1Author Notes:
Thanks if you reviewed, thanks if you read. I enjoy the feedback. I'm sorry for the delay in posting: I was trying to rewrite a story–which isn't going so well right now :tear: so sense I've gotten back into my 'Street Fighter' writing mood:
Enjoy chapter one!
(And I solemly swear I will attempt to update more often.)
As for Akuma and Chun Li being a pairing–heh heh–we'll just have to wait and see, won't we::Winks:
Sweet Misery
Chapter One: Broken Promise, Beautiful Dream
'She had promised.'
It was the only thing that kept going through his mind as he ran swiftly down the stone steps, his well trained feet well accustomed to the hard surface, as this man was not a stranger to feeling the earth below bare skin.
"I'll be with Gen..."
This was the lie that came from those rose colored lips of hers. So slow, those well crafted words. In a sweet, regretting voice that he had come to believe. And those eyes...what a fool he had been.
He knew that the woman lived by her eyes. Any emotion she held from her face, smothered away from her demeanor, it always radiated with such strength from her eyes. Sadness, happiness, anger, pity: those beautiful honey brown eyes were like vessels to her soul for all the world to see.
In the distance, a young teenage boy with bagging clothing, came walking up the stairs in a slow drag towards Ryu. They were made of the Hong Kong orient: the shell top had two tails, one in the back, the other in the front, two long splits on either side all the way to his lower waist. It was decorated to the collar in black frogs, no sleeves. He wore silky overly baggy pants, black in color, for bottoms.
Golden gauntlets that stretched from his wrist to the middle of his forearm. Tennis shoes of the same colors graced his feet while his trademark cap sat peacefully on top of his chocolate colored hair, a single braid, rather short in length, swaying gracefully from side to side with each slow paced tired step he took. He held his skateboard under his arm loosely, grumbling words under his breath that Ryu was too far away to make out–and too distracted to care about.
He moved his head barely in toward him as Ryu ran swiftly past him, his tired expression from his walk emitted brightly on his face.
Ryu knew that Yun must have thought him rude, with him not even bothering to utter so much as a feeble hello or a small wave his way, though he would have to ask forgiveness when he felt he had more time.
Now he had to get to the young Chinese woman whom was about to make a grave error–one that he had specifically asked her not to make. One that those lips of hers swore she would not...
He had grabbed her by the wrist when she had turned to walk away. She had turned back to him, slightly surprised, as if she had known what to say anymore.
Too many thoughts ran through his head. Why had he done that? Now what was he planning to do? Challenge her to a fight for her own free choice? What words could he possibly speak that he has not already to change her mind?
Chun Li had frowned, her face falling cold again. Ryu could feel the aura from her before he could see the sparks of blue chi igniting in the palms of her hand. Such a hard headed, stubborn woman, Chun Li. (Though he would admit: it was one of the things he rather liked about her.)
But Ryu did not want to fight her, not on these terms. So tightening his grip on her wrist, he swung her towards him and swiftly and took her in his arms. There, he held her close to him.
He could hear her let go of an easy sigh. She had held her breath. The chi he had felt was now gone.
His mind scrambled quickly for a solution, as he could not possibly hold her forever.
But it came to him, not from his own mind, but what he had thought, from her lips.
"Ryu," she had begun softly. "Ryu...I'm sorry. I truely am. I didn't mean to make you worry over me. You know that. But–I felt so lost. So desperate. I hate being this way. It's as if the man has completely taken over my life: the way I feel. The way I think. My ever action. Always on him. Always focused on Bison. I don't want to live this way."
"Then stop," he replied firmly. "Do not live your life for revenge. Do not live your life for Bison. Live it for no one. Nothing–-but yourself. A life filled with such bitterness, such hatred. On one mind, one focus: to harm another as you felt they have hurt you. I learned this the hard way Chun Li: it is not worth it. And you know this. Bison will have his day, he will be brought down. But please Chun...there is another way to go about things. You can do this without the likes of Akuma."
"I know," she said softly. She pulled away from him, slow tears running down her face. "I know."
The wind let off a gentle breeze as it made ripples in his baggy gi, picking up his infamous red ribbon, a gift from his rival. His best friend. His 'brother': Ken Masters. It picked up a the few loose strands of Chun Li's auburn hair, the yellow ribbons tied on either braided bun with them.
