The Colour Purple Chapter 34: Alive, a king of fighters fanfic

The Colour Purple... The King of Fighters '95

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This (chapter) fanfiction was originally written circa: [XX.96] (Thank you)

"Which Character are you?"

Note to self: Legacy chapter numbering (32- - -), does not match. [Original chapter written 2013]

[WE exist in this world JUST to SUFFER]

HE has prepared for us, a higher purpose, here...

HE must TEST us.

HE must TRY us.

"I'm going to make HIM, that bastard, give back our PAST."

…and once upon a time, when a man realized that he could not change the FUTURE, he then came to endeavor, to make YESTERDAY and TODAY – one and the same.

(and this, is the [consequence] faced by a man made GOD.)

-Judas Gospel 10.03.2013 (The Ultimate Truth).

Rugal scratched into his blonde hair with his left hand, digging deeply to satisfy and halt that unpleasant sensation in his head. He wasn't too sure if it was a simple itch or an ache. Mayhaps, it was some phantom pain from ages ago. He was still feeling a wound that had healed 10 years ago, and his mind had simply refused to forget it.

In his right hand was a tall porcelain teacup. He was unsure what it wished to offer him anymore. The velvet curtains around his palace were thick and heavy, blocking the environment around him. He was not sure if it was morning or afternoon. It didn't matter. It didn't matter what day and what time it was, because when you are God to your own domain, the limitations of time held no meeting. He had to get used to that feeling – he reminded himself. "When I become godly, I will STRIKE you down!" Rugal promised. You will regret what you did to me… and to my companions.

Even if you made dolls in your fucking image.

Rugal didn't know if that strange tall teacup held red wine, cognac or Belgian beer in it. The colours were mixed up in a foam residue and was horrendous to gaze upon.

"Saishyuu." Rugal scratched his head again, "Krauser." Trying to reach that itch, somehow whelm the pain that his hardened body didn't want to forget.

God was confused; there were those who refused God's offering to save mankind.

…

…because in my dreams – it's only you and I. In all these stories – was a cruel God – and a boy who locked himself in a room and refused to be his slave.

…

To my best recollection…

To my best recollection, the earliest account of this phenomenon, 'HAKAI', similar to [root of evil] and [blood riot] - this Japanese word, loosely translated and gave name to the abstract concept, "destruction", occurred in 1980… Iori was only 8 years old then.

I then received news; Eiji had married Kaori Kusanagi, daughter of Yoshiki Kusanagi, the lord of their family. 3 years later in 1983, Kusanagi sent a man to kill his only daughter, mortified at being so powerless to protect his wife, Eiji was tormented with an existence founded on guilt… but, as a promise to his dying wife – he was unable to seek revenge, he was unable to kill, and foremost he was forbidden to take his own life.

While some men fight for recognition, some men fight for a sense of accomplishment, and even some men fight as a sole means to survive. For Eiji, it was a plain concept far beyond anything most men could easily understand. Put simply, it was a life DEDICATED to fighting.

For Eiji Kisaragi, his very existence, his every waking moment was built upon fighting – and unbeknownst to him, the concept had slowly become a substitute for tears. Now tell me, how can you hope to even begin to comprehend a man like that?

…

"I know this… because I watched him continuously – intently…" She said.

From that thick tree branch that she sat upon. Gazing blissfully, at the tabi ninja boots that housed her agile feet. She swung them to and fro playfully for a moment in that lazy afternoon, when she was sure that no one was watching her. Her hands wrapped around the branch that held her up high, BEYOND it all.

Beyond all responsibility, even when a heavy adverse guilt tied her down. "I'm sorry. I am really – so sorry." She whispered unconsciously before her arrogant mindset could pull her back.

To and fro, she basked in the afterglow in that lazy Sunday afternoon. "I know – because – I watched him. I know – of his aches and pains – of what made him happy – what made him sad. Because, I watched him."

