S t r e e t F i g h t e r A l p h a 3 ( P a r t 3)

Small Village near the Ganges River, India

Poof. Rose appeared inside a temple, standing behind a very in-depth monk who practiced the Yoga Style.

"Yo, Dhalsim," Rose greeted him.

"Ahh…. Rose…," the monk, Dhalsim, looked quite surprised. But he spoke in a very old and dragging tone. "It has been a while… have you been busy?"

"Indeed," Rose said. "I have… had a lot of work to do and couldn't find the chance to meet you. But it is not like I didn't come here out-of-business."

"I see," Dhalsim said, as he kept practicing stretching his arms across the floor. "Tell me… what is this business? Is it… him?"

"Affirmative," Rose said. "Me and him have the same kind of moods, feelings, and sense… that is why, I can tell, that Vega is up to no good. He is… after a very mysterious and lone-traveling street fighter."

"Is he plotting to take over a body again?" Dhalsim said, returning his stretched hands to his head and meditating as he arose slowly into the air.

"I don't know, but it is very obvious that he is," Rose continued, "that man is the holder of the World Tournament trophy. His name is Ryu."

For a while, Dhalsim didn't speak, his eyes staying shut and him rising into the air more and more. Then, all in one second, his eyes flew open, and he collapsed to the ground with utmost balance.

"Ryu… yes… I have seen him fight. Spiritual fighter. Very… very spiritual."

" I know it is not like you to teach, but I, as a friend of yours, request and plead that you teach him the art of the hadou," Rose said.

Once again, Dhalsim paused. But he did speak: "You are very rushing, Rose… it is not like Vega hasn't caused this kind of trouble before. Then why this Ryu?"

"Because within Ryu I sense a peculiar feeling," Rose said. "His feeling, I mean… he has some strange sort of desire and it is very powerful. But he does not know how to control it. But it is his fate to fight Vega and if he is not ready, he will die. He must learn to fight with his soul, not strength."

"That is true," Dhalsim said, getting up. "Okay. But where?"

"He is coming here, and he will reach within a day or two," Rose said. "You will easily recognize him. He is not like any other human."

"Good," Dhalsim said, nodding once. "I will handle this Ryu. You go on."

"Thank you, partner."

-Two Days Later

A Few Kilometers Away

"Well, this is the Ganges," Ken said out loud, but the sound of the stream was wiping out his sound almost completely. "Now all we have to look for is the village!"

"Right!" Karin said. "Whatever! Let's just get out of here!"

"What?"

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!"

The stream, of course, did not quiet down. As he tried to walk away, Ken had to grab Karin from falling into the rushing water. The rocks on the edge were extremely subtle. And as he picked Karin up and walked away, his feet would emit cracks on the rocky surface. A mile walk was all he needed to get tired with a girl on his arms.

"Very… strong… current!" he shouted. It seemed that the sound of the water was very low, but still hearable. "What were you thinking even getting close to that place? You could have died and I would have been convicted."

"What… ever!" Karin shouted, also seeming to be tired even though she had not been the one to walk. Ken put her down, and let her walk after a few minutes rest. After walking long enough to get Karin tired for sure, they were facing what looked like a large gate. It was so wide that its silver stone disappeared into the surrounding woods.

"What is this?" Ken asked.

A few men came by and began yelling at them in a foreign language. More men gathered as they did so.

"They seem to want us to leave," Ken said to Karin, as she hid behind him. His guess turned out quite right, as the men grabbed odd-shaped lances and charged at him, giving him a last warning.

"No, I am NOT leaving!" Ken said. "This gate…"

"Could it be a shield for the village that you were looking for?" Karin asked.

"That it must be!" Ken said. "A village with a gigantic gate! Okay then, I must get in!"

The men surrounded them with their spears, and closed in. As one of them launched towards Ken, he almost flung a kick when he heard the sound of screaming. They both stopped and looked to a girl who was oddly clothed in a shirt and skirt, kind of like a uniform.

"Sakura?..." Karin stared as the girl struggled, being carried by two men. The men themselves stopped and stared at Ken and Karin. Ken jumped out of the band of men that surrounded him and K.O.-ed them with two swings.

"Ken!" Sakura shouted. "What are you doing here?! Oh good thing you're here. These guys are so tough my fighting skills have no effect on them!"

"Shut up and let me fight!" Ken slid in and out from one man to another, with quick moves that were strong enough to knock them all out. When the final man standing flew up and hit the ground with a thud, Ken took out a towel and wiped himself.

"All done! Phew—HEYY!!!!" Ken turned around to reveal Sakura and Karin fighting rather violently. "I thought you guys were helping me all along! So I was fighting by myself while you were fighting YOUR rivalry? GrrR!"

