right, Ryo," Khushnood spoke up from his bed. "Don't get me wrong, you're like a bro to me, and there's no one else I'd rather have guarding my back in a fight, but you're the last person I'd trust to talk someone off a ledge. Yuri's the only one who can handle this."

At hearing that, Ryo allowed his muscular frame to sag a little, and he sank into the chair Yuri has just vacated, though he continued to stare somberly at the door. Even though he knew that King and Butt were right, he still didn't have to like it. After a moment, he felt King's hands on his shoulders, and the two of them resumed their watch over Robert's bed.

Olympia Park

The surroundings were green, peaceful… the mirror opposite of Kasumi Todoh's soul at the moment, though her body and mind were as sharp as razor wire. She sat pretzel-legged under a cherry tree, breathing in and out in a slow but steady rhythm, focusing her chi for the battle about to ensue.

Robert Garcia was like the brother Ryo had never had, so once he saw Kasumi's handiwork, she had no doubts he would come. And this time, she would be ready. Garcia's crushing defeat only proved that she had the edge. A small voice in the back of her mind started to ask if perhaps she'd been too ruthless in that fight, but the dark-haired girl quickly silenced it. She couldn't waste any energy feeling pity or remorse. The blood of Ryuhaku Todoh was in her veins. It was her duty to restore her family's honor, and that wasn't going to happen if she continued to be a "nice girl".

Tonight I'll do you proud, Papa-San. I'll prove myself worthy of being your daughter. Perhaps then you will finally accept me, and we can have a real relationship. This thought expelled any lingering doubt. So she'd gotten a little rough earlier. She had still spared Garcia's life, and hadn't given him anything that wouldn't heal, given time. She might get a little rougher with Ryo Sakazaki, but so what? She imagined her father would want him to suffer a little extra. All that was left to do now was wait for Ryo to show.

"Nice night, isn't it?" Asked a familiar voice. Familiar, but not the one she was expecting. Kasumi's dark blue eyes snapped open to see Yuri Sakazaki standing about a hundred feet away, thumbs hooked into her red belt, her braid stirring slightly in the wind that was starting to pick up.

"Yuri-Chan?" Kasumi asked incredulously, as she scrambled to her feet. "You… you're not supposed to be here."

Yuri's normally cheerful expression was a bit more hardened now. "No, I'm exactly where I should be. Standing between you and my family."

The aikido girl took a deep breath, tried to mask the nervous expression on her face, and adapt a stonier visage once more. "Yuri, I didn't want you to get involved in this. What's going on… doesn't concern you."

"Yeah, it didn't concern me," Yuri spat back. "Until you decided to use my boyfriend as a pinata. It's a little hard not to take that personally."

That tiny sliver of doubt threatened to spring up again, but Kasumi forced it back down. Her eyes were like ice as she said: "I didn't mean to hurt you, Yuri, but… what's done is done. I have to see this through to the end. But I have no quarrel with you. So I'm asking you nicely to just walk away."

"Sure. I'll walk away. But only if you do too."

"You know I can't do that. This… is a family matter."

"You're right. This is a family matter. Someone who I love like a sister has gone off the deep end and needs some sense knocked into her!"

"Yuri, this is something I have to do. Now, please, walk away! I don't want to fight you!"

The karate girl assumed her stance. "Well, you don't have a choice. Because the only way you're getting to Ryo is to take me down first!"

There was a split second of hesitation. Yuri is your friend… spoke the small voice in the back of her mind. And she's standing in your way, spoke another voice that drowned out the first. Kasumi Todoh nodded and took up her own stance. "I gave you a chance, Yuri. But if you won't back down, then I don't have a choice. I'll do what I must."

"So will I," Yuri growled, and began to circle cautiously to her left, a movement that was matched by her opponent. "I trusted you, Kasumi. Even when you teamed up with Kisaragi and Malin. Ryo thought I was crazy, but I always believed you were better than them… different… that you would never let your grudge against my school and my family consume you like this. I thought you were stronger."

"I am stronger!" Kasumi insisted. "And I'll prove that now!"

Yuri took a deep breath, and forced her own inner turmoil down. This is not the girl you know, she told herself. She's clearly lost her shit. You have to take her down before she'll listen to reason. She stopped circling then, and her palms began to glow a faint blue. "I'm through talking, Kasumi!"

The aikido girl stopped circling as well. "All right then, Kyokugen scum! Take your best shot!"

