Chapter Five
Chun Li was surprised when Ryu had showed up on the dojo's rooftop. She had been there, gazing at the night sky, absorbed in her thoughts when her husband had showed up. Now he was watching her closely, his body tensing up for a fight. When he saw that she didn't do anything, Ryu relaxed and sat down next to her. For a long moment, the Japanese martial artist and his Chinese wife said nothing. They just sat there, staring into the sky. Chun Li looked at Ryu. The handprint had long since vanished from where she had slapped him.
"It's healed," Ryu replied, not looking at his wife. "A little tender, but it's healed. You still hit hard."
Chun Li bit her lip. She didn't know where to start. "Ryu..."
Ryu looked at her. "Hmm?"
Chun Li bit her lip. "I'm sorry for overreacting."
Ryu sighed. "I'm sorry too, for not telling you sooner about the Dark Hadou. I thought it was fatigue, until you attacked me."
Chun Li nodded. "Rose told me about earlier." An uneasy silence passed between the two when Chun Li spoke again. "Ryu...why did you stop me from facing Bison in the Street Fighter Tournament?"
Ryu looked at her with a little alarm. Before he could say anything, Chun Li continued. "No, it's me talking. I just want to know the real reason as to why you stopped me."
Ryu relaxed and gathered his thoughts before speaking. "You now that it feels like when you take your revenge on the person that has killed your loved ones?" he asked. When Chun Li shook her head, Ryu contined. "It was about...six months before the tournament when I finally tracked down Gouki Akuma somewhere in Cambodia. I was like you--fueled by my thirst for revenge on the demon who had killed Gouken.
"We were evenly matched, until I had managed to beat him down. I thought I had beaten him, but he tried to perform the Shungokuzatsu--the Instant Hell Murder--on me. In desperation, I executed my Dragon Punch, and caught him in the chin. The gathered energies that were meant for my own death killed Akuma. Before he died, he told me about my own Dark Hadou, and of how I would end up like him. I had beaten Akuma, but Gouken was not coming back.
"I felt...empty. Hate had almost stopped me in how to feel. It almost destroyed me, Chun Li. I was consumed by my own anger and rage that I almost fell into the Dark Hadou, but I didn't. I wandered around the country for several days, until one night, I was meditating, and something Gouken told me came into my head. He asked me one day, 'Why do you fight?' Naturally, I said 'For the fight.' But that wasn't the answer. Something else came into my mind. Gouken had told me that Shotokan Karate was more than a fighting style. It was a way of life.
"I've learned a lot from my travels. With those two statements, I resumed my training. I've learned that there is no ultimate fight. Learning how to control one's emotions and thoughts are instrumental in winning a match. When we were in the Street Fighter tournament together, I saw you wanting to face Bison for killing your father, and I saw myself and Akuma. I promised myself that even if it cost me my very life, that I would stop you from going down the same dark path that I had walked."
"So...in turn, you were protecting me," Chun Li replied, Ryu's words hitting home.
Ryu nodded. "I was also protecting you from yourself. I couldn't let either Bison destroy you or you destroy yourself. That is why I had defeated you in the tournament." He looked forward. "I finally understand what Gouken was asking me about why I fight."
"And that is?" Chun Li asked.
"I fight for several reasons," Ryu replied. "I fight to survive, to rise to the challenge, to protect my friends..." He looked at Chun Li. "...and to protect the woman I love."
Tears were starting to gather in Chun Li's eyes as she embraced Ryu, crying into his chest, her shoulders racked with sobs. Ryu just held her close as she cried.
"I...I just wish that all of this is just a dream...that we would wake up and Dad and Gouken would be alive again...before Shadowlaw and the Street Fighter Tournament," she sobbed.
Ryu sighed. "I know, Chun. I know."
***
Later on, Ryu walked Chun Li to their bedroom. When Ryu turned towards the study, Chun Li grabbed his wrist, stopping him. "Please, Ryu. Stay with me. I don't want to be alone."
Later on, as they laid in bed (fully clothed), Chun Li turned to Ryu. "Ryu?"
Ryu, who was almost asleep, opened his eyes. "Yes?"
Chun Li turned to him. "What will you do about me and the Dark Hadou?"
"There's one way that you can conquer and control your dark ki," Ryu explained. "You have to face your dark side."
Chun Li blinked. "How?"
"You have to go within your subconscious and face your fear, hate, and anger. There is a way, but it is dangerous."
Chun Li sat up in the bed. "Tell me."