She turned away from him and began to walk slowly in the opposite direction. Ryu watched her, a neutral expression on his face. He didn't make a move to stop her, but only continued to watch as she got further away from him.
"Ryu."
She had stopped, her back still facing him.
"If you need me. Or wish to speak with me. I'll be at Master Gen's a while. I need—a vacation."
"Can I please," he began slowly, still not changing his expression, not making a move. His voice was just as calm as the wind. "Have your word."
She turned her head back to him, her face seeming almost sorrowful to him. "You have my word. I'll be with Gen."
With Gen...
Ryu may be quiet, but he was not a stupid man when it came to these situations. Not with a friend that could be as reckless as that of Ken.
He had been traveling as he normally had, stopping in Hong Kong. Of coarse, he had a match to win there, as he could never turn down a fight with a great opponent, but in truth, he had another reason to be there.
He couldn't help but think of those last words as they went through his head again.
He had another reason to be there. Something other than the fight.
He had wanted to make sure that Chun Li had kept her word to him. Not that Ryu was a gullible man, by all means no. Though he did have to admit to himself: when someone gives him their word, he takes it as a 'warrior's honor' so to speak to keep this word, as he puts his trust in these words, believing that they too, will live by them.
But as he sat with Master Gen, who wore a weary expression on his tired face, he knew that Chun Li had failed in this task.
"She would not listen to my words,' he had spoken to him with worry, only stopping to yell at Yang for messing up a simple martial art move in their practiced style, one of beginners. He was awarded with two hundred finger ups.
"She asked me to teach her how to possess the Satsu no Haduo. While yes, my style is quite similar to the that of the Ansatsuken (1) fighting style, I could not. Or shall I say: would not. I could not dream of what Chun Li's father would have said, to see his daughter wanting to possess the powers, the heart of a creature such as Gouki(2). A man that lives for nothing but the fight. Without the care of others, of his opponets. That of the value of life.
"Chun Li is so much more than that." He had sighed.
"I can still remember the days past. She had been such a happy young woman, with aspiring dreams of being a detective. My, how she had looked up to her father. She simply adored the man, much like you respected and honored your Master Gouken. But when that fowl creature–when M. Bison came into their lives..."
He paused as a Yang came to serve him more tea, Ryu had turned it down, rather curious to hear the rest of his words.
"Dorai began to spend so much more of his time, wrapped into his work. Into that case. Chun Li tried to understand, but the pain in her heart was obvious. Then Bison made things rather...personal for Dorai. And he vowed that he would bring this man down..."
Gen shook his head. "Ever since that day, Chun Li has lived her life for revenge. The change seemed rather slow and there was such hope that maybe this would not effect her. But as the days grew longer–the years went by–and still no results, her soul became bitter, her heart colder. She lives for Bison. She may not want to believe this, but in her heart, she knows she truly does. But this does not seem to matter to her anymore–as long as she can accomplish her goals. Seek a way to ease the revenge she fills in her heart."
Ryu nodded slowly, a troubling thought enter his mind. But before he could ask, he had answered.
"Yes...I believe with the proper training...or perhaps even the 'right' battle, Chun Li could gain possession of the Satsu no Hadou."
Ryu frowned. "But–"
"It is desperation, young warrior, that is the key to gaining such power," Gen cut him off. "Desperation and a fighting spirit. Her's is full of desperation, of revenge. All she can think of is fighting this man, of destroying the trouble that as plagued her life. She has become willing to do anything to gain this power–even if it were to mean to give her soul to this one fight, this one task. To end the opponents life."
There was a silence between them for a few moments, only the sounds of Yang's grunts as he had gone back to completely his 'punishment' could be heard.
"Such tragedy has befallen Chun Li, but more will surely followed if she is permitted to this," Gene had spoken.
"Not only for herself. But for those who care about her as well."
For those who cared about her as well...
When he had gone through his Satsu no Hadou, Ryu had Ken to help him through it. He had Ken to ground him again, to bring him back out of it. To care enough about him not to see him go down that beaten path.
But to his knowledge, Chun Li had no one. No one that could possibly help her. No one that truly understood.
But Ryu shook his head. No. She did have someone. She had him.
Akuma glared colding at the young woman that struggled to get to one of her knees. Her clothing was tattered, her wounds countless. Her hair was no longer in it's neat little buns, but down around her waist loosely, stands of hair hiding her eyes and overcasting her face. One of her bracelets was broken and clung to her wrist, the other completely missing. She breathed hard, grinding her teeth together in fury.