Yuri had been in the locker room when Kasumi was fighting King, and had missed the first half of that spectacle. So she readied a rather large Haoh Shou Ko Ken, and let it fly towards her opponent.

"Kiiiiii-YAH!" Just before the chi fireball would have connected, Kasumi did a forward flip, and extended her leg halfway through the move, swinging her heel down and slicing through Yuri's projectile like butter. The residual shockwave of her own chi slammed into Yuri and sent the Kyokugen princess backwards, landing on her butt on the grass.

She gave a small grunt of pain as she rose back to her feet. Her stitches had not yet been removed, as some of the wounds inflicted by Mature were still knitting. It was a definite handicap, and she was sure Kasumi knew this too, but she'd just have to make do.

"That won't work, Yuri," she heard her opponent say. "Any projectiles you throw at me, I can dispel."

Yuri got to her feet, cracked her knuckles. "Fine, then. We do this the old fashioned way."

Kasumi raised her fists in a defensive stance. "You still won't win."

"Maybe. Maybe not. But if I go down, I'll give you hell before I do." Yuri rushed at her old friend, then, stopping a few feet in front of Kasumi, and then rocking her upper body forward, extending her left arm in a lunge punch. The dark-haired girl pivoted her torso to avoid it, and countered by trying to swing her left hand into Yuri's gut. If memory served, the brunette fighter had said that was where the worst of her wounds was.

Yuri was anticipating this, and brought up her right knee up into Kasumi's wrist, deflecting the strike. Undeterred, Kasumi turned her upper body the opposite way, and tried to strike the belly with the opposite hand, Yuri was barely able to block in time with her left forearm, and then found herself backpedaling. Already she's going for the weak spot. This girl means business.

Kasumi went on the offensive now, trying a series of over and underhand swings, her strokes as precise as a metronome, hands flat and sure as blades. Yuri found herself focusing all her energy into avoiding those hands, arms raised defensively, her upper body weaving. She was doing well until she made the mistake of looking into her opponent's eyes, which were like cold blue steel, any vestige of warmth gone from them.

That look in her eyes, she remembered the words of her man. It wasn't the girl I knew… The thought that her teammate, someone she once trusted with her life, might truly be lost, caused Yuri to falter, which allowed one of Kasumi's swings to connect with her collarbone.

Yuri grunted in pain, forced herself to focus once more. Kasumi tried to follow up her strike with a kick to the midsection, and once again Yuri had to pivot to avoid. As the leg sailed past her, she swung her own fist out in a haymaker, and this time it connected with Kasumi's side. Yuri followed this by continuing to pivot, turning almost three-sixty, and as she finished the spin her leg swung out in a roundhouse kick, her sneaker-clad foot striking Kasumi dead center in the torso.

The aikido girl grunted and took a few steps backwards, arms in defensive stance. She deflected Yuri's next two jabs with swings of her forearms, then dodged the next kick and spun her body inwards, closing what little distance remained between them. She then grabbed Yuri by the braid and slammed her forehead against the brunette's in a headbutt.

Though Yuri's own headband provided some padding, it wasn't much, since her opponent's band was made of a much sturdier material. For a second, her vision was filled with a kaleidoscope of white starbursts. Momentarily blinded, she guessed that Kasumi would try to follow this up by taking another swing at her stitches, and she was right. Her knee came up in time to block another body blow, and then Yuri grabbed the other girl's arm and fell backwards, bringing her opponent down with her. Once Yuri hit the ground, she kicked upward with one leg, flinging the other girl across the grass.

Kasumi hit the ground rolling, and quickly regained her feet with a handspring. Not a moment too soon, for Yuri had recovered from her brutal attack and was back on the offensive once more. "Since when did you start fighting like Malin?" She asked.

"Since I learned it works," Kasumi answered, her voice as cold as her eyes. "I'm winning this fight, whatever it takes! I lost my shot at the gold in the tournament! This is my last chance!"

Yuri came in hard with a right lunge punch, which Kasumi ducked to avoid. The karate girl then tried to follow it up with a leg sweep, and whiffed air. So she sprang to her feet again, searching for her opponent. She turned just in time as Kasumi touched down on the grass behind her, and tried another strike at Yuri's sensitive belly. Yuri just barely managed to deflect it in time, but couldn't avoid the strike from the opposite fist against her jaw.

