Note: Just to get this out of the way, I do not own any of these characters or Street Fighter.
* * *
The wooden floor of the dojo creaked when he walked on it. It was a very old building up in the mountains of Japan. It was quiet tonight. The sound of his geta hitting to floor echoed throughout the rest of the building. The moon shone through the opening that let to the edge of the mountain.
"You are restless tonight."
He turned around. "Sensei Gouken! I apologize, I didn't mean to awake you."
Gouken shook his head. "You didn't wake me, Ryu. I have just finished meditating and am going to rest. What are you doing up?"
Ryu sat down and crossed his legs. I'm worried sensei.
Gouken nodded his head. "About what, my son?"
Ryu looked away. "About your duel with your brother. About how he said that your mercy would be the end of you."
Gouken nodded again. "Do not fret, my son. Shotokan is not a style of violence. It is a style of peace. Akuma is full of hate. His rage consumes him. As long as he does, he cannot defeat me. He will see the errors of his ways."
Ryu stood up. "But what if he doesn't?"
Gouken smiled softly. "He will realize that rage isn't the best option. Such is the nature of Shotokan. Now, rest, my son. You will have a new sparring partner coming in tomorrow. He should hopefully last longer then the last one.
Ryu reluctantly agreed and went to back to rest. He was excited at the concept of a new partner. He had several others in the past, but most of them left after a few months. The fight between his master and Akuma still worried him. But his master was calmed. That fact soothed him. Master Gouken certainly knew more then he did about his brother.
The morning came with no other problems. Ryu was up with the sun; Gouken had made some tea for him. Ryu drank it as he read the note Gouken had left saying that he had left for town to get the new student. After Ryu finished his tea, he left to the mountains to meditate. By the time he had returned, there was still no sign of his master. His master had not returned by that night, and Ryu began to get worried. It wasn't until dawn that Ryu saw his master returning with another small boy. He wanted to go out to see his new partner, but decided to stay in to show his patience. His master soon appeared in the doorway.
His master spoke calmly, like he had always done. "Ryu, my son. Your new partner is here."
Ryu stood up and looked at the other boy. He was about the same age as Ryu, but he was much paler. He had blond hair and thick black eyebrows. He looked at Ryu with tired eyes.
Gouken looked down at the kid then at Ryu. "Ryu, this is Ken Masters. He comes from America. His plane just arrived last night."
Ryu nodded. "You are probably tired from your trip."
Ken nodded and walked past Ryu without saying a word. He dropped his suitcase and went to sleep on Ryu's cot.
Gouken walked up behind Ryu. "Do not worry. He is just tired. It is late in American now. He needs some time to adjust. You'll begin your training within the week."
Ryu wasn't worried. Ken seemed disciplined. He had only seen him for a few minutes, but Ken seemed to be quite mature for his age. Ryu was looking forward to seeing Ken in action.
* * *
Ryu was getting annoyed. "Would you wake up already? It's past 8!"
It had been several years since Ken came to the dojo. Ryu was pacing in front of his cot. Ken responded sleepily. "Come on man, we've got all day."
Ryu scowled. "I cannot believe that master would accept a student so lazy. What did you have to do to be sent here?"
Ken sat up almost immediately. "Listen, I didn't ask to be sent here."
Ryu snapped back. "Sorry my way of life isn't good enough for you, spoiled brat."
Ken got to his feet. "Don't you judge me."
Ryu stepped toward him. "Prove me wrong, rich boy."
Ken lunged at Ryu, who sidestepped and slammed his elbow into Ken's back. Ken hit the ground and swept his foot at Ryu's legs. Ryu leapt over Ken and jumped a short ways back. Ken lunged forward again and speared Ryu into the wall. Ryu tried to lift him, but Ken reversed it and threw Ryu over his back. Ryu landed on his back, sliding a few feet. Ryu was slow getting up.
"Had enough?" Ken taunted.
Ryu slowly made it to his feet and stared at Ken. Something was building up inside him. He put his hands together behind him and started shaking. Ken cocked an eyebrow at Ryu.
Like water in high tide, Ryu's voice slowly began to rise. An eerie glow was emitted from his hands. "Hadouken!" Ryu thrust his arms forward, launching a blue ball of light towards the wide-eyed Ken. Ken dove out of the way as the fireball struck the wall behind him, leaving charred wooden planks where the collision hit. Both Ryu and Ken stared at the wall.
Ken slowly rose to his feet. "Ry, Ryu?"
Ryu gulped. "Yeah, Ken?"
Ken swallowed. "What was that?"
Ryu shook his head. "I don't know."
"Ryu has learned to control his ki."
Both Ryu and Ken turned to see Gouken behind them. Ryu fell to his knees. "Sensei! I apologize. I have damaged our dojo."
Gouken smiled. "Sometimes, the lessons are worth the damages. Besides, you did no actual damage. You wasted much energy in the process. What's important is that you learn."
Ken stepped forward. "Master Gouken! Teach me to control my ki!"
Gouken shook his head. "I cannot do this. You much learn to control it for yourself, my son. There are many great warriors who cannot control their ki, Ryu. Do not get overconfident. You ability to control your ki is only as strong as you are. Use it wisely.
Ryu nodded. In time, Ken would learn to control his ki in other ways. It would be a long, hard process, but this was the beginning of the journey for the world warriors.