He broke them up rather violently, as they both flung in opposite directions. Sakura crashed into the large gate, and Karin hit a nearby tree. She dragged down the itchy bark and fell softly on the ground. She got up, and turned around, revealing a naked back of her upper body.

"Sorry," Ken said. Karin didn't speak for a moment, and looked deeply into Sakura's eyes, who were very confused and resembling darkness.

"Sakura, I challenge you to a match," Karin said.

"No," Sakura responded firmly.

Karin's eyes flashed.

--

It was an average after-school day, and the weather was sunny, but had a slight feel of mist around a band of schoolgirls, who were surrounding an average (everyday in Tokyo) schoolfight. Except this time, it was a foreign American who was fighting the best of Minami High School, Sakura. Although tough, fast, and very teasing, Sakura had been fighting Karin for nearly fifteen minutes: the longest fight she had ever had.

But the match had nearly ended. They both shot at each other. Karin had just about landed a good blow when she felt a sharp pain in her knee, and realized that Sakura had already hit her with a hook kick to her side. Sakura landed her final blow into the exhausted Karin, and their battle was officially over.

Minutes, and the girls cheered. And minutes, as Karin took deep breaths and held her hand on her neck. Sakura gave her a supporting hand, but Karin rejected it.

"Remember, Karin, this settles the match," Sakura said. "There is no rematch."

--

Sakura's eyes flashed. "Remember, Karin, that settled the match. There is not going to be a rematch."

Karin nodded. "But there will be a rematch. Whether you like it or not, I'll fight you one day. And if you don't fight me back, I'll just hit you until you're down. Or is it that you're scared, Sakura?"

"Hmmmm…. May I interrupt?"

Ken walked over to the large gate, and tried to open it, but it was too strong and large. "I can't handle you two fighting in a place like this where we've already found enemies."

"So, what's your plan?" Sakura said to him, looking away from Karin.

"No, I want to know," Karin declared, taking Sakura's attention again. "Are you scared, Sakura?"

"Karin, shut the—"

"No, Ken, I'll tell her," Sakura said. She walked over to Karin, and looked in her eyes.

"The match was a draw, I was too greedy for victory, so I didn't want to tell you," Sakura said.

"What do you mean?" Karin said in a confused voice, as she bent down and analyzed her knee. Ken ignored them and made a unique power-up stance, and began meditating. Sakura began to explain.

"That day…

--

But the match had nearly ended. They both shot at each other. Karin had just about landed a good blow when she felt a sharp pain in her knee. Sakura looked and realized Karin in pain before she launched a hook kick to her side. Before thinking that this match was getting serious, Sakura landed her final blow into the exhausted Karin, and their battle was officially over.

When Karin was unconscious and sent to the hospital, Sakura went to check up on her. The doctor said her knee joint had been damaged about a week ago, and was growing worse.

--

"

"I see," Karin said, minutes later.

"Your kicks were weak, but you used them a lot more than you used your punches, which I feared more," Sakura said. "What your wound was, I do not know. And why you used your kicks even though it hurt, I do not know. And I will not ask."

---Clash!—vrooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…….

Ken had dipped his fist magically into a part of the door… the door melting into cascades of wounds. Ken's flaming hand caught up to his arm and began burning it black. Sakura smacked her hands on her open, amazed mouth.

Finally, the fire-lit knuckles appeared around from inside the door to another side. It seemed to be stuck inside. With the other hand, Ken threw his hand rapidly at all parts reachable on the door, as if firing fists from a machine gun. The door lost to keeping hold of the flaming arm, and Ken finished off with an indescribable blow, revealing a hole on the giant door. Smoke flew from his hand in great speed, and continued to flow long distances. He had burnt his entire arm up to his shoulders.

He walked into the village from the hole, the villagers exchanging looks and transforming their looks of surprise to anger. Some of them yelled at him lightly. Sakura and Karin, unable to exclaim of Ken's great skill at the time, clinged closely to him as he walked comfortably.

After a few seconds of walking through the uncomfortable place with countless people glaring at them, Karin noticed Ken had slowed his walking pace… and slowed down to a halt. She understood why: they were hearing fast dirt-pressing noises behind them. They three flung around and saw the people who had attacked them earlier, attacking them again.

Ken jumped ahead of Sakura and Karin and loaded up. Before the attacking guards got to him, a leading voice spoke behind them, and everything came to a stop. Once again looking behind them, they saw Dhalsim standing. Behind him was Ryu.

"More foreigners, I think?" Dhalsim said to them.