I knew what he said to himself out loud.. when… The female ninja pushed her body up and allowed gravity to bring her down to the Earth. She walked to that concrete wall.

When, he thought no one was watching.

…

"I cannot understand, but at the same time, I do not think anyone has the right to say that they completely [understand] another man." With that, the blonde haired man just smirked and looked away – because he was captive to a place his mind and body lay of his own choosing.

Chapter 34: Alive

"Before that blonde haired British man collapsed. I must tell you he tried his very best to hold your body up proudly, Eiji Kisaragi." She said. "Before he saw the darkness, it seemed to me, he cared for YOUR body before he did his own."

A MAN FORCED TO KNEEL.

Not today… NOT today. Eiji's pupils shrunk to pinpoints when the world faded into a bright, cool white, and then... What was Rugal's ultimate wish? …and [why] did his friends have to die for this man made God.

"Hey, is this space taken?"

…

I am strong. Stronger than all you COWARDS, Rugal proclaimed fearlessly – he threw his arms wide. That porcelain cup hurtled to the hard unforgiving wall at his side, then shattering to a million tiny pieces. IF…

If I collect all THIS pain. If I can collect all your souls – I can summon God.

As an offering, I can. Even GOD could not ignore my challenge. I will DESTROY.

…

The cherry blossoms. Mixed with a hue pink over white. They fell to the Earth, pinwheeling downwards in their last hurrah. Just like every one of us, wanting to leave our mark on the world. Each petal spun graciously, accenting the most beautiful sight that, in the end, they held themselves responsible for. Smiling faces, a time separated from all else. The Sakura cherry blossoms rained a love down on you and I.

[Haru; Shouwa go-jyu-go.] A spring of 1980.

No one was there but ghosts.

The tap of that wooden walking stick made a rhythm as constant and not at all alien from the sound of the forest around the old man. The Buddhist monk scratched his bald head and looked up from the hand sketched map in his hand. "This should be it… right?"

The monk kept his easy, steady pace up that hill and that valley. A wedding was always a wonderful occasion to be part of. He smiled. Wiping the sweat from his brow he folded his sleeves when he reached that peaceful forest clearing.

…

Twirling downwards the pink and white sakura petals were beautiful, but not as much beautiful as that nervous, blushing bride that waited immaculate in that clearing the sun opened wide – she seemed to have been waiting in that open space, unmoving, for an eternity. Her blush cheeks and cheerful dimples that glowed softly and radiantly didn't seem like she had been waiting since the crack of dawn.

Why did she wait there? For what purpose did she stay there patiently?

"Oh. Good day." The monk bowed slightly. "Am I talking to Mrs. Kisaragi?" He grinned bubbly, teasing her with a childish flair, despite his frowned brows and cracked skin that would scare anyone else.

"No, not yet." Kaori Kusanagi replied with a warm smile, and a smile bolstered with the unknown fact that she unconsciously hopped up repeatedly, centimeters at a time.

I was always watching them.

"Have you been waiting long? I'm sorry for taking so long." The monk said. "The path was steep and long."

"No, I've only been here for ten minutes," she lied. I had been waiting here patiently. Patiently - my entire life.

…

I never thought I would see you in a white suit accented with a white necktie. Eiji hooked his fingers under his collar in an uncomfortable manner. He was ready to rip that collar apart at the seams, but just for this one time he would endure. Just for her. He grit his teeth to endure.

Kaori stopped low and giggled to herself. Puffing her cheeks as if nothing had happened 22 years before, she curled the sides of her long hair around her left index finger anxiously. Over her ear, and through her smile, we could only hope but even try to but mimic her soft grin. A soft white veil was in her hand, Kaori Kusanagi put it over her face and his shyly looked away from her husband to be.

No one could touch US here. She declared.

