The Colour Purple Chapter 100: Good Morning, 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 2016]

By all weights and measures, Eiji Kisaragi, 40 years old, a former Kusanagi ninja was really, a very simple man. A [true] one-dimensional textbook fictional character. He was blindingly righteous, he was extremely confident, unwaveringly determined, absolutely fearless, morally unforgiving, ethically ignorant of any slight concept of political correctness - he was absolutely indifferent to other people's feelings - to the point he was regarded as cold - crass, yet, as uncouth his heart was, he was surprisingly educated given his circumstances.

Simply said. He, absolutely did not GIVE a shit.

And, presented with the same situation and injected the same stimuli time and time again, this man would respond in the exact same fashion.

So. It was rather perplexing indeed that he stood under that kitchen door pane that one morning, with his feet shuffling back and forth indecisively. Forget not, for a man who proposed to his wife at FIRST SIGHT – it was strange to see this 40 year old man roll his eyes quickly, shift his gaze back and forth from the living room couch he loved so much and to the greeting area in front of the house he now lived in.

Baka! Bakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabaka…

The air was so thick and viscous it was terribly uncomfortable for anyone who would watch. Eiji shifted his weight forward… "Uuugh," then he held back and the very bottom of his spine twisted to the right, wanting to ignore what he saw. But, just as he was about to plead ignorance and turn to that right, "Arrreeeehh…" with weak grunts, he teetered and swung back to center. Back and forth – Eiji ABSOLUTELY hated it. He felt himself trapped, and he ABSOLUTELY despised it. Hypocrisy. That was it. Hypocrisy served to erode the foundations of Eiji Kisaragi, the old man's, every bit of his body. Hypocrisy and mental and spiritual WEAKNESS!

Perhaps… Being married to Kaori Kusanagi, even for such a short time, at [that] time he was completely unaware she was indeed the Princess of Kusanagi Palace…

…and [that] event had eventually brought about an END of DAYS.

Baka! Bakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabakabaka…

Perhaps because the old man was married only for such a short time… There was SO SO VERY much he wanted to say. But never had the opportunity to… because of his selfish pride.

…

"She IS the most beautiful woman in the world." Eiji said. He said it repeatedly, fearlessly – again and again – over and over to anyone who would listen. Because.

Perhaps this was penance for his past sins. When this one time, silence served as SIN.

…

Again and again, droning out mumbling to herself, Ojyou stood facing the corner of the wall by the front door. Like a defeated child in the 1980s we long forgot, she put her hands on her thighs and shamefully faced the wall. Beat by beat she tilted her forehead onto the hard wall like a woodpecker, hitting it until her skin was raw and bleeding now. As punishment she mumbled to herself in the corner, her back hunched over and her shoulders trembling.

Stupid! Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidoustupidstupidyoustupidstupid…

Perhaps there was so MUCH [he] wanted to do. Before [she] was taken away…

He was unsure as to what would come first. Would the slave girl, at the edge of mental breakdown, drive herself to complete insanity – or would her forehead instead, punch a hole clean through that brick wall.

…but, [she] was taken away before all that – because of his diamond hard creed.

There was so much I wanted to do. There was so much I wanted to say... To you.

…

"Oi." Eiji said as he loomed over behind the girl.

Ojyou turned around immediately, swerving round that corner then racing to a halt to face up at Eiji, her arms trembling at her sides. "Eiji…. Iiijiiii…" Ojyou's voice broke into hiccupping tears. "Eiiiiji-san yoooooooo,… doushyouuuu? What am I going to dooooo..?"

"Haaagh…" Eiji breathed out, "Ojyou…"

The slave girl did not know what to do. Like a revolver's hammer cocked back she was at the edge, from a glass breaking trigger pull, she did not know what do at the next moment, holding herself back from exploding. "Iori-san… Iori-sama ga…" Ojyou shook her forearms up and down in a frantic pace.

"Ssssss… Ugh…" Eiji put both palms up before taking a step back.

"Kowai yo! I am so SO scared." She said.

"Look. Look. Ojyou," Eiji's mouth was now moving on its own, and as it was, Eiji felt just as scared as angry. "Truly…" Eiji tried to think rationally. "True, you may die. It is possible that Yagami will kill you now… but…"

"Eiji-SAN!" Ojyou said forcefully,

"But…"

"Eiji-san. I do not CARE about THAT! I am so… so… so…?"