Dhalsim's Domain, India

It wasn't exactly a domain, a house, or home, as Ken thought. It was more like a public temple. All kinds of statues hanging on the walls and people making indescribable prayers. On another chamber was a line of elephants, which didn't seem to like the foreigners. On another chamber was an odd yoga-styling dojo system. In another chamber was a bed larger than ten king bed. They would have figured this was Dhalsim's bedroom, but on the bed were sleeping a number of women. On another chamber was what they thought a bathroom.. but looked like a large spring with men bathing and toilets inside the floor.

"So what is exactly this place?" Sakura asked nervously, as she walked close to Ryu.

"My home," he replied.

"But there were women sleeping in your bed?"

"Alone is not me."

"Not to mention you don't even have privacy in the bathroom!"

"It is science."

"And your elephants like to hit our asses with their trunks?"

"It is well."

"How long have you known Ryu?" Ken asked.

"Ryu, the man who won the tournament… I have known him for a while. Ryu, the inner man, I have come to meet him for a few days."

"Why do you speak so freakishly?"

"Freakish?"

"What's up with your weird stretching ability?"

("Haha, Karin, this guy could fake to be the tallest man just for that!")

("Tell me about it!")

Sakura and Karin giggled loudly.

"ANNOYING ME, YOU ARE!" Dhalsim yelled forcefully.

"Eek!"

A few minutes later, Dhalsim came to calm down rather quickly. "The only man.. and woman… of well honor and sense here is Ryu. Therefore, if I talk to the rest of you, it is equal to talk to cows."

"Why cows? Why not deers or…"

Sakura stopped just by Dhalsim's sleepily angry look.

Several hours later, the sun sank to the other side, revealing a shade of blueish glow in the sky. Dhalsim had told Ryu to take rest, and the next day he will teach him the secrets of the Hadou. Ryu took this quite well, as he was ready to sleep all night. But the question of Ken's presence bothered him.

"You came here, why?" he asked Ken while laying in his bed. Ken was laying in his own, his bed being opposite-ended to Ryu's. The girls had received a different room to sleep in.

"I wanted to see you. What you were up to. I am not going to be left behind!" Ken responded.

Pause. Ryu gazed on the roof for a while. "The fact that you exist still bothers me. You are far too competent with me."

The Next Day

"Well, Ryu, we begin now," Dhalsim said to the Ryu standing in an open field. "First, you must be able to feel your heart. Feel it pumping, and think as if it is pumping energy, not blood. It is pumping ki. And that ki does not travel through veins, but the path that you lead it to using your mind power. Only your nerves can perform this action."

"Tell me more," Ryu said, concentrating.

"When you feel that ki pumping through your heart, you must be able to gather all the ki from all parts of your body, and gather it all in your heart, and shoot it towards your shoulders, down your arms, and shield your wrist as it flows out of your fingertips and palm. This is the first part of your training."

"I am well able to perform a perfect fireball!" Ryu said.

"Ah, but that is not the case, you only know half of what there is," Dhalsim explained. "What you know is to gather the ki in your heart and shoot it towards your right arm, since you are right handed. What you don't do is gather all the ki to your heart, and then shoot it at both arms."

"I see."

"A spar with your partner should warm you up," Dhalsim said.

Ryu concentrated. He tried, and nearly gathered it all into his heart, but it seemed it wasn't enough. His heart was not beating anymore, which meant it was full. But there was a sign that there was more ki in his body than he had taken in. He couldn't do it.

-Bang-

Ryu was levitated by Ken's high-kick and fell to the ground.

"What's the matter, not gonna fight?" Ken teased. Ryu shot up to his feet, and thought. Ken was never going to let a good opportunity to fight get away. It seemed no exit. He had to fight.

"Ryu will win," Sakura said comfortably.

"There's more to Ken than you think!" Karin replied.

Ryu accelerated to his opponent, jigged up, and revealed a single 360 degree spin kick with an out-of-nowhere elbow strike. The trick worked well with Ken but it wasn't enough to knock the stamina out of him.

Ken countered with an avoided low-kick that cost him a hidden attack from the behind, casting him into the air, brushing him against the green grass with an atmosphere of combat. Ken got back up. Ryu looked far more than ready.

Ken heated up, kicked dirt up with his feet, and rocketed up the rugged path straight to his rival. Ryu dodged a narrow attack and attempted to escape the battle core to straighten his defense, but was once again shoved sky-high with a vertical kick from Ken, up the chin. The unique thing about this kick was the flame that was exerted from the balls of his feet. Ryu felt it. He felt the flame had nearly burnt his chin.