No one could touch us here. That was what Eiji understood – and anything and everything else was inconsequential. With a great careful motion, Kaori curled that veil over her face. As men wanted to become businessmen, some women endevoured to be princesses. In that valley, amongst that peaceful green grass, the world could end for all she dared to care. She was with the only man she loved, and with him – she would follow to the end.

Even if the tasks of time…

We jab and punch – kick and thrust our courage to the future. Even when faced with the same fear, that bride held no reservation. In fact, it seemed like what she had been waiting for her entire life. For Eiji it would be the same.

Even if the prison of death would do him wrong.

Then the softness veiled his body. If this is the price of ETERNITY, I will surely have no qualms to endure. To Eiji, this was a frugal price.

"Can I tell you something, Eiji?" Kaori said softly, shyly and cutely as she looked to the other side, but peeked at her lover from the edge of her vision.

"What?" Eiji scoffed, in his own aloof, yet honest way. He probably could guess what she was about to say – she was a terrible liar, Kaori was like an open book. It was okay, that was what Eiji loved about her.

"I am so happy today. I wish... I wish time would stop right now, and we could be together forever." She said plainly, smiling but in a strange way her eyes began to bubble as she tried to hold back tears. Let's stay happy forever Eiji.

We would be here… time after.. time.

"You look handsome, dear." Kaori said looking up at the only man she loved. "Remember, you once told me, when you visited me in my room in the middle of the night on Sundays, that, that you would NEVER wear a suit." She snickered to herself. "You would never wear anything WHITE…"

You said to me – in Kusanagi palace each and every Sunday night, that you would never wear anything of the colour white. Because –

Because it was [hypocrisy].

"It looks good. It looks good, Kaori." Eiji laughed deeply. "Never thought I would wear something this clean before my funeral." He grinned, as he always did with such dark wit and awkward comedy.

…because …it was a hypocrisy to all those men who walked the same road as you.

…

The WOUND of rusting leaves, the crack of tree branches when his guests walked eagerly to that final chain. They were silent.

For you complement me – you complete me. This would be the only time I would wear a pure, clean white on my skin…

…

"What a beautiful couple we have here, sir. It is such a shame we don't have any guests to watch this wedding.." the priest said to the only two his man made eyes could see. Husband and wife there. Amidst that green patch that was for those three people alone. The sunlight crept over the tree eaves down. Maybe for that moment, we could be alone – we could end this story. Make THIS the last chapter in our story.

AUUGH! THAT woman hammered the back of her fist sideward into the harsh wooden splinters, cracking the wooden tree trunk that stood by her side. She…

A middle aged man swung his shoulders to the left then to the right – long sweeping motions parting the chaos in front of him and arranged the pink cherry blossom petals neatly to one side.

It was another afternoon. Another afternoon. He would sweep the front of his yard diligently, despite the fact that the cold wind would clutter the pathway once again. It didn't matter though. This was his routine. He would sleep, he would clean his house, water his small vegetable garden, then make dinner. Tomorrow he would bring those vegetables to the nearby town and trade it for medicine, meat or fresh fish.

Another day. JUST another day. (17)

The young, invincible Eiji, as he had always done, tilted his head, one eyebrow cocked over the other arrogantly at the preposterous thought this senile old man had.

"Old man," Eiji sneered. "You must be going BLIND in your old age…" Eiji swayed his arm, an arm sleeved in a white never to be seen again, wide across his body and behind him. "We have a full house here." He said, one arm folded waist high and the other open wide to the side, bowing half way as if a butler presenting the true masters of this palace.

Clapping at a feverish pace, as loud as they could, their shiny, polished, white shoes were planted proudly on the ground. Eiji's guests collected behind him cheering in glee. Behind Eiji Kisaragi and Kaori Kusanagi was a myriad of ghosts, 50 strong, that smiled and bolstered the occasion.

Amongst his friends, Masa and Mikaido smiled proudly with crossed arms within the crowd, dressed in their most finest attire of pure white.

