The Colour Purple Chapter 82: Equivalent Exchange, a king of fighters fanfic

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

pointblankassassin . com

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 2016]

Chapter 82: Equivalent Exchange

Everything in the world is bound by [rules]. It is simple physics, and it is [not] wrong. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This applies to matter, to energy and to morality. Or else, the kingdom beneath heaven would fall into an abysmal pit of chaos. The balance between the concept of RIGHT and WRONG would suddenly cease to exist.

A Sequence of Uneventful Mornings, part 16.

…

WAS EVERYTHING. WAS EVERYTHING YOU SAID, WRONG?!

I. I will still… "I will still stand by your side."

…

{This is so awkward, and this sucks.}

"Aghhhh." Billy grunted, his shoulders now slowly slumped from exhaustion – the wound up tension from the seconds and minutes of silence had taken its toll and Billy's joints had begun to ache when he forced himself to remain motionless amidst their gunslinger stalemate. "Ah! Fuck it old man…" Billy said as he bent at the waist and began to kneel to pick up his comrade apprehensively.

Billy's thoughts were interrupted just as he made a move when Yamashita pushed her hip sharply into Billy's lower back just by his triceps, jostling the boy off balance for a moment.

"Hey what the fuc…" Billy cussed when he stumbled forward. Almost uncannily scientific, just as Billy's center of gravity floated over his toes, Yamashita checked the back of Billy arm with her shoulder. The short and quick motion was enough to force Billy immediately to his knees, his splayed palms on the ground to steady himself from toppling over. The Captain did not even bother to respond, she simply walked past his folded body, knelt down and with her one good right arm rolled Eiji's unconscious body face up. It took her entire body weight to heave the man to face skywards and she let out short gasps to steady herself.

Pushed aside and once again ignored, Billy fumed. Absolutely annoyed, she was obviously doing that on purpose, once again mocking Billy. "Hey what the FUCK is wrong with you!?" Billy shouted. She just stood there forever and didn't do anything, but just the moment Billy made a move to pick up Eiji, she butt in and pushed him over. What a total bitch.

"Hey." Billy said again as he rose to a stand, cocking his right arm back aiming right at the back of Yamashita's skull.

"Mr. Billy," a soft voice said from behind him. The small slave girl pinched the cloth by Billy's elbow from behind and slightly tugged it back. Billy turned around and found Ojyou standing at attention calmly in front of her cart of refreshments. "Can you please help me bring this back to the house?"

"O…" Billy said. "Ojyou?"

"Please, Mr. Billy." She said. "I need to finish the laundry soon."

"Hold up, I…" Billy curled his lip.

"Please Mr. Billy." The slave girl pleaded and pulled on his sleeve.

By this time moments had already passed – even if he wanted to – the mounting, piercing pain had already begun to subside, releasing the pressure through Billy's ears. Billy just threw his hands up lethargically and flicked both his middle fingers at Yamashita's back, silently biting his lower lip, before putting is hands in his back pockets. Beady bloodshot pupils, he hunched over begrudgingly and shuffled over to help Yamashita clean up the empty cups of tea.

"Fuck you." Billy said. Fuck you, Ninja Captain. Go to hell. FUCK my life, and FUCK you.

…

Yamashita knelt on one knee and looked over Eiji's lifeless body. Already she had grown tired from the simple action of rolling the old man's body face up, and she knew what would follow would be even more taxing. She looked over Eiji - and by that time, she had already blocked out the sounds of the world around her. The rolling wheels of that small cart, the chirping baby birds in their nests calling out to their mothers, the occasional sound of small subcompact cars driving by from the street far away, and even the peaceful calm of the blowing wind that tumbled the leaves across on the ground and eventually thrust them into the sky. Those spiraling images too, soon became silent and without meaning.

Focusing all her attention to the left side of her body, Yamashita gazed at her shaking, paralyzed left arm and as best she could she stared at the mass of flesh and bone with a rageful gaze – her mind roared silently, she COMMANDED it to move.

{Move…} Damn you, she thought. {God damn you…} MOVE! I COMMAND IT!

…

UGOKE!

…

"The difference between Morals and Ethics is that, the latter is temporal. However, what if I told you that I was God, and, if you so desire, I could turn back time for you. Would you overturn both for me?" Rugal asked. Suddenly…

Suddenly… would [both] of these things become petty, in light of a man made God?

If suddenly, [I] could change the [rules]?

…

1980. The 20 year old girl stood petrified and even with her mind in disarray, she… did not move. 4 men huddled around her master's dead body and lifted it up and begun to carry the lifeless shell away. Are you listening? Are you listening to me? Don't touch him…

Don't you monsters touch his body with your fucking hands!

Refusing to make eye contact, the troupe of men carried Masao's dead body past his favourite pupil and said not a word. One by one the ninjas silently paid her no heed and callously walked through her, one by one they left her to seethe and fester in place. IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF [YOU], ISN'T IT? These men took with them their torches and eventually – Yamashita was left standing in a dark cold night, unable to move, unable to breathe, and unable to do anything. Such a weight would remain till the end of her dying days.

…

Focusing all her attention to the weak side of her body, Yamashita gazed at her left hand and as best she could she stared at the mass of flesh and bone with a rageful gaze – her mind roared silently, she COMMANDED it to move. Her left arm slung lifeless just by her left thigh and even with her best efforts, she could only bend at the elbow slightly and only raise her fingertips an inch above her left knee before her left hand begun to shake and tremble uncontrollably.