Again their roles were reversed. Yuri was on the defensive as her opponent tried to land more jabs, but Yuri's dodges assured that she kept hitting air. She was waiting for just the right moment… which came a minute later, when Kasumi over-reached with one arm. Yuri quickly responded with a punch to the gut, then she quickly swung her midsection around and launched herself ass-first at the dark-haired girl, striking her hard with her Big Butt Press and knocking Kasumi to the ground.

Yuri turned to face her again, and took that moment to ask: "Last chance for what? Why the hell are you doing all this?"

Kasumi did a handspring to her feet, assumed her stance again. "For too long, I've been without my father. I have to prove myself to him, Yuri! By defeating the school that shamed him. Maybe then, he'll finally come back. And we can be a family!"

Both girls ran at each other this time. Yuri was wise to the fact that Kasumi was trying to hit her where she was most vulnerable. She was sure Kasumi knew this too, so she doubted her friend would do something so predictable. So Yuri would need to guess high or low. What she knew of the aikido girl's close quarters attacks suggested high, so Yuri went high as well, striking out with her palm towards Kasumi's face.

Kasumi did not behave as expected, however, and instead arched her back, moving her head out of range of the fist, then swung her right leg out in a kick that caught Yuri in the face. This was followed by a lower kick from the opposite leg, which struck Yuri in the shin and caused her own leg to buckle. She then finished with an uppercut that knocked Yuri on her back.

The dark-haired girl then went airborne and launched her Kasane Ate down at Yuri's prone from. Yuri rolled out of the way to avoid it, but still felt the shrapnel rattle against her as the blue blades of chi energy carved a small furrow into the ground where she'd just been lying.

As Kasumi was touching back down, Yuri planted her hands on the ground and launched into a kangaroo kick, which struck her opponent in the knees. Kasumi's own legs buckled and she doubled over slightly. Yuri quickly followed through with a left-hand body blow, followed by a right knee to the face that staggered Kasumi back several paces.

"Look, Kasumi," Yuri said. "I know you miss your dad. But… do you really want him to come back?"

This struck a nerve, and Kasumi responded by going airborne, somersaulting forward and extending her leg at the last minute, trying to bring her heel down on Yuri. The karate girl did a hop backwards to avoid it, then struck Kasumi twice in the stomach with quick jabs, followed by an uppercut which she ducked to avoid, and countered with another open-handed strike at Yuri's belly, which Yuri barely managed to deflect in time.

"What are you saying?" Kasumi shouted. "That I don't deserve to have what everyone else does? I don't deserve happiness?" She gave a cry of rage and tried to land another chop at Yuri's collarbone. Yuri deflected it and countered with a roundhouse kick to the head. Kasumi grabbed her foot with both hands, stopping it mid-swing, and gave her a toss, sending her flying over the grass.

Yuri grunted as she hit the ground, but she quickly regained her feet with a handspring. A slow, burning ache was creeping into her mending wounds. It felt like some of her stitches were barely holding at this point. But she couldn't quit. She'd never quit on any of her friends or teammates.

Kasumi came at her again, once more forcing Yuri to guess high or low. She guessed high again, thinking the low kick from last time was to throw her off. This time, her guess was correct. Her own arm swung up to deflect Kasumi's overhead swing, and counter with a low kick that caught Kasumi on her right thigh. The aikido girl grunted and lost her footing for a moment, leaving herself open for Yuri to launch into her Hien Houou Kyaku, pummeling her opponent's torso with a flurry of kicks. She ended the move by doing a leap backwards, putting distance between them once more.

She hit the ground breathing hard, but it looked like Kasumi also needed a moment. So Yuri continued their discussion from earlier. "I'm not saying you don't deserve to be happy. What I was saying was… look, you told me just now that you think your dad is waiting for you to earn his approval before he'll come back to you from… wherever the hell he went. That doesn't say great things about his character. I would hate for you to meet him and then be disappointed, because I know how much that hurts."

"No," Kasumi growled through clenched teeth. "You… don't know what you're saying. You don't know anything about my struggle!"

Yuri couldn't help but laugh at that. "Um, hello? Have you forgotten that my own dad abandoned me and my brother for years, leaving us to fend for ourselves? I think I know how to spot a deadbeat, Kasumi."