…

STATIC . on . T H E . T V

…

I watched him – perhaps I watched myself in that treetop. She murmured to herself.

Eiji, what kind of man are you? To move hearts this way? Despite the tasks of time.

Watching him, watching Eiji for so very long – she couldn't help but feel her heart move.

…

[Heisei go.] 1993. Present day – present time.

Bobbing her feet back and forth, she sat on that tree branch, thinking to herself, {Just a few more seconds, just another moment or two.} She said to herself. She wasn't ready just yet. It was a good day. The cold mist of dusk had slowly begun to break as the sunlight brought a warm colour back onto the green and brown ground under her.

She looked down at her toes that curled then stretched out – oh but it was silly – they were hidden behind those thin, cloth ninja shoes.

Beyond all responsibility, even when a heavy adverse guilt tied her down. "I'm sorry. I am really – so sorry." She whispered unconsciously before her arrogant mindset could pull her back.

I knew what he said to himself out loud... when… The female ninja pushed her body up and allowed gravity to bring her down to the Earth. She walked to that concrete wall thinking valiantly, what she would say next, how she would apologize, how she would greet the man that was behind that fortress when he awoke.

Just ten steps from the face of that cold concrete wall, she held her stride. The female ninja scrutinized each crack, each fracture on that plain-cindered, clean slate. Internalizing it, making it part of her own, listening to them and what suffering they had borne before she stood before them. Each crack, and each stain. She made her toes meet, and in systematic fashion, she twisted her ankles, then her heels and body immediately followed.

Her back faced the wall now, and she kept her body tight and upright. When she was sure she could steady her erratic heartbeat she then let out a long, deep exhale. Before her last bit of breath crossed her lips she felt the top of her shoulders touch that wall. She leaned back, systematically, each vertebra rolled and made contact to that lifeless cement, she kept pace with her heartbeat.

The sun turned the world beneath them from grey to brown. Like water, the warmth flowed outwards. Uninhibited by the rooftops, by any tree's shadow. Its glow crossed her toes, breathing life into them. The moment that those rays of life spanned the edge of her pale chin, hidden behind the ninja mask, hidden behind the qualms of yesterday, she leaned comfortably on that wall – and those crisp dried leaves crackled underfoot.

…

Eiji, as he had always done, tilted his… his head, one eyebrow cocked over the other arrogantly at the preposterous thought… that this senile, now he had become a, a, an old man had he, that... Erratically the filmstrip that looped continuously behind his eyelids began to stutter and skip.

"Old man," Eiji said. "You… you must.." Now that I've become a… "You must be going blind in your old age…" Old man Eiji swayed his arm, an arm sleeved in a white never to be seen again, wide across his body and behind him. "We have a full…" Eiji stopped in mid speech.

An annoyed look on his face radiated outwards. From his snooty, low bow, Eiji looked round him. "Jep jep jep." It was a rhythmic, constant sound. Abhorred by the sound, Eiji, in his pure, pure white suit looked over his shoulder. A small animal, he thought, chipping away at a nut or a pinecone – was making such an abhorrent sound. What the hell was it? Who dared interrupt his speech, was what Eiji thought. Looking around and over his shoulder, he looked left and right, all to Kaori's concern. Eiji looked left and right frantically, he swayed his head so fast the world around him begun to revolve around and that camera lens looked back at him in response.

What an annoying sound, Eiji said to himself. It had to stop. A dry scratching sound of some damn beast chipping at dry wood engrossed, and overwhelmed the Kusanagi Ninja guard.

Jep.

Jep, jep, jep. The sound kept on going like a drop of water torture into his forehead. "Dear, are you all right…? Wait don't... darling..." Kaori put her hands around Eiji's biceps that twitched and tensed firmly, erratically in anger. "Wait…" She tried to pull him back.

Don't go back there, dear…

"Mister Kisaragi... Are you all right?" The old monk held his hand out.

LIGHT.