"Hagh?!"

"Eiji-san, I do not care. But…" Ojyou's eyes slowly began to bubble with tears.

"You what…?"

"Iori-sama HATES me now does he?"

"HAAAUGGHHH!?" Eiji's face twisted in a grotesque picture of confusion.

"Douyatte…" Ojyou reverted unconsciously to her native tongue. "Ano saaa.. What is that word," shifting back from Japanese to English. "Nanka… Ira.. iraira shimasu yo! What is…"

"Frustrated." Eiji cut in. "You are frustrated."

"Yes, I am FRUSTRA… FRUSTRAT."

"Chotto chotto…" Eiji stammered, putting both hands on Ojyou's shoulders to calm her, "Wait. Do not panic."

Ojyou looked up at Eiji and finally took a breath, pulling her mind back as it swerved uncontrollably off its rails.

"Ojyou… Calm down." It was uncertain if Eiji was talking to the girl, or, to himself. "Do you know why you are feeling this way?"

"…"

"You are feeling this way." Eiji continued, "Because there is a conflict between what your MIND thinks is [correct], and what your HEART thinks is [right]." CONFLICT. DO you understand this word?

"I do not care if I die… but… but if he…"

I know. I understand…

"Ojyou." Eiji patted the girl's shoulders unconsciously. Eventhough he did not realize it, the old man broke a soft smile under his mask. Whether it was sincere or maybe it was false… it was already done. That shot was already fired.

A good friend of mine once told me this…

…once you pull the trigger and fire a shot from a gun, once you do that, there is no way you can take that bullet back. The only thing you can do – is think about the next shot you take.

"Ojyou…" Eiji said again and again. There were so, SO many things I wanted to say to you… but, I was weak. "Ojyou, listen to me. LISTEN. The mere fact that you are frustrated, it means that you know what you did was RIGHT, eventhough it was probably not correct… do you… do you understand me?"

Ojyou looked up at the ninja weakly, and perhaps a third of his words she could not understand completely but for the most part she was still able to feel what he was trying to say. She locked her eyes – unwilling to break free, her gaze clawed into Eiji's face like a child drowning.

"Do you understand… what I am TRYING to say… Ojyou…?" He said again.

…

Because, there were so so many things…so many words that would have, if I had a chance, they would have strung themselves together to form sentences, thoughts and emotions – breach that place, trapped behind that cold concrete wall. There were SO many things I wanted to DO. There were SO many things I wanted to TELL you. That I loved you. I loved you so…

That I CHERISHED you…

That you COMPLETED me…

That you LIBERATED me from this MISERY.

But instead, I remained silent.

…and now that you are gone. And even if I took my own life now, in exchange, even GOD would refuse to let those words reach you. From the very instant I first laid eyes on you.

That repulsive, DISGUSTING, DEPICABLE celestial being.

Oh how I loved you so,… so very… very much. Kaori. Kusanagi.

…and now it is always raining.

...

"It means that your body wants to do what is right, eventhough it is unsure what is correct. That is the feeling of true courage, Ojyou." Eiji did not even realize the look that formed on his face. "You never know…" He sighed. It was okay. "By unfearing death."

Certainly… {Even if Iori remained silent…} Eiji thought. {Even if Iori would say nothing – 6 even 7, there were too many witnesses – killing 6 ninja boys and a Captain was a tall order indeed to keep the girl alive.}

"Haaaagggghhh…" Eiji let out a breath yet again. "This means you are questioning if what you did was right. And, even Iori Yagami, anyone… Ojyou… even if they cannot accept it – Iori will have to RESPECT that decision and your courage."

True courage, and TRUE righteousness, MEANS that you will do what is right, and speak eventhough your voice trembles.

At the end of his philosophical muse, Eiji looked back down at the girl, and to welcome him was the trembling globular, tear filled eyes of Ojyou. "Waaaaaaaahhhhh!" Ojyou jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Eiji Kisaragi. "Eiji-san EIJI-SAAAN!" she gripped hard unwilling to let go.

"Oi.. OI!" Eiji wrapped his fingers around the girl's inner elbows, trying to break her grip and push her back, but by now it was too late and she had already locked herself tight, her tears streaming freely down her cheeks and the snot from her nose undoubtedly slathering itself over his chest. "Eiji-san," she cried. "I do not care if Yagami kills me… but if…"

IF. If Iori HATES me…

It is okay.