The other girl responded by coming at her again, moving so fast her hands were a blur. This time, Yuri avoided looking her in the eyes and set all her focus on either dodging or deflecting, though it was getting harder. "At least your dad actually came back to you," Kasumi said as she tried another mid-level strike.

Yuri pivoted to avoid it, and tried another leg sweep, which Kasumi avoided by doing a backwards flip. "Yeah, but for a while, I kept wishing for him to abandon us again. I mean, he and I have worked through most of our issues now, but the first few years, the dude tried to run every aspect of my life. I know I've told you about the surprise inspections of my bedroom, which still went on even after I turned eighteen and graduated high school!"

Kasumi took in a deep breath, blew it out through her nostrils. "Okay, I'm sorry I misspoke earlier. But you don't know it will be the same with my father."

"Well, I gotta tell you, I don't like the odds. If you're saying that the only thing stopping you from having a relationship with him is that he doesn't think you've earned it? If it were me, I'd say forget him and focus on your real family."

"I can't just forget him! He's my blood!" Kasumi jumped forward into another flying kick. Yuri dropped into a roll to avoid it, then quickly found her feet. Just in time, as Kasumi had recovered from her miss (much quicker than Yuri thought she'd be able to), and was coming at her again, lunging so fast she was almost a blur. He left palm swung upwards, connecting with Yuri's chin and knocking her back a few yards.

Yuri was barely able to recover in time to avoid another shot at her gut, and countered with a one-two to either side of Kasumi's head, followed by a body blow, then she attempted another Butt Press. This one was blocked by her opponent, who hooked her arms under Yuri's armpits and gave her an overhead toss.

Yuri managed to land on her feet, but her stance was a little wobbly. She was amazed none of her wounds had come open yet. But she knew her luck couldn't hold out. "You know, Kasumi, there was one upside to my dad and my brother dictating my life."

The aikido girl stood a few yards away in her defensive stance, and cocked a bluish-black eyebrow.

Yuri went on: "When they told me I couldn't enter King of Fighters, that was the last straw. So I ran away from home, lucked into a chance encounter with Mai, we paid a visit to another friend of mine… and the rest is history. I gained a new family, one who accepted me, who's always loved me for who I am. Just like we love you for who you are."

For a moment, she thought she saw something waver in those dark blue eyes. "Yuri, I… appreciate this, but… this is more than just Papa-San I'm fighting for. It's my personal honor."

"You have a family, Kasumi. The Women's Team has become more than just a team. It's a sisterhood. Anyone who has ever been a member is part of that." Yuri gave a small shrug. "Even May Lee. I can't remember the last time I spoke to her, but she's still part of it."

The blue-gloved hands lowered, just a hairs-breadth, and Yuri wondered if maybe she'd gotten through. Then Kasumi lunged at her again. Left overhead swing, blocked with right forearm. Right stomach jab, upper body pivot to avoid. Leg sweep, avoid by jumping, counter with right chop to shoulder.

I've gotta end this fight now, Yuri thought as she continued to dodge and backpedal. Only one chance. I just need to find the right opening…

It came a few moments later, as one of Kasumi's open-fisted jabs gave Yuri the opportunity to knee her in the solar plexus, knocking the wind from her for a few moments. She then grabbed her friend by the collar of their tunic and launched into her Hundred Blows, raining a flurry of slaps on Kasumi's face.

Granted, she let the move go for a bit longer than she normally would have, but she was channeling all her frustration at Kasumi's stubbornness, her anger at the beating of Robert, into the slaps. Finally, she finished the move with a hard smack that sent her opponent sprawling into the grass.

Yuri blew out a shaky breath, trying to ignore the fiery ache in her muscles. Then she studied Kasumi's prone form. She was lying still. Yuri hoped was both down and out. But then, she had thought the same thing about Mature the other day. With her arms raised defensively, Yuri took a few cautious steps forward…

The attack was so sudden, she had no time to prepare for it. From her prone position, Kasumi Todoh launched into a kangaroo kick, her tabi-clad feet finally finding their mark in the center of Yuri's stomach. Yuri cried out as hot lances of pain tore through her. It was so severe, it made her slow on the defense, and she was unable to stop Kasumi from raining jabs down on her belly. After several hard, agonizing hits, Kasumi struck her with a roundhouse kick to the chest that sent Yuri down to the ground.

Yuri Sakazaki was on one knee, struggling to breathe in, but her stomach felt like it was on fire. She glanced down, saw the small flower of blood blooming on the lower left side of her sleeveless gi, confirming that the attack had ripped some of her stitches.