* * *
The wooden floor of the dojo creaked when he walked on it. It was a very old building up in the mountains of Japan. It was quiet tonight. The sound of his geta hitting to floor echoed throughout the rest of the building. The moon shone through the opening that let to the edge of the mountain.
"You are restless tonight."
He turned around. "Sensei Gouken! I apologize, I didn't mean to awake you."
Gouken shook his head. "You didn't wake me, Ryu. I have just finished meditating and am going to rest. What are you doing up?"
Ryu sat down and crossed his legs. I'm worried sensei.
Gouken nodded his head. "About what, my son?"
Ryu looked away. "About your duel with your brother. About how he said that your mercy would be the end of you."
Gouken nodded again. "Do not fret, my son. Shotokan is not a style of violence. It is a style of peace. Akuma is full of hate. His rage consumes him. As long as he does, he cannot defeat me. He will see the errors of his ways."
Ryu stood up. "But what if he doesn't?"
Gouken smiled softly. "He will realize that rage isn't the best option. Such is the nature of Shotokan. Now, rest, my son. You will have a new sparring partner coming in tomorrow. He should hopefully last longer then the last one.
Ryu reluctantly agreed and went to back to rest. He was excited at the concept of a new partner. He had several others in the past, but most of them left after a few months. The fight between his master and Akuma still worried him. But his master was calmed. That fact soothed him. Master Gouken certainly knew more then he did about his brother.
The morning came with no other problems. Ryu was up with the sun; Gouken had made some tea for him. Ryu drank it as he read the note Gouken had left saying that he had left for town to get the new student. After Ryu finished his tea, he left to the mountains to meditate. By the time he had returned, there was still no sign of his master. His master had not returned by that night, and Ryu began to get worried. It wasn't until dawn that Ryu saw his master returning with another small boy. He wanted to go out to see his new partner, but decided to stay in to show his patience. His master soon appeared in the doorway.
His master spoke calmly, like he had always done. "Ryu, my son. Your new partner is here."
Ryu stood up and looked at the other boy. He was about the same age as Ryu, but he was much paler. He had blond hair and thick black eyebrows. He looked at Ryu with tired eyes.
Gouken looked down at the kid then at Ryu. "Ryu, this is Ken Masters. He comes from America. His plane just arrived last night."
Ryu nodded. "You are probably tired from your trip."
Ken nodded and walked past Ryu without saying a word. He dropped his suitcase and went to sleep on Ryu's cot.
Gouken walked up behind Ryu. "Do not worry. He is just tired. It is late in American now. He needs some time to adjust. You'll begin your training within the week."
Ryu wasn't worried. Ken seemed disciplined. He had only seen him for a few minutes, but Ken seemed to be quite mature for his age. Ryu was looking forward to seeing Ken in action.
* * *
Ryu was getting annoyed. "Would you wake up already? It's past 8!"
It had been several years since Ken came to the dojo. Ryu was pacing in front of his cot. Ken responded sleepily. "Come on man, we've got all day."
Ryu scowled. "I cannot believe that master would accept a student so lazy. What did you have to do to be sent here?"
Ken sat up almost immediately. "Listen, I didn't ask to be sent here."
Ryu snapped back. "Sorry my way of life isn't good enough for you, spoiled brat."
Ken got to his feet. "Don't you judge me."
Ryu stepped toward him. "Prove me wrong, rich boy."
Ken lunged at Ryu, who sidestepped and slammed his elbow into Ken's back. Ken hit the ground and swept his foot at Ryu's legs. Ryu leapt over Ken and jumped a short ways back. Ken lunged forward again and speared Ryu into the wall. Ryu tried to lift him, but Ken reversed it and threw Ryu over his back. Ryu landed on his back, sliding a few feet. Ryu was slow getting up.
"Had enough?" Ken taunted.
Ryu slowly made it to his feet and stared at Ken. Something was building up inside him. He put his hands together behind him and started shaking. Ken cocked an eyebrow at Ryu.
Like water in high tide, Ryu's voice slowly began to rise. An eerie glow was emitted from his hands. "Hadouken!" Ryu thrust his arms forward, launching a blue ball of light towards the wide-eyed Ken. Ken dove out of the way as the fireball struck the wall behind him, leaving charred wooden planks where the collision hit. Both Ryu and Ken stared at the wall.
Ken slowly rose to his feet. "Ry, Ryu?"
Ryu gulped. "Yeah, Ken?"
Ken swallowed. "What was that?"
Ryu shook his head. "I don't know."
"Ryu has learned to control his ki."
Both Ryu and Ken turned to see Gouken behind them. Ryu fell to his knees. "Sensei! I apologize. I have damaged our dojo."
Gouken smiled. "Sometimes, the lessons are worth the damages. Besides, you did no actual damage. You wasted much energy in the process. What's important is that you learn."
Ken stepped forward. "Master Gouken! Teach me to control my ki!"
Gouken shook his head. "I cannot do this. You much learn to control it for yourself, my son. There are many great warriors who cannot control their ki, Ryu. Do not get overconfident. You ability to control your ki is only as strong as you are. Use it wisely.
Ryu nodded. In time, Ken would learn to control his ki in other ways. It would be a long, hard process, but this was the beginning of the journey for the world warriors.