He was unable, with his weakened shoulders absolutely unable to break Ojyou's grip on his midsection. Though, instead of pushing her away, unconsciously, Eiji forgot the exact moment when he stopped pushing back and instead hunched forward, loosening his grip on the slave girl's arms and instead, instead, from turning HER away, he.

Eiji Kisaragi. A widower of 40 years old. In 1993.

Reversed, his arms no longer pushed back and just now curled around her shoulders. And pulled IN. The hard concrete around IT, was not so hard after all, it, with a soft sound began to crack. Around that one-dimensional heart. Trapped in a one-dimensional world.

A perfect, stereotypical, one-dimensional character.

…who reacted the same way each and every time.

"He may hate you…" That is true.

…BUT… Iori Yagami, IF he is a true MAN. …his heart will surely [respect] you. And, if you are satisfied with that…

…Then, that is enough.

…

"Aaaaaaa! AAAah ha ha!" 4 turned around and began to walk blindly outwards, stretching his arms behind and over his head. "A ha ha! Maybe I will go for a run, right, 5?" He looked over his shoulder. The ninja boy, 5, was however already at full sprint and ran past 4 wordless as he always was. "Heeh… HEY! WAIT!" 4 ran desperately to keep up with 5 who was now an easy 30 YARDS in front of him.

In the same silent manner, 2 jogged slowly behind both of his comrades.

"Uggghh." 3 slithered his index finger and ring finger under his glasses and like a pitchfork dug deep into the corners of his eyes that guarded each side of the bridge of his nose. "Ugghhhh…" He breathed out. "I cannot believe I am seeing this…"

"See what? 3?" 1 said in a bored tone while punching his left and right hand into the air in elementary fashion, - one by one, mechanically, one arm would not punch before slowly retracting the other, left and right, pretending he had not seen anything. "What – are - you – talking - about?" 1 repeated slowly, each word taken a complete breath from the last, like a robot, he simply punched the air in elementary fashion.

"AHO KA YO!" Are you an Idiot? 3 shook both his clawed ands on each side of his face in frustration. "Are you a Tae Kwon Do grade schooler!?"

"Yeah... Yeah… 3." 6 patted the older boy on the back. His eyes were slit tightly, and for sure a wide grin was hidden under his mask. "What are you talking about, brother?" Shuffling in place and bobbing his head weakly.

3 sighed. He looked at that window, and it might as well have been wrapped in barbed wire for earlier they all had huddled around it eavesdropping, they were now afraid they would contract a fatal disease if they stepped 10 feet from it. 3 looked back down at 6. "Is that it?"

"Eh!" 6 nodded, with smiling, shut eyes that mirrored a gleaming grin that lay hidden. "I do not want to die this morning." : D "So please… Please, you need to be quiet."

…and pretend you saw nothing… ;_;

…

This was the END of all uneventful mornings…

I WILL DESTROY EVERY ONE… and EVERY THING – every – single – thing, that comes in between me and my happiness. And woe be YOU – when I find YOU, the object of my eternal HATRED. I SWEAR TO YOU, I WILL tear you limb from limb – relish in your slow suffering, I will chase you to the ends of the world, and even if you SCREAM for MERCY, I will just, not, stop. I will make you REGRET ever being BORN!

…because… from now on… each day would be precious, wonderful, AND unlike, any other.

…

The END of a Sequence of Uneventful Mornings part 35.

We. Were brought here. In this place. Together. Perhaps – for a higher purpose. Dear friends.

…

The C | o | l | o | [ u ] r Purple.

…

It was 5:51 am. Here. Much. Much too early, for, anyone.

Eiji pulled both hands apart tying his shoelaces taut opposite directions. And with a sigh - He tilted his face upwards, still, his body was trapped in a lethargic world. Standing up from the wooden bench at that pathway mid way…

…

Eiji dug the toes of his right foot deep down into the ground soiling his blue New Balance shoes.

With his right claw he pushed the white hockey mask up his face until the creases matched each of the curves, the edges dips and tips of his nose and face as he was accustomed to. The cool morning air wafted out, leaving a trail of steam through the holes that littered the plastic thing that covered his face.

