Now, for one of the two Special Events: Ryu v Akuma! I decided to go all out for these, so this will be one entire part, and Liu Kang v Shang Tsung will be its own. This way, I can cut loose and don't have to worry about equaling out or other technical problems with the server. Now, on with the fight...oh, ok, a small spoiler. Sakaura's dream with Ryu comes true, until...Sean!

"Oh, my head! What happened to me? Where is everybody? Where is..?"

"Easy, Sakura," spoke the man of her dreams, "You had a nasty attack from X a bit back. You know that you are lucky to survive such an attack! I'm...glad to see that you are still alive!"

Sakura couldn't believe it. There was Ryu, alone with her in her room! Actually, it wasn't really her room; it was way too clean! Still, this was one of her dream of dreams; for the two of them to be alone, with nobody else, and without having to worry about Sagat, Akuma, or their dark-sides.

"Wait a sec! I saw Evil Ryu fade, and you became him. I felt a lot of my power drain, as XSakura grew in power. What's going on here?" she demanded--although deep down, she wasn't sure if she really wanted an answer.

"What are you talking about, Sakura? None of that has happened, yet. I think that you've been so focused on that, that it's giving you nightmares! Just take it easy, and try not to think of it."

Sakura looked at him wide-eyed, and in disbelief. She couldn't have dreamed that terrible instance, could she? Maybe this itself was a dream. Maybe she had what is called precognition...a vision of the future. The longer she looked at him, the more confused she became. Maybe this was that trouble A-O had told them about. She suddenly leapt to Ryu, and asked him to hold her.

"Sakura! I...um," and for some reason that was totally foreign to him, he did.

He looked down at her, and saw the gentleness and love of a young lady. He then thought back to the time when he and Ken first met Dhalsim, in his village.

He rejected them, referring to them as beasts. Later, robbers came to steal treasure. They were going to stop them, but Dhalsim stopped them. He scolded them for being so brash--what if a stray bullet hit a child? They then agreed to get the treasure.

Upon entering the temple, they quickly found their way to the treasure, only to be confronted by demons. They each fought a demon...and were shocked! Ryu's demon acted like Ken, and vica-versa!

Suddenly, Ryu stopped, and Ken's demon did the same. Ken stopped, as did Ryu's demon. The demons were gone, and they realized that they had almost killed each other.

They brought the treasure to the robbers, only for them to say that the one with a gun would shoot Ken and Ryu. Dhalsim stopped him...the two friends too worn to ask why. Dhalsim told a kid to return it to the temple. He told them that her innocence as a child would protect her...that is what Sakura reminded him of...innocence.

"Ryu! Ryu! Stop!"

Ryu looked down at her, and suddenly realized that he was holding too tightly. He was really tensing up. As he was thinking about the incident in the temple, he had unconsciously tightened up his muscles, as he had done in the temple when he was fighting the demon. He let go of her; a very sheepish look on his face.

"Well! I know that I want you to show your love for me, and am glad, but there is such a thing as overdoing it! Just what were you thinking of?"

Ryu was stuck. If he told her he was thinking about him and Ken in the temple, she'd be mad! If he said his meeting with Dhalsim, she'd be mad! If he thought of the how she was innocent, like that little girl, she'd be mad! No matter what he would say, she'd be pissed!

"Well, Sakura, you see, I was thinking that, I..." he stuttered, knowing that he was making a total jackass out of himself with Sakura--again (sigh).

"Are you going to tell me that you were thinking of another one of your clashes with the forces of evil!? Maybe you were going to compare me to that kid from Dhalsim's village again?! Why I should just..!" she almost lifted her hand to slap him, but looked into his face, and began to remember why she loved him.

No matter what the situation was, he would always try and maintain a sense of honor. He would never look at himself as being better than his opponent, although he knew it in some cases. He taught her to honor her opponent--no mater who it was--even if it was Sagat. She wondered if he also meant...there was his evil laugh.

"So, Ryu, you still are hanging around with the little girl. I understand what she sees in you, Ryu. What I don't understand is what you see in this...kid."

"Some kid, Akuma! I kicked you through a window, and I'll--do something just as bad this time! You can bet your bottom dollar on it!"

"I'm sure you would want the chance to, but my business is with Ryu! After I finish him, I'll send you to join him!"

"You're full of hot air, Akuma!" Ryu retorted, "The Alpha-Omega won't allow it! You have your fight, and I have my fight! Get!"

Instead, Akuma dove through the air, grabbed Ryu, and slammed his head into the ground. Ryu was shocked that the Alpha-Omega had let this happen. What was going on?

"So much for your savior! Now, you shall die! You can always choose to fight, and then die, if you wish!"