And there he stood, not one piece of clothing out of place. Not a rip. Not a tear. His hair still in it's tight ponytail, proudly swaying from his sheer aura. The infamous sign was bright on his back though his eyes, while still crimson, were calm.
They studied her carefully. Akuma had to give the girl credit at the very least: while she had yet to land him on the ground as they agreed, she had been able to land a hit–more than what he had even expected from her. At one point, she had hit him with a nice series of lightening fast kicks and made him stumble.
Yet he still, did not fall.
Nor did his strength faulter. The girl was good exercise, but she was far from a threat to him.
While he was becoming quite annoyed with the girl, he had to admit: she still interested him. This fight should have been done long ago–but this girl was clinging on. He could see her determination, her rage, so clearly in her eyes. Like vessels to the soul.
He watched as she slowly staggered to her feet, catching a new wave of breath. She got (rather slowly) into her fighting stance, her right foot in the rear, firmly on the ground while her left was out in front, on her toes. Her arms were stretched away from her again, this time her fingers slightly apart but her palms still cupped.
Akuma got back into a stance of his own, his feet both firmly on the ground, apart. His arm outstreched a ways from his body, both hands in tight fist, the sign on his back gleaming with fire again.
There they stood in their fighting stance, both staring at each other intently eye to eye, aura's flaring wildly.
Both waiting to see whom would go on the offensive.
And as he pretidicted, Chun Li started this new bout, screaming in her years of frustration, in fury. In determination. She ran swiftly at him, the ground seeming to thunder under her heavy footsteps, the grass shooting up in the air brief with each step she took.
Akuma easily blocked a low kick to his genitals and repayed the low blow with a quick right jab to her chest, sending her reeling backwards.
Chun Li just barily caught herself, landing on her feet in a stumble, pausing to take in a deep breath, then charged again.
Akuma smiled. There it was. What he was looking for. The same thing he had seen in Ryu's eyes the first time they had met. She ran speeding up when she got close to him then twisting around on a single foot, brought the other up in the air and began her series of impressive kicks, Akuma only being able to block the first five before he was finally hit in the abdomen, the head and then finally, the chest.
She finished the move with a strong round house kick to the side of his left temple, then catching the momentum from her own kick, twisted through the air in a vertical angle, her hair whipping around outward from her head (it hit Akuma in the face, sending a stinging sensation across his cheek) before she cupped her hands together side be side, gathering her chi quickly.
"Kikosho!" she screamed in fury, hitting him squarely in the chest as he was landing on his feet from the kick.. It hit picked up the dust around him, making him disappear for a moment while Chun Li herself landed on her own feet–only to fall quickly to her knees from exhaustion.
She watched as the dust cleared and Akuma himself was on one knee, staring at her coldly. Chun Li gave in a deep breath.
"Close," he growled as he now went on the offensive, charging so swiftly at her, it almost seemed to her that he was teleporting towards her. Then she gasped as he popped up in her face, his fist coming for it next.
"But not close enough, foolish woman."
She went sailing backward into the air, but Akuma wasn't finished. He followed up his punch with charging the brief way after her again, crouching a bit as then shooting back up into the air, his fist rising high above his head as he hit her squarely in the middle of bend in her back, rising her further into the air with him. He twirled one single time in the air, then came down from the uppercut and waited for her to decend, already gather his chi on the way down.
She came down head first, her expression weary. Their eyes met for a brief moment when they were eye lever, her face being upside down, before he took a step back and blasted her in the face with his chi, sending her reeling back away from him in a chaos of flames. She landed on the ground with a heavy thud, her clothing still having the reminates of small flames, whisps of black smoke making it's way into the air.
Chun Li could feel her breath becoming shallow, her mind wondering into blackness. She slowly turned her head toward the direction she knew Akuma was in, her eyes nearly glazed over.
She had been so close. So very close. He was on his knee, so close to the ground. She could feel her rage boiling. So close to fufilling her dream–so close to getting her revenge.
It was seer rage that made Chun Li get up with a start and charge toward Akuma again–not even he was expecting it.