Just like that horror movie in the 80s – what was it – Eiji was a splitting image of JASON Voorhees – the sinister fog crept through the swiss-cheese holes on his mask and into the space in front of his face. His body was still aching and despite his best judgment, he made an effort to get up this morning. Eventhough his knees were still teetering at the edge of collapse, the arrogant ninja pretended that it did not matter. Nothing does. Because he needed to forget all the pain that greeted him when he woke up. "I am getting too old for this garbage." Eiji said, massaging his knees that had barely recovered from last skirmish. "Too old for this…"

It was so horrible to be alive. But he ran, until his mind would grow numb, so he could forget.

Eventhough every step he took echoed with so much pain – any other logical human being would have waited maybe another 3 months after having the tendons and ligaments on his knees forcefully destroyed, to push their body this way. But Eiji, stubborn as he was, knew there was only one way to forget.

...a healthy run around the block will fix that!
Is that your solution to everything?

"HELP...ARGH! I've been shot...I'm bleeding out!"
"a healthy run around the block will fix that!"

"Oh NOES! Aliens are bursting out of my chest!"
"a healthy run around the block will fix that!"

"I was born crippled..."
"a healthy run around the block will fix that!"

Yesterday I ran around the block.. many times...

…because a good friend died.

-Susan Zhang. 08.03.2005

…

"Haaagh… Haugh…" The old man's chest heaved in and out – now desperately sucking in grotesque saliva into his lungs – and despite his pleas, the sun would not rise. With a plastic hockey mask, a familiar icon that was immortalized back in the 80s and 90s. The inside of his mask was already drenched in beaded sweat, but Eiji still kept his face covered. Had he worn a watch, he would not believe that only 10 minutes had passed.

To meet him down that dusty path, a young Caucasian ran in place in front of the wooden bench that was about 25 yards in front of him.

Clothed in a soft, blue one-piece full body suit emblazed obnoxiously with the British flag crossed in asterisk from wrist to each ankle, Eiji was met with Billy Kane in front of him. "Hey!" Billy said, running in place. "Good morning, old man." He greeted cheerfully.

…

Aaaagggghhhhhrrghhh…

…

"Hey old man!" Billy kept pace and jogged behind Eiji.

"Good… morning…" Eiji groaned, breathing hard through his mask that made him feel like he was in a sauna. Eiji's white matching tracksuit did not help either and that too was drenched through and through. "Good morning… Billy." Not slowing his calm pace, ignoring the fatigue in his shoulders and the sharp pain that radiated from his knees.

It was just about 6 AM, and it was really too early for small talk, yet Billy reminded Eiji that he was still alive. "Eiji, say Eiji, are you okay…"

Would it not change? He asked. The monotonous, mediocre routines we went through?

The sum of his uneventful mornings was going to end this way he guessed, with this annoying boy running behind him – and 100 chapters would pass without a care. "Hay old man." Billy sneered, easily passed Eiji and looking over his shoulder, grinned. Eiji did not respond, and picked up the pace, overtaking Billy slightly at the next instant. Not wanting to be taken lightly, Billy Kane leapt up and ran around and in front of the old man. Snobbishly Billy beamed a wide grin and put his arms over the back of his head, turned around and ran backwards, all the while looking back at Eiji wryly. Adding insult to injury to Eiji who could barely run, Billy leaned back and ran in reverse while looking like he was lounging in a hammock without a care.

Day in and day out each and every day. Just like the rest of the world even if they were indeed extraordinary people, imprisoned in ordinary lives.

"Hey, old man…" he said, "You really shouldn't be runnin' so hard with your knees fucked up like that!" Billy sighed, easily keeping pace in front of the ninja even in an unorthodox manner – mocking Eiji.

But. As simple as they were… they had a plain and easy to understand purpose…

Eventhough it hurt so much, Eiji grit his teeth hard, pumped his arms up and down forcing his body forward to keep pace with Billy, now slightly, barely keeping up with the boy again. Already his reckless action began to manifest itself in sharp stabbing pains in his knees, up his thighs and shooting up the back of his spine. The damage that Iori had dealt, and the abuse from the battle with Yamashita still kept his joints on the edge and frayed the more he pushed himself.

How many people? In the millions and billions of people in the world who lived?