Don't know how bad it is, but I can't worry about that right now. She looked up at her former teammate, the pain in her deep brown eyes far more than just physical. But Kasumi Todoh's expression was rigid.

"You're beaten, Yuri," she said. "Stay down." Then she turned and started to walk away, her next target already on her mind.

With a grunt of pain, Yuri rose to her feet. "The hell I will!" She called, causing Kasumi to turn around…

Just in time to avoid a left haymaker to the face. Yuri tried to follow it up with a lower right hook, but the pain had made her lose some of her coordination, and some steam behind her hits. Kasumi blocked it easily, then once more grabbed Yuri by her braid and slammed her other fist into the karate girl's gut… once, twice, three times.

The agony that washed over Yuri nearly made her pass out. Her screams rang through the park, her legs buckled and she once more sank to the ground. Kasumi turned and resumed walking away…

...Only to feel a sneaker-clad foot strike her between her shoulder blades, and then it was her turn to sprawl on the grass once more. Yuri Sakazaki stood over her, wobbling a little, one arm clutching her wounded stomach.

Kasumi launched into an uppercut which Yuri managed to avoid, only to follow it up with a shoulder throw that was more successful. Hot knives of pain lanced through Yuri's stomach as she struck the ground, but she forced herself into a kneeling position.

"Yield, Kyokugen!" Kasumi snapped at her. "You're wounded. This fight is mine!"

To her friend's complete dismay, Yuri managed to find her feet again. "Never!" She hissed through clenched teeth.

Now, for the first time all fight, Yuri saw her friend falter. That cold gaze was replaced by the warm, friendly eyes of the girl Yuri knew. "I… I don't want to keep hurting you, Yuri!" She pleaded. "Please, just stay down!"

"Only way I will," said Yuri. "Is if you beat me unconscious."

Kasumi came at her again, but her resolve was shaken. Yuri managed to block out her own pain, focusing only on the girl in front of her. Kasumi launched three jabs which were easily deflected, and Yuri countered with a gut punch of her own. Then another. And another, and another. Then finally an uppercut that struck Kasumi dead center on the jaw and sent her flying backwards.

Kasumi rose shakily to her feet, saw that Yuri was also struggling to stand. "I'm ending this now, Yuri," she said. "I don't want to do it, but…"

Yuri nodded, lowered her arms. "Okay," she said.

The dark-haired girl blinked in confusion. "W-what?"

"If you need to take me out, then do it. I won't fight you anymore. I'm done. So now, can you really put your money where your mouth is?"

Could she? Once again, doubt gnawed at her. But that cold voice in her mind said: She just said she won't back down unless you knock her out. It's the only way, the only way to get to her brother.

Kasumi nodded and focused her chi, readying one of her most powerful moves, the Chou Kasane Ate. "I'm doing this for my family," she said. The ice was back in her eyes, but her voice lacked the affirmation from earlier. "I hope someday you can understand."

"Which family?" Yuri asked her. "The one that always loved you unconditionally, or your biological family?"

Kasumi's eyes went wide at those words, as an old memory was drawn to the foreground in her mind, a past King of Fighters tournament…

The train door slid open, and Kasumi stepped out onto the platform. Her traditional style of Japanese dress contrasted with the more casual wear of everyone else, but she didn't care. She scanned the crowd eagerly for two familiar faces, and spotted them a moment later. Mai Shiranui looked like she had a chip on her shoulder about something, but the other girl, dressed in jeans and a pink T-Shirt with blue sleeves, was all smiles.

Yuri Sakazaki's face lit up when she saw the aikido girl. "Hey, Kasumi! Over here!"

Kasumi's smile grew wider and she made her way over to the others. "Yuri!" She greeted her friend.

Mai gave a small smile, but it was forced. "Why, if it isn't the girl who traveled 12,000 kilometers to see her father."

Yuri elbowed the moody ninja girl in the side. "Back off, Mai!" The smile then returned to her face in an instant and she took Kasumi's hands in hers. "Ah, Kasumi, it's been ages!"

"It sure has," she answered. "Thank you for inviting me onto your team."

"There's no one else I would have asked," Yuri said, and wrapped her arms around Kasumi in a hug. "You're always welcome on this team."