Chun Li was surprised when Ryu had showed up on the dojo's rooftop. She had been there, gazing at the night sky, absorbed in her thoughts when her husband had showed up. Now he was watching her closely, his body tensing up for a fight. When he saw that she didn't do anything, Ryu relaxed and sat down next to her. For a long moment, the Japanese martial artist and his Chinese wife said nothing. They just sat there, staring into the sky. Chun Li looked at Ryu. The handprint had long since vanished from where she had slapped him.
"It's healed," Ryu replied, not looking at his wife. "A little tender, but it's healed. You still hit hard."
Chun Li bit her lip. She didn't know where to start. "Ryu..."
Ryu looked at her. "Hmm?"
Chun Li bit her lip. "I'm sorry for overreacting."
Ryu sighed. "I'm sorry too, for not telling you sooner about the Dark Hadou. I thought it was fatigue, until you attacked me."
Chun Li nodded. "Rose told me about earlier." An uneasy silence passed between the two when Chun Li spoke again. "Ryu...why did you stop me from facing Bison in the Street Fighter Tournament?"
Ryu looked at her with a little alarm. Before he could say anything, Chun Li continued. "No, it's me talking. I just want to know the real reason as to why you stopped me."
Ryu relaxed and gathered his thoughts before speaking. "You now that it feels like when you take your revenge on the person that has killed your loved ones?" he asked. When Chun Li shook her head, Ryu contined. "It was about...six months before the tournament when I finally tracked down Gouki Akuma somewhere in Cambodia. I was like you--fueled by my thirst for revenge on the demon who had killed Gouken.
"We were evenly matched, until I had managed to beat him down. I thought I had beaten him, but he tried to perform the Shungokuzatsu--the Instant Hell Murder--on me. In desperation, I executed my Dragon Punch, and caught him in the chin. The gathered energies that were meant for my own death killed Akuma. Before he died, he told me about my own Dark Hadou, and of how I would end up like him. I had beaten Akuma, but Gouken was not coming back.
"I felt...empty. Hate had almost stopped me in how to feel. It almost destroyed me, Chun Li. I was consumed by my own anger and rage that I almost fell into the Dark Hadou, but I didn't. I wandered around the country for several days, until one night, I was meditating, and something Gouken told me came into my head. He asked me one day, 'Why do you fight?' Naturally, I said 'For the fight.' But that wasn't the answer. Something else came into my mind. Gouken had told me that Shotokan Karate was more than a fighting style. It was a way of life.
"I've learned a lot from my travels. With those two statements, I resumed my training. I've learned that there is no ultimate fight. Learning how to control one's emotions and thoughts are instrumental in winning a match. When we were in the Street Fighter tournament together, I saw you wanting to face Bison for killing your father, and I saw myself and Akuma. I promised myself that even if it cost me my very life, that I would stop you from going down the same dark path that I had walked."
"So...in turn, you were protecting me," Chun Li replied, Ryu's words hitting home.
Ryu nodded. "I was also protecting you from yourself. I couldn't let either Bison destroy you or you destroy yourself. That is why I had defeated you in the tournament." He looked forward. "I finally understand what Gouken was asking me about why I fight."
"And that is?" Chun Li asked.
"I fight for several reasons," Ryu replied. "I fight to survive, to rise to the challenge, to protect my friends..." He looked at Chun Li. "...and to protect the woman I love."
Tears were starting to gather in Chun Li's eyes as she embraced Ryu, crying into his chest, her shoulders racked with sobs. Ryu just held her close as she cried.
"I...I just wish that all of this is just a dream...that we would wake up and Dad and Gouken would be alive again...before Shadowlaw and the Street Fighter Tournament," she sobbed.
Ryu sighed. "I know, Chun. I know."
***
Later on, Ryu walked Chun Li to their bedroom. When Ryu turned towards the study, Chun Li grabbed his wrist, stopping him. "Please, Ryu. Stay with me. I don't want to be alone."
Later on, as they laid in bed (fully clothed), Chun Li turned to Ryu. "Ryu?"
Ryu, who was almost asleep, opened his eyes. "Yes?"
Chun Li turned to him. "What will you do about me and the Dark Hadou?"
"There's one way that you can conquer and control your dark ki," Ryu explained. "You have to face your dark side."
Chun Li blinked. "How?"
"You have to go within your subconscious and face your fear, hate, and anger. There is a way, but it is dangerous."
Chun Li sat up in the bed. "Tell me."