Last Time: Li received a phone call from Bison with a simple message: Come to Bangkok alone, or Madison dies. Li gives in and goes to Bangkok, where Bison's ready to brainwash him. But another jet lands and Bison discovers Li with a tracking device. Using the Dash Card, Li gets Katrina away from Madison and leaves her hanging…temporarily. When the jet lands, Guile and Chun Li go after Balrog and Vega, while Ryu is left to confront the man whom he defeated many years before, Sagat. Meanwhile, Li goes after Bison, but is confronted by the one person he loves the most. Li now comes face-to-face with the brainwashed Sakura. Can he overcome her…without hurting her?


Plucking a Cherry Blossom: Part 9


Scene: The Fields of Bangkok

Perspective: Li Shoran

Li took another step back. Sakura stared coldly at him, holding her wand out. She was ready to attack and there was nothing Li could do. He didn't want to hurt her.

Bison issued out the orders. "Sakura! Destroy him!"

Sakura responded by taking out a Clow Card. "Power Card! Grant your power to this wand! Power! Release and dispel!"

Sakura began to glow with the force of Power. Li stepped back again. He knew he couldn't stand up to Power, especially if he was going to fight passively.

He tried to appeal to her again. "Sakura, please! You have to remember me!"

Sakura didn't listen. She rushed Li and swung her wand down. Li moved and Sakura struck the dirt with immense force. The power of the wand left a huge crater. Seeing she missed, Sakura slowly walked towards Li again.

"Sakura, please try to remember!" Li pleaded.

"Sorry, kid," Kero said grimly. "I think she's out of it. There's nobody home."

Li really didn't want to believe that. He didn't want to think that Bison's brand of evil could erase all the love shared between Li and Sakura. But it was starting to look more hopeless by the second.

Scene: Same Scene

Perspective: Sagat

The moment he had waited for was finally here. Sagat took his fighting stance and the warrior, Ryu, did the same. There was brief standoff, but Sagat decided to strike first.

Sagat rushed in and tried a jumping kick, which Ryu ducked. Sagat tried a series of Muay Thai kicks. Ryu blocked each one and stepped back. He was a patient fighter, but Sagat would finish him off quickly. He went for one of his deadly Tiger shots. Ryu dodged the Tiger fireball and it went into the nearby shrubbery, igniting a bush.

"Stop moving and fight!" Sagat shouted.

He didn't give Ryu another chance to move. He quickly moved in with his Tiger Knee move and knocked Ryu down. Sagat quickly brought his fist down, but Ryu rolled away and got to his feet. Sagat rushed in with a quick jab to the face and he delivered two more. Ryu was taking the punishment and Sagat could sense what was coming. Sure enough, Ryu crouched down and telegraphed his next move.

"Shoryuken!"

Sagat dodged the incoming Dragon Punch and then countered with his secret weapon.

"Tiger Uppercut!"

Sagat had learned a rising punch of his own. Sagat caught Ryu with a Tiger Uppercut and Ryu went flying down to the ground. He struggled to get up from the crushing blow and Sagat chuckled.

"You don't know when to give up," Sagat grinned.

Ryu tried to get up, so Sagat moved in and nailed another Tiger Knee in the face. Ryu was bleeding from the mouth and it pleasured Sagat to see it. He kicked the warrior in the face as he tried to get up.

"Come on!" Sagat mocked. "THIS is what I've been waiting for? You are weak!"

Ryu got up and Sagat sent him down again with a fierce Muay Thai kick to the face. It was time for Sagat to finish this. He knew that a simple Tiger Genocide would be enough to put this thorn in his side away for good. Sagat prepared himself to deliver the final blow, but Ryu quickly bounced back up with his second wind.

"Tatsumaki Senpuukyuku!!"

Sagat was caught by surprise when Ryu suddenly delivered his hurricane kick. He couldn't believe he let his guard down. After taking the devastating move, Sagat stumbled around with blurred vision. He could barely make out Ryu standing in front of him. But it was rage that fueled Sagat. Even if his vision wasn't clear, he would take Ryu down. Sagat blindly charged towards him, but Ryu sidestepped. Sagat couldn't see he was running straight towards the cliff.

Sagat stopped as soon as he reached the edge of the cliff. He turned around but was only met with a stiff jumping kick to the face. Sagat staggered back until he lost his footing…

…and fell off the cliff.

Scene: Same Scene

Perspective: Li Shoran

"Sakura, please stop! You don't know what you're doing!"