The moment the monk's lips touched shut, Eiji's heart began to beat, it beat FEVERISHLY, thundering, merciless into life. A dry panic attack made Eiji's fingertips tingle. He could not control his breathing. "What is that sound?"

Jep… jep..

"Be quiet.. I'm trying to speak…"

Jep… Jep, JEP JEP JEP… JEP JEP JEP JEP – the cracking sound of teeth ripping into dry wood. JEP… EP – JEP.. JEP JEP JEP JEP JEP JEP JEP JEP JEP JEP JEPJEPjepjepJEPJEP.. JEPJEPJEPJEPJEPJEPJEPJEPJEPJEPJEPJEPJEPJEPJEP…

…

"HAUGH!" Eiji's mouth opened wide to its limits gasping hungrily for oxygen. His tongue leapt out from his mouth as a geyser. "Haagh.. haaagh.." Eiji wheezed.

A tube of glass rose up – back into a sickening life. Lazarus…

Present day – present time.

"HAUGHHHH…" Eiji wheezed. The old man's upper body tilted up from his deep sleep. As if he had been shocked back to life with a pair of defibrillators Eiji arced his spine back an impossible angle and launched his body up from that pit of darkness.

Eiji pried his eyes open forcefully, those eyes that were held in a painful tension, those eyes that felt that they had been sewed shut… All those images that he had viewed leisurely on a repeating loop immediately got pressed together. The pictures became a jumbled mess mixing into a black then fading to white. 'Jep jep jep…' that sound crept through the cracks of his window. It was likely a squirrel, gnawing on a pinecone selfishly.

To the light, his, Eiji's sweat trickled down.

"Agh.." Eiji wheezed. The air in his room was stagnant, humid and dank. It made it uncomfortable and hard to breathe. As he lay there in his bed he began to rationalize to himself. Where was he now, what had happened. His heart raced, eventhough his pupils remained motionless. Was he fighting? Was he down, had he fallen, did he have to get up? Happening – an attack could come at another moment?

With hungry, DEPERATE conviction he tore into the left side of his chest with his right claw, soothing that itching, dry pain. In the next instant, he buckled at his waist and Eiji let his lower back retreat back into the futon under him. He gasped for breath, sucking in oxygen rapidly as if he was clinging to life, as if at the last instant, he gurgled when his throat was CUT, mercilessly, as if we were all just revived from death. HAUG.. hagh.. hah.. haa.. ah.. then his heartbeat finally rested into a calm yellow pace.

A squirrel, from outside that old man's window, crept through the spaces, his mind became clear now, thanks to that wretched that WRETCHED, dirty rodent.

The sides of Eiji's eyes had become soft and moist. OH yes, if so, those were called tears to every other man. The erupting emotion from his heart tasted salty. A hard water dribbled down his cheeks… He had forgotten this feeling, and now it was over.

Eiji's room was cold and it was dark. So hard he couldn't even see the butterflies in front of his face. Curling his toes, he just came to accept it…

A wrist over his eyes, Eiji cried. The simple verb that was the only thing he could think of when he reached his other hand outwards into the void. With his wrist and forearm over his tears… Eiji covered his regret and shame. Drawing pictures.

"Augh…" Eiji whimpered once again… repeatedly in that room where he could see black and nothing more... It almost seemed to that OLD man, that if he said it enough times [it] would disappear.

{There's something I want to tell you, my darling…}

"Damn," he whimpered as the back of his knuckles wiped away his careless tears. It was dark and no one could listen to him cry out pitifully in that [room]. No one would listen to him. "I thought I would become a great emperor… so many – an EMPEROR – so many a yesterday."

{I am so happy – I am so happy today. I wish... I wish time would stop right now, and we could be together forever. Forever.}

"Damn..." he said. "Damn it!" God DAMN IT!" he sobbed. God DAMN you. GOD... GOD, DAMN YOU! "I'm.. I'm still…"

…

I'M STILL ALIVE.