She could not even move her arm. Her God given left arm. The arm that protected her, calmed her, slayed her enemies, nurtured her, and even wiped away her tears. She could not even move it past an inch before it trembled beyond her control.

Even back then, and even now, this feeling of weakness mocked her and wanted to drive her to suicide. GOD DAMN YOU. GOD DAMN YOU.

Just. What kind of God… What kind of God, would watch? Simply watch…?!

…

…as his children suffered.

…

{I defy you!} she thought.

With a twirling of her right hand, she whipped a long dark cloth round and round, across her face and even from under her cloth mask, she caught its ends and bit down hard, pulling that long bandana, snapping it taught between her teeth.

…

Don't you monsters, you fucking hypocrites, touch his body with your fucking hands!

If we release ourselves from this… Only then. These chains that bound us. Only…

Yamashita's right hand grabbed a fistful of the cloth in front of her face and tore apart the mask that held her back. WHY!? Her mouth curled at the words but the air remained silent. Her face felt the cold air that night, free and weak from the protection of her ninja mask.

Left all alone now in darkness, Yamashita's clawed hands stretched outwards from her sides when she looked up to heaven. TO the clouds, to the stars, then, TO that dark balloon that floated over her silently.

"…..!" A silent scream when tears gushed from her eyes – as rivers that burned her cheeks with crimson fervour.

Why?

…

Sir Isaac Newton's law states, that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction; The law of conservation says that energy cannot be created – it can only be transformed; The law of equivalent exchange decrees, that a wish cannot be granted, unless another of equal value is sacrificed.

In that place that floated in the sky, a worn candle suddenly BURST into light and from nothing, now a single wildly flickering flame enveloped its nylon wick on its own.

"Another candle is lit, Master Rugal." Mature said bowing.

Why. Must you punish me? I will take from you, and without your knowing, THAT what you MOST treasure, at a time without your choosing… EIJI KISARAGI!

"Thank you, Mature." Rugal said. Thank you. He scratched the nape of his black velveteen panther. In heaven. A place that cared nothing for wretched, petty human beings.

…

Yamashita tucked her right hand into her pocket and pulled out a long black bandana. Gripping one end in her teeth that was still covered under her mask, she used her right arm to wrap it and tie it with a knot around her limp left wrist.

She took Eiji's right arm in her own hunched over and draped it over her back, supporting Eiji's upper body over her shoulders. With her diaphragm supporting the entire weight of Eiji's 180 pound body, the female captain used her right hand to tuck her left arm under Eiji's left thigh. Wait for me.

Forgive me.

{Forgive me for what I did not have the courage to do 13 years ago.} She whimpered. {My master.} Let me carry you, let me make penance for what I did – to you – and to your friend.

Let me carry you properly. As you carried me. {As you…} she could not understand, yet she sobbed uncontrollably. "As you…"

…

"A SAD choice, a very unfortunate, sad choice, but - I like the look in your eyes, little lady. Very well, forget the name you once knew, and grant yourself a new one…"

…

As you carried me – past my childhood sorrow. As a farmer's daughter. My master.

With her broken left arm under Eiji's left leg, she took that long bandana and put it over her neck in a makeshift sling to keep it there to support Eiji. Yamashita tied the sling with a knot, then curled her right arm under Eiji's right leg and finally balanced his cold body over her back.

Heaving in and out, breathing feverishly the little girl, kneeling, as that candle flickered wildly in heaven, within the dark confines of the Black Noah, her bitter, battered, old and weathered body supported a burden 120% her own body weight.

…

'God, doth noes deliver a suffering beyond what our human, mortal bodies can bear.' WEAK. This is what WEAK PEOPLE CONSOLE THEMSELVES WITH.

However. Just what kind of God would simply watch, as his children suffered?

I am NOT weak, and I DO NOT accept your CHEAP, your PETTY mercy!

…

"Sir Rugal." Mature said in surprise. "The candle… it's dying…"

"Ohh…" Rugal sighed. "It was so close. One more candle... it was so very…"

…

Gnashing her teeth, Yamashita pumped what strength she had left down her stomach, her heart beat feverishly as it was about to fail – erupting at the knees, down through her calves then into the ground - this was what she had trained for in penance so many years ago, even when others mocked her. Ofcourse, ofcourse, you were there, my master chose this man to rest his spirit, because he, like me, could not accept God's rules. …and so, I command it.

The beam of sunlight was a sharp blade that cut through the air. This sword, in an instant cleaved through over a decade of suffering. Because now, you, Eiji, you… you have… have fulfilled my reason for being!

…

As it had appeared, the flame snuffed out and returned to darkness into a plume of light smoke.

…

"It was SO, very, very beautiful." Rugal signed as what was once a raging flame, a fire that appeared from nothing now puffed into a light faint smoke.

…

"RRRRRRGGGHHHAAGGHHH!" 180 pounds of flaccid, lifeless flesh, Yamashita, even with a broken left arm lifted Eiji Kisaragi's body on her back, ripping the wooden tree roots that kept her in place for over a decade, her shoulders, drove herself to stand, and began to walk away from heaven's great plan.

A woman among men. That, she was.

…

The rule of equivalent exchange. A sequence of uneventful mornings.