Author's Note: For those of you who may be wondering how exactly Usagi knew to use the Silver Crystal to heal Kooan and her sisters in the later part of Sailor Moon R, I thought I'd use this chapter to provide a possible explanation. For those of you who saw this explained in a Japanese episode that I missed (and I missed quite a few), please ignore this chapter.

ALL PATHS CROSSING

A Sailor Moon/Street Fighter Crossover Fanfiction

By Kasumi Todoh

Chapter 8

One More Vision

Soon afterwards, the Street Fighters returned to wherever they were staying that night, with agreements to meet tomorrow afternoon after school, in front of Usagi's house. The temple was now considered too dangerous, since Kakkazan had obviously discovered that they were holding their meetings there.

Usagi gave each of the Street Fighters her address and directions to her house, and all four of them left. The five Senshi, however, stayed behind to help Rei clean up the mess left behind by the Fire Bug. This gave them a chance to talk in private.

"So," Artemis began, "if Kakkazan really has taken over this kid Kaori, then we need to find a way to defeat the evil deity without hurting the human inside."

Makoto paused in the middle of tacking a large sheet over the hole in the wall. "Usagi, what about using Moon Healing Activation? That was always able to turn Nega-monsters back into normal people."

Usagi looked up from where she and Ami were picking things up off the floor. "But how can I? I lost the Crescent Moon Wand after the battle with Queen Beryl, remember?"

"You still have the crystal," Rei pointed out.

"Rei's right, Usagi," Luna added. "As long as you have the Silver Crystal, you should be to do the Moon Healing Activation."

"Poor Sakura," Minako said. "Her best friend has been taken over by an evil space creature. Can you imagine how awful it must be for her right now?"

"I have a pretty good idea," Usagi replied. "Remember when the Negaverse turned Mamoru against us? Those were some pretty harsh times. Of course, I had you guys to help me through it."

"Then, we gotta help Sakura through this, too," Makoto said. "Even if she doesn't want our help, we hafta be there for her, all the same."

"Makoto's right," Usagi added, and the others nodded in agreement.

They returned to tidying up the room in silence for a few minutes, before Rei suddenly spoke up again. "Hey guys, in all the excitement, I completely forgot. I had another vision this morning."

The others stopped what they were doing, then all turned as one and looked at her.

"Tomorrow afternoon," she went on, "the battle between good and evil will begin. We'll have to work together with the Street Fighters to defeat Kakkazan. And in that battle, all paths will cross."

"Are you sure that's what you saw?" Usagi asked. "'Cause that sounds really weird to me."

"That's because you're too dense to understand my visions," Rei snapped back.

Usagi folded her arms and turned her back to Rei with a loud huff.

"'All paths will cross'?" Minako repeated. "What does that mean?"

"That's the only part of my vision that I'm not sure about," Rei replied.

"Well, I guess the part about 'the battle between good and evil' is pretty obvious," Ami said seriously. "Tomorrow afternoon, we'll all have to face Kakkazan, and somehow manage to end this, once and for all." She looked at Rei. "Any idea of where this battle is supposed to take place?"

Rei shook her head. "'Fraid not. My vision didn't offer a single clue on that one."

"Well then, it appears that you girls will have to be ready," Luna replied. "Are you sure that you'll be able to do this?"

"I know I am," Rei answered, standing up.

"Me too," added Minako.

"Yeah, same here," Makoto replied.

Usagi made a fist. "We're gonna punish this evil and save Kaori, or my name isn't Sailor Moon!"

"Just remember, teamwork is the key," Ami said. "We have to work together if we're going to beat this thing."

"But for now, the only thing we can recommend is that you all go home and get some sleep," Artemis added. "Tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

Back in her hotel room, Chun Li sat at her desk, going over everything that had just happened. If she ever needed some time alone to think, this was the time.

What had she gotten herself into? Twenty-four hours ago, the most she'd had to worry about was getting her reports out to her superiors on time. Now, Chun Li found herself in a battle to save the planet from a silent invasion that no else knew about – an invasion from outer space, of all places. If what she had witnessed earlier that afternoon really was part of a very elaborate hoax, then the people behind it deserved an Oscar. Deep down, however, she knew, after seeing that creature with her own two eyes, and helping to fight it with her own two hands, that Ken was right. This whole thing was just too realistic not to be true.