Kasumi smiled and hugged her back. "Thank you, my friend…"

Then another memory, from only a few days ago…

Kasumi wiped her eyes one last time, finally picking her head up. "You're right… but… my father… I had to win for him."

King rolled her eyes. "Come on, dude, why do you care so much about the opinion of someone who's NEVER HERE? Your sisters are here for you all the time, and we all think you do just fine. I knew the guy, and he was a total weirdo out of touch with reality. I'm sorry you had to be raised by that, but c'mon girl… be different. Be better."

A few hours after King spoke those words to her in the Coliseum, Kasumi was in her hospital bed, only half paying attention to the tournament on TV. Most of her thoughts were on her loss. After beating Ryo's former apprentice last night, she believed that she had the edge. King had beaten that idea into the ground.

A knock at the door brought her out of her thoughts. "Candy-gram!" Said a cheerful voice. Kasumi turned and saw Yuri Sakazaki in the doorway in her hospital gown, a little unsteady on her feet, leaning hard against the frame for support.

Kasumi was taken aback by the sight. "Yuri! You should be resting after what happened to you."

"Nah, I'm fine," the karate girl said with a shrug. "Just scratches. I suffered worse back when I had that run-in with Sinclair. They gave me some awesome painkillers, so I'm feeling groovy right now!"

They must have been good ones, as Yuri didn't even notice that her gown wasn't closed properly in the back, so she was mooning everyone in the hallway. "Please, Yuri, come sit before you fall over."

Yuri was only too happy to oblige. "And anyway," she went on as she wheeled her IV over to the bed, and sat down in the chair next to it. "When I found out you were here, you know that I had to come see if you were all right."

Kasumi managed a weak smile. "I'm okay."

Yuri placed her hand over her friend's. "You sure? Cuz you look bothered by something."

"It's nothing, Yuri. I'll be fine."

She wasn't convinced, but she managed a smile of her own. "Okay, well, you know that if you ever wanna talk, about anything, that I'm here. I'll always be here."

"Thank you, Yuri."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

Now, Kasumi shook her head, once more finding herself wavering. She looked back at Yuri, who stood there clutching her stomach, her face calm. "Well, go on," Yuri said. "Do it!"

You have to! Spoke that dark voice inside of her. It's the only way!

Yuri has always been your friend, spoke the smaller voice from earlier.

"Do it!" Yuri snapped at her.

With a cry of rage, Kasumi swung both her arms upward, releasing the pent-up chi… not at Yuri, but at a cherry tree behind and to the left of the karate girl. The bright blades of chi energy raced along the ground, past Yuri, who remained unflinching, and struck the tree, reducing it to splinters. Kasumi then sank to her knees, all the fight having gone out of her.

She stared at her hands for a long time, her vision growing hazy with tears, and eventually she sensed another presence nearby. She looked up and saw her friend and sister kneeling in front of her, her brown eyes shining with tears she was trying to hold back.

"Yuri-Chan," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I'm so sorry..."

Yuri Sakazaki smiled and opened her arms to Kasumi. "Come here, Kasumi-Chan."

Kasumi threw her arms around Yuri, buried her face in the other girl's shoulder… and began to weep bitterly. Her frustration, her anger… all of it poured from her in a raw emotional release. Her tears soaked Yuri's gi, her body was wracked by great, jerking sobs, and Yuri simply sat there and held her close, ignoring the stabbing pains in her side.

"That's it, Kasumi," she whispered. "Just cry. Don't try to fight it. Let everything come out."

It took several minutes, but finally it seemed that the aikido disciple had run out of tears, and she hiccuped a few times. "Yuri," she blubbered into the other girl's shoulder. "I'm... suh-so... sorry. I th-thought… it was… my duty… th-hat I had to… serve my f-family. I… couldn't even see th-that… I already had a family who… accepts me without any c-conditions. I'm so stupid! And… I c-could have seriously hurt you just now. Muh-maybe even k-killed you."

"Look at me," she heard Yuri say. Kasumi pulled her face out of Yuri's gi and sat up a little straighter on the grass. Her friend smiled and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Yes, you could have killed me, but you didn't. I've always trusted you with my life, Kasumi. I knew you wouldn't be able to go through with it. And you proved me right just now."

"Yes, but… everything else I said, and did. I hurt you, Yuri. I hurt the man you love." the tears began to well anew in her eyes. "I… I don't deserve to have you as a friend."