That silent treatment was simply something Billy Kane absolutely hated, almost as much as being criticized, and not wanting to accept defeat so easily when he obviously had the upper hand, Billy easily picked up the pace and put himself a body and a half in front of Eiji Kisaragi, Billy still galloped easily in front. "Hey old man!" Billy sneered looking back over his right shoulder as he ran – "Don't push yourself too hard now." Billy jeered.

{AAAGGGHHHH!} Eiji growled deep down inside, the savage reverberating sound ripped the insides of his stomach like rotating razor blades. Eiji cocked his head up and looking through the two large holes on his white hockey mask, two pinpoint pupils stared back at us.

In 1990, were over 5 billion people who lived in mediocrity, and apathy, wishing oh so very DESPERATELY that DESTINY would come to them pleading and bearing gifts.

Among them, were 11.

AGH!.

The world instantly became silent when Eiji's left foot drove itself into a small puddle – and as it made contact the world stopped in a freeze frame, slowly activating again in very slow motion – Eiji's heel did not touch the ground – balancing only by his toes he lifted his foot up again, pulling up small beads of water trapped in space.

Eiji shifted his center of mass forward, and when the balls of his right foot came into contact into the ground, time flowed normally again.

"A!" Billy said all of a sudden, turning to his left. From behind his right shoulder, Eiji suddenly appeared in front of him to the left. "Hagh?!" Billy stammered and began to pick up the pace. Before Billy could react, he felt Eiji disappear and reappear behind him again. "The fuck!?" Billy stumbled in place turning his body counterclockwise to look behind him. The boy ran forwards while looking back nearly 180 degrees, but Eiji was not there.

"Oi!"

The voice came from all the way behind his right shoulder, and Billy found himself contorted in an odd position, he wanted to continue rotating counterclockwise to the source of the voice but he had already locked his body to its extremities, while, mind you, still running full speed forward. Billy violently swerved his body clockwise to look over his right shoulder.

"Excuse me." Eiji said, now appearing in front of Billy's LEFT shoulder, softly tapping the front of the boy's shoulder with his own.

"Gahgh!" Billy caught himself with both hands flat on the ground, just barely before his face would hit the soil. Billy propped himself up from the close call and looked at Eiji's backside. Billy cussed under his breath before shouting, "Hey! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, CHINK!?"

"Oh sorry." Eiji cocked his open right hand over his shoulder, jogging again at a slow pace in front of Billy. Billy picked himself up and continued to growl to himself in angst. Looking at the back of Eiji's head, he was SURE that old man was grinning like a fuckface under that mask. That fuck face.

…

6:11 AM.

"Hey Eiji," Billy said.

"Haaagh." Eiji groaned.

20 minutes down, Eiji met eyes with a familiar face.

"Oi! Hey! Iori!" Billy said mid stride, waving his hand up exuberantly.

Eiji looked over his shoulder. {Pathetic. A memory of a goldfish indeed.} He mused. As if he had forgotten everything that had transpired 24 hours before, there he was – Billy waved happily at Iori who sat at a bench in that pathway hunched over, a gray hoodie covering most of his head while his elbows, wrapped triple layered with a dark purple jacket, propped themselves over his over his knees. Looking up past the edges of his thin gray coloured cotton hood, Iori's eyes barely met Eiji's who stood over the boy.

"Well?" Eiji said. "Are you just going to sit there?" Eiji jogged in place in front of that bench.

A purpose – and a wish.

"Good morning, boss!" Billy grinned, jogging in place behind Eiji in the same way.

Wordless, Iori Yagami pushed himself up, pulled his purple sleeves and jogged away, ignoring Billy completely and coldly.

"Hey Iori, you okay, man?" Billy shouted.

{A memory of a GOD DAMNED goldfish.} Eiji thought, slapping his palm over the smooth white plastic mask over his face that he had forgotten was there.

6:35 AM.

…

"Hey boy," Eiji said in an annoyed tone, "Can you speed it up please?" He lethargically cawed while keeping pace easily behind Iori. "I am falling asleep here!"

"Rrrrgghhh.." Iori grunted, despite his indifferent tone, he obviously sped up his stride. "HHhgggAGHK Pehht!" Iori spat out a glob of phlegm to the side of the dirt road.

Eiji grinned, absolutely satisfied this time with his place behind, the same once 7 year old child who tried to kill this old man, the golden child of Yagami palace.

