Day 7 Airport

"Hey Ryu. Are you okay?" Ken asked "Yeah." Ryu sighed, wiping the perspiration from his face, the crowd made him feel stuffy.

"We could always go back to the dojo if you're feeling unwell." Chun-Li squatted down beside him. A hand upon his forehead while the other hand on her forehead to check if he had a fever. Had he fallen or had he just took a seat on the flowerbed's ledge. He didn't know, he had black out again.

"No fever. Possibla hand. She received a smile in reply as she pulled him to his feet..
"Don't wander off. I'll be back." Chun-Li winked at him.

Ryu watched them until they were out of sight, he then headed to the nearby vending machine to buy a warm drink to ease his queasy stomach. He wondered what was wrong with himself, this strange hunger even though he had eaten a little while back. A feeling that worsen since he left the dojo.

No! He shook away the thought that he might lose control over Burning Red Eyes right here in this crowded airport. Could he? He grabbed the back of a chair for support. He wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Come
A familiar voice called him, Ryu sneezed and when he opened his eyes the airport was empty! Where did everybody go?! Where's Chun-Li? What about Ken? Was his eyes playing tricks on him?

chair for support. He wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Come
A familiar voice called him, Ryu sneezed and when he opened his eyes the airport was empty! Where did everybody go?! Where's Chun-Li? What about Ken? Was his eyes playing tricks on him?

This way, my dear sweet boy .
Unable to resist, Ryu follow the voice. There was something about the voice, he felt he heard it before but the place and face eludes him.

That's a good boy. Come to me and let me help you.
Ryu remembered his friends and tried to turn the other way.
No! Forget them. You would only bring harm to them. This way I need you elsewhere.
A sharp reprimand and Ryu continued to follow.

A little tug upon his t-shirt and Ryu stopped, the voice cajoled him once more to take a few more steps but the urgency in those tugs came on stronger until it overwhelms the lure of the voice.

He shook his head and blinked once more. The airport was once again crowded. The tugging came once more and Ryu look down by his side. A little girl about five years of age, A bob of black hair with a stray lock by the side framed her curious face.
Wearing a sleeveless red and white checkered dress and dragging a stuffed toy cat in one hand, The bluish-grey metallic pendant that she wore caught his eye. So she was the one who tugging his t-shirt. (No prizes for guessing who this little girl is)

Ryu squatted and their eyes locked for a moment, there was a hint of familiarity. He was reminded of another little girl he once knew . A little girl who is now a young lady, the same young lady who's running his life for the last few days.

Ryu almost panicked when he felt Burning Red Eyes stirring, he felt 'his' anger directed at the child. A sense of jealousy? Distrust? Contempt? Challenge?! Just what is wrong with Burning Red Eyes to be taking it out on a mere child ?!

"Ah Wai ah!!! Tong lei gong duo gei duo bai!! Mo luen zhao ah! (Ah Wai ah! How many times must I tell you to stop running about?)" A voice broke the girl's glance when she heard it. A dark hair woman came running towards them.

"Lei sat zhong ge wah. Lei ah ma da sei ngo the yao fen!! (If you get lost. Your mom will kill me for sure)"And then she saw that the girl was holding on to Ryu's shirt.

"Aiyah. Dui mn qi ah sin sang. Hoi dong lei hei hoi ge ah gor. Ah Wai ah. Lei ying goi gao fu ngan geng ah. Yi wai sing sang mn hai lei ah gor ah. Dui mn qi ah. (Aiyah. Sorry about that, sir. She thought you were her brother. Ah Wai ah. You should get a pair of glasses made. This gentleman is not your brother. Sorry ah) " And with that they had hurried off to another gate leaving behind a very puzzled Ryu.

"Awwww… she's so cute. Too bad we can't keep her." ChunL sighed when she reached Ryu's side. "You'll get your chance . But our Ryu is such a handful by himself." Ken punched him playfully on the arm.

"Didn't I tell you not to wander off?" She grabbed Ryu's arm and usher him away.
"What? You intend to head off to Rome to be a gladiator, a monk or something?" Ken frowned, checking the monitor to see where that gate would lead to.

"Let's go before Ryu gets whisk away." Ken shook his head.
"Stay close to me and you won't get lost." Chun-Li smiled.
"Where's my bag?" Ryu asked.

"In Rome. It was routed to Rome . Is there a store in here?" Ken shrugged.
"Sure there is. Its has almost everything. "
"What about my gi?" Ryu tried to get a word in.

"There's a karate club in my school. I'm sure I can get you a few sets to tide you over. Failing which you could always wear my dojo's uniforms."
"Those skimpy vests and leotards? Chunny! Ryu could never fit into those skimpy things! Whoa…you could imagine it of course but I don't need the image." Ken teased, trying to get a reaction from Ryu.

"My dojo's uniform Ken. Not my uniform. Just go and pay up Ken!" Chun-Li shoves through the store's entrance and then dragged Ryu in.

Author's Note - As for that little girl,.she's just a character of my later timeline fic doing a cameo.