"Don't say that, Kasumi," Yuri said, her own eyes watering now. She pulled Kasumi into another hug. "We all lose our way sometimes. But you found it again. I have my sister back now. That's what matters most to me."

More tears slipped from Kasumi's eyes as she hugged her friend back. "Thank you, Yuri-onee-chan," she whispered.

"Just forget your dad, okay? You don't need him."

After another few moments, they separated again. Kasumi's expression was once more serious, but through the tears, Yuri could see a healthier kind of resolve. "I don't know that I can just forget him, Yuri-Chan. I'll… always hold out hope that someday, we might be reunited. But I won't lose sight of all the other important people in my life who've always been there. You have my word that I'll… never again take things as far as I did tonight. Ever."

"I believe you," said Yuri, and offered her a handkerchief.

After she'd wiped her face and blown her nose, Kasumi asked her: "Yuri… do you think you could ever find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"I can," Yuri answered. "But there's a few things I need you to do."

"Anything you want. Just name it."

"Well, first, I need you to come with me to the hospital. You owe Robbie an apology."

"Of course."

"And then, I need you to come back with me to the castle. You and I are gonna change into comfy pajamas, and then you're gonna smoke a 'peace pipe' with me."

Kasumi frowned for just a moment. She was aware of Yuri's fondness for practicing "herbal medicine," but had never joined her before, largely because she was worried what her mother would do if she ever found out. Still… she owed this to Yuri. "Um… okay," she said, forcing a smile.

Yuri laughed. "Don't worry, Kas, you're gonna love it. It's completely harmless. All it'll do is make you really relaxed. And we might also get the urge to split a giant pretzel and watch Adult Swim, but that's about it."

Kasumi started laughing as well, genuine laughter for the first time that week. "Okay, Yuri. Oka-Chan is a few thousand miles away, so it's not like she'd find out about it."

Yuri staggered to her feet and offered Kasumi a hand. "That's the spirit!"

After both girls were standing, they started off in the direction of the hospital. But they'd only gone a few steps when Yuri grunted in pain and clutched her stomach, her knees threatening to buckle again. Kasumi was at her side in an instant, putting an arm around her friend. "It's okay, Yuri, I've got you."

Yuri sighed gratefully and leaned against the other girl, draping her arm over Kasumi's shoulders. Kasumi looked down with concern at the scattered bloodstains on the stomach of Yuri's gi. "Yuri-Chan… do you need medical attention?"

"Nah, I'm fine," said Yuri. "I told you, it's a scratch. If any stitches popped, I can fix it myself up at the castle."

"Really? You know how to do that?"

"Oh, sure. I've had to sew my brother up before. More than once."

"If you say so," Kasumi said, and the two continued out of the park. The aikido girl continued to let Yuri lean on her for the entire trip.

"Thanks for the assist, Kasumi," Yuri told her. "I don't think I could have hoofed it all the way to the hospital on my own steam."

Kasumi Todoh looked over at her sister, and gave her a broad smile. "What are friends for, Yuri-Chan?"

ADDITIONAL NOTES

So, I'm gonna start with a quick citation note: Kasumi's second memory of her conversation with King is a direct quote from Chapter 13 of "Dusk After Kumite."

What happened afterwards in the hospital between Kasumi and Yuri is something that I came up with. And the first memory is inspired by the Women's Team story from KoF 2000. Of course, I added a few things to make it more feels-inducing.

And this fic references a number of things that took place in "Dusk After Kumite." I'm not going to go through them all here. If you've read it (and you should have before starting this one) you'll be able to spot them.

Also, if what I read in an earlier chapter is accurate, in the Kumite-verse, Yuri is a disciple of "The Church of Mary Jane." This is most likely inspired by the fic-verse of my friend Illyrilex, in which Yuri uses medicinal pot.

And I tried to find a place in Munich that was far enough from Odeonsplatz that this battle wouldn't overlap with the one taking place in Jojo's fic. After researching maps of Munich, Olympia Park looked like an ideal battleground.

And of course, shout-outs to JojoDO. I hope that before you started this, you read his epic masterwork "King of Fighters: Ultimate Grand Dream Kumite," and the sequel, 'Dusk After Kumite," which as of the date of this posting is still a WIP. These fics are basically a giant love letter to the last three decades of SNK's fighting game history, so if I was able to help his own story in any way with the fic you just read, it was my pleasure.

Thanks for reading! And please review, if thou art so inclined.