Tao Shui: I'm surprised you didn't complain about how Bison made such an anti-climactic exit! But that's okay, who's complaining?

Vammy: Honestly, I forgot about Cammy. But she was with Juli and Sagat anyway so you know she survived to fight another day! Charlie didn't really get shot. I mean the bullets entered his body but it was from ricocheting off Bison's force field so it wasn't as deadly. But does that still count as getting shot?

Kikoken: I'm glad you appreciate my fight scenes! I'm going to try and include more of them in my sequel. I've already got three chapters worth of material written up but I'm not going to post them just yet. It'll give the readers a short rest before heading over the "sequel mode" instead of treating it like a continuation of this story. No … the second story takes place about thirteen or fourteen years after this one. And I can also get more time to do more chapters done so I can update more often.

Jami: Well thanks! The next chapter … that would be this one … is the last! I hope you've enjoyed your read!

Mysterious reviewer who's comment isn't posted for some reason: Just cause you think you can't write at a satisfactory level doesn't mean you shouldn't write! How are you gonna get better if you don't practice?! Keep writing!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Three weeks later …

"So how does it feel Ryu, being hero for yet another time?" Ken asked his friend. Ryu thought for a moment for a reply, staring blankly out the majestic windows that looked onto the airfield. Distant high-pitched roars of plane engines could be heard both landing and taking off.

Ryu looked at Ken to respond, his friend standing there with a brown duffel bag slung over his shoulder, carrying a suitcase in the other. "Don't think too hard," Ken said smiling, "I don't want you to hurt yourself. But I got a plane to catch, you know."

"I've decided to leave all that in the past," Ryu said. "There are some memories that I do not wish to keep."

"Buddy, it's been three weeks. You'll get over it eventually."

"I've kept enough with me from this experience. The Satsui no Hadou still exists inside me. So it's been three weeks since the destruction of the Shadowlaw base, but what Akuma has put in me, it'll stay with me forever."

"I believe you can control it," Ken said, resting his hand on Ryu's shoulder for moral support. "In the end, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."

Listen as your day unfolds,
challenge what your future holds
Try to keep your head up to the sky
Lovers they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears
Stand up and be counted,
don't be shamed to cry
You gotta be..

"I just don't want it to manifest itself again. I can't imagine what would happen if it got stronger."

"Don't say that, Ryu. It won't happen because you won't let it."

"I killed people, Ken."

"You know that wasn't your fault. But what's got me curious is … aren't you worried that the Japanese authorities will arrest you if they recognize you? And here you are showing your face in a public airport."

"Chun Li and Guile have that covered," he replied. "They're finding a good lawyer to plead insanity to the case."

"Insanity?"

"Consider what I was acting under, I wholeheartedly agree with them. They left for the States two days go with Charlie. I spoke to Chun Li on the phone yesterday before she left. She's not happy about going back to her office. There's going to be quite the amount of paperwork waiting for her regarding the case. But she promised to keep in touch to get back to me about the lawyer issue."

"Yeah I hope so, man. I'll help find you a lawyer too if you need me to. My dad's got some pretty good ones."

"Thanks. I wonder when Maki and Cody are getting here," Ryu said, changing the subject. "Are the three of you on the same flight?"

"Only to Metro City. They're getting of there and I'm taking a connecting flight over to Los Angeles. It sucks that you can't come with us."

"It's fine. This is my homeland, Ken. I live here. Besides, Guy needs somebody to visit him until he can join Maki and Cody in Metro City."

"When is he getting discharged?"

"It's hard to say right now. He got knocked up pretty bad in the collapse of the Osaka Dome."

"Heh, I wonder if there are any happy endings in this story?" Ken asked rhetorically. "Guy's still hurt, Charlie's still recovering from the bullet wounds from the fight with Bison, you've killed people, Kenny's missing …"

"I heard Chun Li is meeting some authorities to put Kenny on the missing person's list. It's a waste of time if you ask me. We both saw it – he died."

"It's weird that Chun Li and Sakura would insist that he's alive. They're not delusional or anything, but why would they suggest something like that?"

Ryu shrugged. "Well they said he was with Sagat. So if international authorities ever capture him, he'll answer a lot of our questions."

"Is he a suspect in Kenny's 'disappearance'?"

"I'm sure he is. But as of now, he's disappeared too."

Herald what your mother said
Read the books your father read
Try to solve the puzzle
in your own sweet time
Some may have more cash than you
Others take a different view
My oh my, you gotta be..

"Sorry we're late!" Maki called running towards the group with a backpack, her blonde ponytail flip-flopping behind her. Not far behind, Cody was running to, nearly tripping on his baggy jeans and untied sneakers. "If it wasn't for this moron over here, we would've arrived half an hour ago. How long more till our plane leaves?"

"About twenty minutes," Ken replied, glancing at his watch. "Ryu, I think it's time we take off. Uh … no pun intended."

Ryu smirked. "Alright then. You take care of yourself." The two long time friends and rivals embraced in a hug, patting each other on the back. "You too, Maki." Ryu had to bend down to hug the girl who was a bit shorter in stature.

                                    You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold,

you gotta be wiser

"Don't be so sweet," Maki said, wiping a finger across her eye. "You know, I get really emotional with goodbyes."

Cody rolled his eyes at her held out his hand towards Ryu, which he accepted. "It was good to meeting the legendary street fighter," he said. "I'm proud to have fought alongside you."

"Be careful on the plane," the Shotokan warrior advised. "Your back …"

"I'll probably break it again knowing their uncomfortable seats," Cody half-joked.

You gotta hard, you gotta be tough,
you gotta be stronger

The three Americans began heading off towards the departure gates, leaving Ryu alone looking onwards at them waving his hand as they waved back enthusiastically. "We'll be in touch!" Ken shouted, just before they disappeared around the bend.

Ryu kept his gaze on his friends that were leaving until they were out of sight, trying to fight the tears that welled up in his eyes. He couldn't explain why he was feeling such sadness. He'd parted with Ken before in the past and each time both of them parted knowing that they'd meet again. Perhaps it was the end of yet another adventure they had together, the closure, knowing they completed something. Ryu didn't know. All he knew was that whatever he felt was bittersweet.

You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm,
you gotta stay together.

At least he'd kept something from the adventure … "Yeah right, the Satsui no Hadou," he thought bitterly to himself. Despite the tragedy that occurred in the past few days, he came to terms with the fact that he had emerged a stronger warrior. Ken had a point. Whatever didn't kill him only made him stronger. Perhaps by training, he could one day grow to control the Satsui no Hadou and using its power to his advantage - without tapping into it's deadly killing techniques. In time, Akuma's ageing body would perish, taking with him the raw power of the Satsui no Hadou. It may be carried on within Ryu's body, but at least he had a chance of controlling it before it had a chance to manifest itself. A curious emotion washed over the Shotokan warrior. He felt satisfied and proud, satisfied to know that maybe, just maybe he could purify the deadly power inside of him, proud to know that when it came to the Satsui no Hadou, he was the successor.
 
 

All I know, all I know

Love will save the day

                                                THE END

Poetic Lyrics by from "You Gotta Be" by Des'ree