If that weren't enough, Chun Li had only become involved at the request of a total stranger whom she had just met – a junior-high-school girl who'd seemed innocent enough at first, but then turned out to be one of the most powerful superheroines in all of Japan. Chun Li found it hard to believe that Usagi Tsukino and her friends were really the Sailor Senshi, but witnessing their transformations was something else that she couldn't deny.

But what surprised her the most was that her friends, Ryu and Ken, already seemed to know all this, even the part about the girls' secret identities. Sakura didn't seem to know any more than she did, but she had just joined their little "battle to save the world" at the same that Chun Li had. Usagi explained afterward that she was planning to tell them eventually, once she and her friends were certain that they could trust Chun Li and Sakura with their secret, but the Fire Bug kinda beat them to it. She'd also added that the reason they already trusted Ryu and Ken was because they hadgone out of their way to help them the previous day.

Chun Li was a little uncertain as to whether she could trust five girls who didn't trust her back. But then again, given the powers that each Senshi displayed, she couldn't really blame them for wanting to keep it as much of a secret as possible. It's not like she went around telling people about her abilities to summon ki and shoot fireballs from her hands.

So where do we go from here? Chun Li pondered to herself as she got up from the desk, walked over and laid back on the bed. Fleetingly, she wondered if it really was a coincidence that she'd been sent to Japan (and to the same city in Japan, as well) at the same time that all of this was happening. Maybe she was destined to fight in this battle alongside her friends and the Sailor Senshi.

If that was the case, then it was too late to back out now. Those girls did seem to genuinely need her help. She had promised to help, and that's what she was going to do. There was too much at stake for her to leave them in the lurch.

Her mind made up, Chun Li went into the bathroom to get ready for bed, and prepare for whatever surprises tomorrow would bring.

"Well," said Ken that night, "it's been pretty interesting these last couple of days."

Ryu nodded. "It sure has, and it's not over yet. Something tells me that the worst is yet to come."

Ken sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that. I guess that means we're in it for the long haul, huh?"

"We?"

"Of course. If you're not going to turn your back on this – and I know you too well to even think that you would – then I'm sure as hell not about to sit back and let you have all the fun."

"Thanks," Ryu replied. "That means a lot, coming from you. I'm sure it'll mean a lot to the Sailor Senshi, as well."

"I dunno, those girls were really something on their own," Ken said. "I mean, they're just kids, but they fought today like they've done this a hundred times before."

"I seem to recall that we were already fairly good martial artists when we were their age," Ryu responded.

"Hey, speak for yourself," Ken joked. "You may have considered yourself to be 'fairly good', but I thought I was a great martial artist, even back then. Still, you have a point there. I guess looks really can be deceiving sometimes. But those girls were pretty good at holding their own in a fight, if I do say so myself."

Ryu smiled. "And I think a couple of them have a bit of a crush on you. Are you gonna tell them you've got a girlfriend back in the U.S.?"

"And break their hearts? Nah, even I'm not that cruel. Besides, I can't help it if girls find me irresistible."

"You know, it's a good thing we're best friends, or the next time I see Eliza, I might have to tell her you said that."

"You wouldn't dare! I'd kick your ass in a heartbeat."

Ryu laughed and put up his hands in a gesture of peace. "Hey, relax. I won't mention this to Eliza if you won't. But on that note, how about a little light sparring before we turn in? We may need the practice for whatever comes next."

"Sure, why not?" Ken stood up and got into his fighting pose. "Just don't hold back on me, okay?"

Ryu assumed his fighting stance as well. "Do I ever?"

That night, Sakura lay in her bed, unable to sleep. Instead, she folded her bare hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling, the one area of her room that wasn't adorned with pictures of Ryu.

What would Ryu do in a situation like this? she thought to herself. Well, the answer to that was obvious. Ryu would try to save and protect his friends if they were in any kind of danger. Sakura had always hoped he would do the same for her.

Deep down, she knew that she had try and save Kaori. But how? She wasn't even entirely certain of what was happening to her friend. She definitely wasn't sure whether or not she should buy Ami's alien-possession theory.

After tossing and turning for several minutes, Sakura came up with only one course of action. She didn't like the idea, but she couldn't think of any other options. Kaori hadn't left her with any choice. Sakura would just have to hope she understood.

With thoughts of her friend in mind, Sakura rolled over again, and slowly fell into a fitful sleep.