Charging all the chi she had left into her body, she sent it to her legs as she kicked, catching Akuma by the chin so hard, he lifted from the ground. Then she twisted, bring her other leg off the ground and caught him again, her momentum moving her into the air as well as she performed her windmill kick at a sideways vertical angel, each time her foot connecting with his face.
She was concentrating so hard, she didn't see him quickly cup his hands together and gather his chi again. He thrusted his hands into her chest, catching her off guard and sending her away from him. He shot out his fireball quickly after this, and it caught her in the chest, once again her body was caught in an inferno of flames.
But Akuma saw her eyes—a version of rage, of fury. Brighter than the flames she had encasing her body. A beautiful vision of crimson red. She didn't let her self fall to the ground in defeat, but caught herself on foot and charged at him again.
She would not be defeated. She would not be denied her justice.
She balled her hands up into tight fist and connected a right hook to his cheek, followed by a left hook, then a series of round house kickes. Akuma blocked the majority of them but she refused to give up. She was determined to pummel him until she broke through his defense. Until he bowed down completely to her.
She gave out a cry of rage as she brought her feet up in the air together, catching him under the chin and sending him into the air as she did a back flip, then gathering chi she didn't even know she possessed, let it expand around her fist, enguling his arms, in a beautiful sphere that finally reached him, finally casting his body in blue flames.
Her eyes calmed back into honey orbs, wide as she watched–to her dismay–Akuma disappear from view. Gone. Vanished.
Chun Li's face was flaberguast, her mouth parted slightly, her breath heavy. She saw him appear again, landing on his knee, then coming to stand on her foot. His outfit was a little torn, but not by much, and there were still marks from the blue flames on his tan skin.
He stared at her emotionlessly, his crimson eyes boring into hers.
Chun Li took in a calming breaths. Obviously, 'power' wasn't the way to go with Akuma–as he was stronger than she was. She would have to go about this in a different tactic. And quickly, as she could feel her consciousness slipping away from her.
Beyond exhausted, she picked herself off the ground, crawling a short way at first, then picked her self off the ground. Akuma must not have felt threatened, as he did not bother to move into a fighting stance–not that he would need to. He could probably push her away with his finger and she would go crashing back into the ground in defeat.
She slowly made her way towards him, stopping when she was only a few inches away from him. She swayed softly from side to side as she struggled to keep herself from falling down.
"You are done."
A statement. A fact it seemed. Not a question.
Chun Li did not reply with words. She only fell forward–and was surprised that Akuma caught her. (She thought he would let her fall to the ground.) She still panted hard, her eyes fluttering open and close.
Something quickly...had to get him down.
Something–cheap.
She then nodded her head softly, pulling away from him, then fell to her knees.
Akuma stared at her one last time, then turned his back towards her, preparing to leave.
Chun Li shook her head slowly, making an effort to crawl after him. "I. . .am. . .NOT. . .finished!" she strangled out.
"You are done," he spoke coldly, still walking away form her. "You barely cling to life. Stop this foolishness before your life ends woman."
But Chun Li, in a last ditch effort, grabbed Akuma by the ankles, then holding them firmly, pressed her feet together and brought them around, trying to sweep him. But she was so sloppy, that instead, she ended up tangling her legs up with his. And when Akuma made an effort to turn around (more than likely to get her away from him), he tripped and went crashing to the ground–on top of her.
Chun Li grunted in pain at his weight on her aching body. She could hear his deep growl in his throat as he picked himself up off of her. She didn't even make an effort to get up, she only rolled herself over to her side, waiting for his retaliation.
But instead, all she felt was the rough pull of someone pulling her too her feet by her wrist. She began to speak but the words faltered on her tongue as she fell forward in pure exhaustion, collasping into his arms.
She could feel herself being hosltered up into the air and slung over his shoulder. She mumbled a few words but he spoke instead.
"Once you are able to walk again, come find me," he began coldly. "Not when you 'feel' better–when your feet are able to grace the ground and you are able to move with them, you will then find me."
The wind howled softly as they continued to on their way. Chun Li didn't even notice the sun had lowered into the horizon, leaving the sky a pale pink fading into a purple-blue.
"Do not make me have to find you foolish woman, or you will regret this day greatly. You're training begins when your conciousness ends."
Chun Li tried to reply but her words became tangled, strangled and fell short. Instead, she gave into the darkness that had waited so very long to claim her, her last vision was a blured one of the gleaming sign on Akuma's back.
End Chapter One