Sakura didn't listen. She tried to swing horizontally with her wand again. Li could only duck and roll back. Nothing worked. Sakura wasn't listening as could be seen by the hatred in her emerald green eyes.

Sakura recalled Power and took out another card. "Sword Card! Release and dispel!"

Li watched as Sakura's wand transformed into the deadly sword. Sakura charged Li and swung the sword. Li stepped back, but noticed that Sakura got a piece of one of his robes. Sakura continued to lunge at him with Sword and Li kept on dodging it. He just couldn't go on the offensive. He just couldn't.

"Li!" Kero cried out from under Li's hat. "You have to do something!"

"I can't hurt her!" Li shouted.

"No one said hurt her!" Kero shot back. "You just have to stop her!"

As Li dodged each swing of the sword, he realized that Kero was right. Nothing said he had to hurt Sakura. All he had to do was subdue her. So Li reached in for his one hope.

"Freeze Card!"

Li struck Freeze with the tip of his sword. Freeze unleashed and froze Sword…and Sakura's wrists. She was stuck and this was Li's chance to reach out to her.

"Sakura! Please…try to remember me! It's me, Li!"

"She won't remember you," Bison sneered. "She is fully under my control!"

Sakura wasn't listening. She was trying to break loose of the ice. So far, this wasn't doing any good.

"Sakura…we've been through too much together," Li continued sadly. "We've known each other since we were ten. We've been through everything together."

Sakura kept trying to break loose. Finally, she slammed her sword on the ground and the ice shattered. She started to approach Li again and was ready to slice his head off…when Li said those three words.

"Sakura, I love you!"

Sakura…stopped moving. She just stared at Li with those green eyes. The gaze was one of confusion…as if she had suddenly realized something.

Bison was getting nervous. "No…this can't be."

Sakura dropped her sword and held her head. "L-Love? I-I…"

Li walked over to the ailing Sakura…and gave her a passionate kiss. When Li broke the kiss, Sakura just gazed into his eyes.

"………L-Li?"

Bison gasped. "No! That's impossible!"

Li was ready to throw his arms around Sakura. He had done it. She remembered him. She had her memory back. But when Li reached out for a hug…he felt himself frozen. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Bison using his Psycho Power. Li couldn't move and neither could Sakura. They were stuck.

"I see that I've encountered some problems. No matter. I WILL control you…even if it means I have to wipe you mind clean again!"

Scene: Same Scene

Perspective: Madison Taylor

Madison was so relieved to see Sakura getting her memory back. It almost made her forget about her own precarious position. She was still tied up over the tree and if the rope was untied, Madison would fall to the abyss below.

But it wasn't over. Madison could see the evil Bison reaching out with his Psycho Power. He was going to subdue Sakura and Li and have them brainwashed. She wished she could do something, but she had her own problems. Then she heard something. She heard someone over her. Madison looked up and gasped when she saw the assassin, Katrina, trying to untie the rope from the branch.

"I may not have a rope," she said. "But you're still taking a fall, missy."

Madison could only watch as Katrina struggled to untie the rope. But from the looks of it…it wouldn't be long until she succeeded and Madison fell to her death.

Scene: A Few Feet Away

Perspective: Chun Li

The fight had gone a little longer than expected. But Chun Li and Guile were both putting the finishing touches to Bison's henchmen, Vega and Balrog. Guile was a little worse for wear, but he was handling himself well. Meanwhile, Chun Li was about to take Vega down.

Vega tried to lunge in, but Chun Li let off her lightning fast kicks which were a blur. They knocked Vega back and right into Balrog. Then Guile let off his awesome Sonic Boom attack, knocking Balrog and Vega into a tree and knocking them out.

Chun Li knew it wasn't over, though. She looked to her left to see that Bison was using his Psycho Power to hold Li Shoran and Sakura Avalon in place. She knew she had to do something.

"Guile, we have to help them!"

"I think HE'LL get to them first!"

Chun Li looked over to see that Guile was right. Someone else approached Bison and seemed poised to put an end to his evil.

It was Ryu.

Scene: Back In The Fields Near the Shadaloo Jet

Perspective: Sakura Avalon

She remembered everything. Li had successfully jogged Sakura's memory, but she found herself in trouble again. She couldn't reach out for any of her Clow Cards. Neither Sakura, nor Li, nor Kero could move. Bison had them all under his power. But then, someone came to their rescue.

"Hadoken!"