"Hey… Hey Eiji. You know what, I was thinking…" Billy droned up as he slowly came up to match Eiji's shoulder.

Eiji rolled his eyes in his sockets. "What now boy…?" Eiji exhaled, slowly, carefully hiding the pained fatigue in his voice as he kept up conversation while he ran.

"You know… You know…" Billy said. "

"Hah…?"

"I thought that Asian girls are supposed to be nice, what's up with her?"

"Haaagh?" Eiji wheezed, still keeping his steady pace.

"I mean, was your wife like that? I mean…"

The two men did not notice, but Iori looked over his shoulder – though when Eiji looked forward, Iori stared ahead of himself indifferently and was oblivious without a care.

"NO. She was NOT." Eiji replied tersely, turning back to Billy.

"Yeah... Yeah I know Asian girls are supposed to be all, like," Billy's mannerisms were probably being soiled by the colloquial tones around him, "submissive and quiet and all, but – WHAT – the HELL – is up with that…" Billy waved his hands up and down while still running.

"Hah." Eiji laughed. Completely forgetting everything. Everything. "Let me tell you, Billy. Let me tell you – It is a small wonder how there can be 3 billion Chinese people in the world, let alone Orientals." Eiji had forgotten everything that had happened 3 pages ago, and now his heart just floated in a cool, cold place… "Especially when all their women can be so COLD and CRUEL beasts. Indeed, Oriental women are so HORRIBLE – it makes me wonder how they can even begin to procreate!"

"Really? 3 Billion? But…"

Zhong Guo – literally translated - China, who fancied themselves the center of the Earth propagated that their population was 3 billion, during a time, before the internet could disagree, there was really only barely over a billion of those arrogant people alive.

"Indeed SHE was a rare jewel." Eiji was eager to say it – to anyone who would listen.

Just under their field of vision, a black tuft of short hair, bobbed up and down in between the two men. In this peculiar place, in a cold morning they so much enjoyed.

"Agh…" Billy sighed. "3 focking BILLION of them to choose from. And, we're stuck with THIS ONE. What a bitch that Chink is. Why won't she just leave us the FUCK alone!?"

Her arms did not sway as she ran, on account of her left arm in a hard cast – clothed in a pink Adidas track suit, with the tell tale white stripes running parallel down her arms, "Good morning, boys!" The ninja master Yamashita put herself in between Eiji and Billy.

"GAH! OH FOCK!" Billy stumbled almost falling over.

"Good morning, Captain." Eiji greeted flatly.

"Good morning, Eiji…. and… Mister Billy." Yamashita said looking to the side as she ran – her slit, razor sharp eyes cutting the British boy's face in half perfectly across his pupils.

"Ah... Good… Good morning." Billy replied in turn slowing his pace now and pulling himself back from the group.

"I trust that you were not talking about ME, perhaps?" Yamashita asked, cocking her head up high as she easily kept pace in between the two, her upper body running rigid thanks to her petrified arm.

"Aaaagh…" Eiji said, trying to forcefully have the last word.

"Fancy meeting you here, old man." She said cocking her head up aloofly.

"The pink colour SUITS you so very well, woman." Eiji sneered sarcastically.

"Oh? Do you think so?" Yamashita replied, turning her bruised and battered face that was completely covered in bandages now with a pink bandanna covering the lower half. "Had it not been so small in size, I actually thought these clothes I borrowed were YOURS, Eiji. Since it IS your favourite colour."

6:46 AM.

"Aaaauugh…" Eiji groaned unconsciously. "It is so surprising to see you without…"

"ONE TWO, ONE TWO!" the troupe of 6 ninja boys appeared in tow behind him.

"Oh… nevermind."

…

Trailing behind Iori who took the lead, Eiji, Yamashita, and Billy – who followed silently behind – were six ninja boys who ran in perfectly synchronized pace.

"Hey Daddy… Look!" a small boy tugged on his father's sleeve and pointed outwards. "Are they special forces?"

How many people? In the millions and billions of people in the world who lived in 1993?

Each of the ninja boys wore a black balaclava that completely covered their faces save for their eyes, each with a number from 'one' to 'six' printed on the front, and on the back of each of their identical, ebony dark, royal purple sweaters were matching numbers. Had it not been for their overt, proud chants of "ONE TWO, ONE TWO," across that public park, most people would have thought twice about the awkward and suspicious group that ran around like thieves so early in the morning.