Dhalsim appeared interested in the match. He was holding his left hand on his chin, observing the Ken that now shifted his foot back on the ground, watching the Ryu that plummeted down the rough path and rolled backwards instantly to stand back up and show he wasn't done just yet.

That flame…, Dhalsim thought. It isn't any normal technique to use it inside your body so easily. His toe is still sending up smoke, but it is not burnt. What is the reason for this?

Ryu took deep breaths. Ken had definitely gone to elite dexterity and cleverness. For once, Ryu came to an ambition to fight this man for real—to see what he really is made of. It was like his fight with Sagat—Gouki! The feeling of fighting someone you believe is superior to you. But did that mean he was thinking Ken was superior, better than him? Was he inferior to Ken now? Had he really abandoned his training so long he had lost his skill?

Ken darted towards Ryu once again, and skidded by to dodge a full-strength side-kick, and shot a combo of incredibly fast punches at him while he was off-guard. But when the punches, releasing flame from his knuckles, were shot, Ryu amazingly evaded all of them. Ken proceeded to a flaming Shoryuken, and caught Ryu perfectly in his tornado of flame. When Ken landed back to the ground, letting his fiery body take a flexible rest, Ryu, too, touched the ground softly with his feet a few meters away.

Ken was shocked. Ryu had survived an ultra-powerful, finishing move that was combined by the element of fire. And Ryu seemed perfectly fine, hardly damaged at all. What the hell is going on?, Ken thought.

And then he noticed it. Ryu was surrounded by an imperceptible bluish-white glow that was placed faintly on the edges of his skin. It seemed Dhalsim had noticed it too. But Sakura and Karin were just mystified, not noticing the unique shine that was surrounding this warrior.

Ryu… has…

Ken grew confused and angry, and decided to charge up a fireball. Not as proficient on the art of hadou as Ryu was, although in Dhalsim's eyes Ryu was just a rookie, Ken endeavored the best he could to deliver a blast, and released it to the enemy. Ryu traced the route of the fireball, held up both of his hands, and the bluish glow passed down the route of his wrist, and caught the blast that was launched by Ken, and melted into Ryu's own hands. With the bluish glow now going into the blast that Ryu had just caught in his hand, the energy expanded. It grew larger than ever.

And he has done it so quickly…

Soon Ryu had to extend his hands so apart due to the size of the ki that a thought traveled to his mind. If he tried to compress this blast, each portion of the blast would be stronger than the original ki, and it would be about twice—no, triple times—stronger than the original ki. So he tried to compress this large blast, and realized it was turning orange, and then dark orange, and then light red, like a ball of lava with waves of dark red. But it was strong enough for Ryu to hold it in his hands in a miniature space.

Not hesitating at all to discharge the blast, Ryu did so. Ken grit his teeth. The blast had been constricted in Ryu's hands to a small but powerful size, but when launched it had the mass of twenty men. He thought quickly. What can get rid of a large ball of flame?... wait…. WIND!

Ken was just ready for another tornado of Shoryuken, of wind, not flame. But just when he was about to do so, a wall of water shot out from the ground and took out the blast.

"MASTERED IT!!!!"

Dhalsim clapped his hands while shouting it out loud. Everything came to a halt. Ken was still in his Shoryuken-stance. And Ryu was too desiring to fight than to stop and cool down to look at Dhalsim with his hot-red eyes. But he must resist.

"What I thought would be a mere warm-up turned out to be an interesting combat," Dhalsim said, clearing his throat. "Masters here is certainly a master of speed and cleverness. Surely has some interesting techniques. Ryu, on the other hand, has values in strength and concentration."

He paused, looking at Sakura and Karin whom had no idea what was going on, and continued.

"The reason Ken's elemental attacks weren't working was because Ryu's ki was absorbing the attacks and adding up. Ken should have tried physically. Ryu was finally able to learn the true fact about the Hadouken. The unknown, yet infamous, technique.

"Ken is not able to draw ki perfectly out of his body except for his hands, but he is somehow able to use the ki right on the edge of his skin, that causes major disturbance and friction, causing flame to be added to his technique. The flame doesn't long last enough to burn Ken himself. However, I am pretty sure that the first few times Ken used this he must have been damaged roughly."

Dhalsim took a deep breath. "My orders have been complete. Ryu, I was to train you the art. I have done so. Now, take a rest overnight and you may sleep."

During nighttime, Ryu and Ken didn't talk very much. It was as if they were feeling something left out. And it soon came clear to them that what was left out was the conclusion of their match. Why had Dhalsim caused that water to come out and stop the match?

Was it because he thought I couldn't handle the blast?, Ken thought.

It was too powerful for Ken to worry about right now, he was too tired. He decided to go to sleep.

The next day, Ryu had gone.