A fireball hit Bison and his grip loosened. Sakura and Li were dropped. Sakura looked to see the warrior, Ryu, slowly walking towards Bison.

"You're finished, Bison. It is time for you to go down once and for all."

"This isn't between us, Ryu," Bison said. "Stay out of it!"

Bison threw his arm down and a psychic barrier formed in front of Ryu. He couldn't get through and neither could the other two agents that were behind him. Sakura and Li were on their own against this fiend.

"Well, then," Bison grinned, "I guess it comes down to us. It's too bad I can't hold you two in place and keep the barrier up at the same time. I guess I'll just have to subdue you the old fashioned way."

Li stepped forward. "We won't go down without a fight!"

Bison snickered. "Then I'll just have to break you!"

Bison shot out a psychic fireball. It was heading straight for Li. Sakura took action quickly.

"Shield!"

Sakura quickly unleashed the Shield Card and the huge bubble formed over Li just as the fireball hit. Li was left unscathed.

"It can't hold you forever!" Bison sneered.

He let off a series of psychic blasts that each went straight for Li. They hit the bubble, but Bison was right. Shield was getting weaker. Sakura had to try something else.

"Windy!"

Sakura unleashed Windy and it wrapped itself around Bison. Li tried to go for a crushing blow. He held out his sword.

"Force, know my plight! Release the light! Lightning!"

Lightning came out of Li's sword and hit Bison. But his Psycho Power allowed him to take the brunt of the blow without taking much damage. That plan wasn't doing much good. Then Kero flew over into Sakura's pocket and gave a suggestion.

"You've got to hit him with something harder! Try Fiery!"

Sakura looked at Li and he nodded back. This may have been their last chance. Sakura recalled Windy and before Bison could launch another assault, Sakura and Li struck.

"Now, element: Fire!"

"Fiery Card! Release and dispel!"

Bison tried to hold off the immense force of fire that was coming towards him, but it was to no avail. Bison was struck with the flames of Fiery and his uniform was ravaged. Bison fell to one knee. Sakura recalled Fiery and tried to finish this off.

"Power Card! Release!"

Sakura quickly unleashed Power and rushed Bison. With all her strength, she swung Power right at Bison's chest, knocking the evil one back about ten feet. Bison was almost out of it. He could no longer hold up his psychic barrier. The barrier disappeared as Bison stepped dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

Sakura suddenly spied the tree. She couldn't believe it. She found Madison hanging on a rope over the huge chasm…and Katrina trying to untie it. And to her horror, Katrina had undone the final knot. Just as Katrina let go, Sakura quickly did the only thing she could do to save her best friend.

"Float!"

Sakura used the Float Card and it caught Madison just as she started falling. Float then carried her to safety. Sakura's best friend was safe. How Madison even got there was a mystery to her, though. But she couldn't think about that now. Sakura looked over to see Bison still standing and he was slowly inching towards her and Li. But at that moment…

"Shinkuu Hadoken!!"

Bison was hit by surprise with an awesome fireball from Ryu that seemed to have extra ounces of strength in it. The fireball extended out of the wandering warrior's hand for a long moment and it seemed to be his ultimate weapon. Bison stumbled back and then lost his footing.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

Bison fell back and went over the cliff. After that, everyone stood still for a moment. There was nothing more to be said. They had witnessed one of the greatest evils in the world fall over the cliff and, undoubtedly, to his death.

"Is…it over?" Sakura finally asked.

Ryu hung his head down. "That is what I believed the first time."

"He couldn't have survived," the military man said. "That's got to be a hundred-foot fall."

"I think we should check," Li thought.

Everyone slowly inched towards the edge of the cliff. They were about to look down over the edge when…

…a hand reached over…and grabbed Sakura's ankle.

To her horror, Sakura looked down to see Bison hanging on for dear life on a loose branch that was set to snap at any moment. Bison was bloodied and ravaged and it looked like he was near death.

Bison breathed heavily. "If…I…go…down…rest…assured…I…won't…go…ALONE!"

With that, Bison let go of the branch and began to make the long hundred-foot fall down…with Sakura's ankle still in his hand. Sakura let out a scream as she was pulled down into the unforgiving abyss.

Sakura could only hear Li letting out an agonizing cry…as Sakura continued falling.


Next Time: There's not much more to say after that. Come back tomorrow to see how this series ends. The final part will be up tomorrow. Don't miss it!


Any comments? I left a cliffhanger to keep you all hanging, because I am EVIL! Anyway, tell me what you think of this story, because your feedback is important to me. Please review below!