How many people would have died unsung and unfulfilled with drab, dreary and listless lives, till the God above simply decided to one day it was due time to cut them down? For they died without ever accomplishing even ONE truly noble goal in their complexly simple lives?

Running at a pace so desperately, they wanted to simply escape it all. They kept on running, run, until their labored breaths wrung their lungs dry and while ripping their joints to the edges of agony, it washed their minds into white canvasses. THEY, wanted to be FREE from the mundane mediocrity of each and every day. In the 90s, when our parents told us that we were absolute pieces of SHIT – at a time much before when society nurtured a mass of sweetened children who felt so very special and expected a feeling of entitlement – this was the 1990s.

A generation that had hardened their hearts to survive. Here, in nineteen ninety-three.

You were NOT special. Your petty feeling of social ENTITLEMENT did NOT exist then, child.

BUT… we had purpose! Purpose. With a singular, distinct purpose, these troupe of eleven men and women had only ONE purpose. To FIGHT, and, to WIN. The King of Fighters. …and in so doing, they, in their simple lives separated themselves from the rest of the world. Just as so many people lived their entire lives, eating, sleeping, waking, shitting then, dying. What was their purpose? When they died, they would not fulfill any slight remnant of destiny.

A purpose to prove themselves, the greatest amongst GOD'S creations in 1995.

…this DESPERATE DESIRE to prove their elders WRONG – yielded great heroes.

Such as this, despite being simpler than one-celled organisms – their lives had meaning.

A purpose. Among a sea, in the vast star and the sky, to be SEPARATED from all else.

…and, as much as you denied it, there really was only one solution to it all.

Here.

"I think so, son. They must be police."

"Wow! Special forces!" the boy smiled.

"Uggghhh…" Billy groaned, slowly losing the pep in his step now..

This time again. A dark, thick cloud of mediocrity loomed over their heads – but maybe, it was one they desperately endeavoured so DESPERATELY to soar above! …until then…

"Yamashita TAICHOU!" 1 called to his one and ONLY Captain.

She said nothing. Her face bobbed up and down, a battered face wrapped with bandages and tattered gauze patches and tape.

"TAICHYOU!" The last 5 in tow repeated unanimously to greet the Captain in stride. "OHAYOU! GOZAIMASU!" Good morning!

"Good morning, ladies." Yamashita replied coldly.

"II TENKI DA YO NA!" What good weather we are having!

"Sou. Ii tenki da you!" Yes, it is, she said unconsciously. The question and answer did not matter. It was the same morning each and every day anyways – wasn't it? …and it was always good. Through sun, sleet, rain or snow, each day was the same, and their greeting would have been no different had snakes dropped from the sky. Yamashita grinned. Eiji Grinned. …and Iori, silently lead the pack eventhough as best he tried to break away, that troupe of idiots would simply not leave him alone.

"OOOWEIIGHH!" 1 turned his face over his shoulder angrily, "I CAN NOT HEAR YOU!" 1 pumped his arms up and down.

"Take me down…" 2 whispered…

All of a sudden – perplexed, confusion, bewilderment and admonished – these were a few words that could only barely describe the awkward scene that suddenly unfolded. It was a voice they had not heard before - EVERYONE looked over their shoulders now to face the boy who had remained silent. For a hundred chapters now, absolutely stunned, Yamashita, Eiji, Billy, then the 5 ninja boys, absolutely bewildered and even Iori could not help but feel his face be pulled back at the dark vortex that whispered to him behind.

"Take... take me down…" 2 repeated again… For the first time, everyone heard him speak. "To the paradise cit..."

"WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN!" 6 shouted his body stiff as a board, running.

"…AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY!" 4 ran forward, a hidden, jeering smile, prying his body in between his teammates in valiant effort to break the pace of their controlled jog.

"TAKE ME DOWN TO THE PARADISE CITY!" 3, never to be left behind, cut in.

"TAKE."

Take.

"MEEEE."

Oh won't you please…

"TAKE! ME! HOOOME!" 1 smiled proudly pumping up his pace!

Before they knew it, the group of Yagami crossed the bridge over that small man made lake screaming in broken tone from an old out of style song that the world had not played on the radio for near 5 years now. Over that man made lake, in that man made park, apart, defying God's great plan. The white wash that was left in their minds from the early morning jog…

Why must life be filled with so much PAIN? And SUFFERING!

A healthy run around the block will fix that! My friend.

TAKE ME DOWN TO THE PARADISE CITY!

WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY!

TAKE. ME. HOME, YEAH YEAH!

OH, WON'T YOU PLEASE TAKE ME HOME! YEAH YEAH!

"TAKE ME DOWN TO THE PARADISE CITY!" Billy could not help but sing along.

WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY!

Eiji only kept to himself, he was absolutely oblivious as to why everyone around him were singing lyrics to some strange song he was absolutely ignorant of…

OH!

OH, WON'T YOU PLEASE…

"Take me home." Iori said unconsciously.

…

Chapter 100: Good Morning.

An era of mediocrity and pain… Here.

…

…and even through all of this. Even if decades passed us, bolstered by meaningless things that barely kept us upright – we still kept on going. Even if we had a choice, a chance to repeat the time that had passed like a saved game and could somehow redo our lives – it would stay the same, as we were trapped in an unending loop of destiny.

If given a change to look back over our shoulder, even if some higher being told us otherwise, I think nothing would change. Iori Yagami put his hands over his knees and slowly heaved his lungs in and out, relishing the beads of sweat that ran down his cheeks like cold clumps of metallic mercury. His mind was entirely wiped blank. A dry desert and cloudy clean blackboard, all he could hear was the sound of his breath heaving in and out as he was about to fall over and die from exhaustion as any man who would after awakened from a coma of 2-3 weeks.

Life is [horrible]…

But a healthy run around the block will fix that! My friend.

Behind him the 6 ninja boys sat on their bottoms, pulling their shirts in and out to plead the air cool their dry lungs. The super ninja boys, Billy, knelt in the corner – but Yamashita, pulling her pink sleeve up her good arm simply jogged back and forth totally unaware and indifferent to the heaving breaths around her. And, even as he best hid it, Eiji Kisaragi sat alone on the side of the curb looking outwards seemingly bored, but no less out of breath, despite his best efforts to hide it, he perched his head hunched down in between his knees now.

Iori looked ahead again.

8:31 AM. By this time, the sunrise was in his eyes.

Even clouded with a sinister cloud above him, even if the world and God said that all their efforts were useless, even then, ONE thing did not change.

…

Flashback.

Iori stopped and looked back to see if - - - - - was there following him. The faithful ninja guard held his tracks and waited patiently for Iori. Iori replaced his look to the ground and continued his pace back home.

"Iori dono.. Is that you?" a girl asked.

It was the sound of a female's voice that made Iori stop in his tracks once again. Curiosity was stronger than instinct when Iori pulled up his shoulders and fought against the weight of the rain.

Standing in front of him was the silhouette of a tiny slave girl no more than 10 years old.

It was always raining. She was visibly weary and it seemed that she had been waiting for an eternity out in the open, but as soon as she saw Iori she stood up with glee but approached him cautiously.

…

Eventhough it was a sunny today in 1993, it was ALWAYS raining.

The small slave child bowed low, the edges of her umbrella covered her face, and when she tilted her body up, the edges of that umbrella revealed what a history, marching clock faces, two hands rotating feverishly as they floated across the sky in tune with the pace of the sun and moon - a decade long time had passed now, ignored between all of us, slowly aging the same smile that painted the slave girl's face without change. Ten years passed in seconds.

"A memory…" Eiji said again. "Of a God Damned goldfish." He leaned back and could not help but hide a smile under it all as his arms propped his back up.

"Welcome home, Iori-sama." Ojyou greeted with the warmest smile that had not changed despite the ravaging agony of a decade long past. Leant over her shoulder was a cloth umbrella. In front of the door of that HOUSE. Unconsciously she spun around, placed her off hand over her head and looked under the crisp eaves that cut her vision a certain way as the cool breeze launched up her face – "Iori-sama." She smiled. A girl and a boy lost in time; She held an umbrella in her arms, to shield from the days when it was always raining, eventhough the sun was high in the sky. In a beautiful morning, that nothing could ever destroy.

Welcome home. Master Iori.

"Arigatou."

Thank you.