Ryu replied with a Hadoken, and like deja vu, Akuma leapt over it, and pounded Ryu with two of his own. However, Ryu had gained power since the last time, and was able to knock Akuma down with a Hurricane kick. Akuma was quick to respond with a warp, followed by his own Hurricane Kick. Then, before Ryu was knocked away, Akuma hit Ryu with a Dragon Punch, burning him with the dark fire.

"Come now, Ryu! After all this time, is this the best that you can do? You've learned some new techniques, tapped into a bit of power, and this is all? Shen Long is an even larger fool than I thought! He took an idiot like you! Maybe there's hope with Ken, for you are a lost hope, just like all those years back, when I left you boys broken!"

Ryu thinks back to his confrontation with Akuma, and he feels the pain again, as if it is being unleashed upon him again.

Akuma had used the Raging Demon on his sensei. He then used it on his own brother, Shen Long. He was a bit surprised when a young American in a red gi tried to attack him.

"Ignorant whelp! You are not even worthy to feel the Raging Demon!"

With that, he teleported out of the way of a flying kick, reappearing behind a bewildered Ken. He starred at Ken, laughing darkly aloud. Akuma was then knocked to his face by a wild and enraged Hadoken. He got up, looked around, and saw Ryu, glaring at him and trembling with rage at what Akuma had done to Shen Long.

Before Ryu could react, Akuma jumped and hit Ryu with two fireballs, much stronger than his. He crashed through a nearby table, unable to move. Ryu cringed and moaned in pain.

"You will die, DAMN YOU!" yelled an enraged Ken. He was going to do a Dragon Punch, a move he and Ryu had just began to learn from Shen Long. When he demonstrated it to them, he shattered an old boulder in the back.

Ken never stood a chance. A second teleport and a Dragon Punch from Akuma, and Ken was in Ryu's company.

Akuma laughed hysterically. He then made for the door, turned, and said, "For the first time in years, I have actually been entertained. For that, I give you your lives. Train hard so that I may allow you to feel the power of MY Raging Demon!" He then left the wreckage behind in his wake.

Ryu got up, and to Akuma's surprise, flipped him to the ground! Ryu leapt in to combo Akuma, but Akuma warped away with ease. He then leapt up, and rained fireballs down on Ryu. Even as he was driven to the ground, they continued to rain down on him. Each had the feeling of being pelted by rocks, and then a series of pile drivers. Ryu felt like he was being run through the ground.

Sakura could no longer sit by. She knew Ryu didn't want her to help, and that this was his fight. TO HELL WITH THAT! I ain't gonna stand here and watch you get killed! She took a moment to focus, and shot a series of fireballs up at Akuma.

Sakura wasn't close enough, though. The first few hit Akuma, ending the assault on Ryu. However, she was still in the middle of the move when he got to his feet, and warped behind her. He waited, mockingly, knowing that she was helpless, and at his mercy.

The instant it ended, he unleashed a beam of pure, violent, energy, ramming Sakura into the ground. He then brought her to her feet, only to batter with his Super Dragon Punch! This time, he lifted her up by the throat, his eyes little more than slits, emitting a bloody red light.

"Little wench! I warned you as to what would happen if you continued to interfere with me! Now you know that just because you are a little girl won't stop me from destroying you, should you prove a pest. You are that, and less. Has he taught you nothing? If he couldn't beat me; if Ken couldn't beat me; if Shen Long couldn't beat me; if my own sensei, Goutetsu couldn't beat me, what chance in Hell did a weak, little, snotty brat like you have against me?"

" Maybe, I just happen to have that certain woman's touch!" and with a yell that surprised Akuma, she swung her leg back, and kneed Akuma in the groin, dropping him hard. She then stood over him as she had Apocalypse.

"Unnnh! Aaaah!"

"Ryu! Ryu! Oh! Please be ok!"

She took him up, and nearly dropped him! Ryu's heavier than he looks, she thought. She put his head on her lap, and looked down at him. He was badly bruised from the beating. He also had some burn marks. She didn't look much better. She never took her eyes from him, and she didn't know why, but she felt like she had done this before. She then bent over, and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Metsu-Go-Hado!" yelled Akuma, who had been able to recover from Sakura's cheap-shot.

This one was worse--for it seemed to burn with the fire of Hell itself. It felt like her flesh, hair, and everything was burning. She wanted to die from the pain, and wished Ryu could help her.

"What! How did you..." he said, cutting the move short.

"Shin-Shoryu-Ken!" Ryu yelled, though not with full force, but with enough to push Akuma back.

Ryu, cautiously made his way to Sakura, not wanting to be victim to another Akuma attack. He helped her up. It was obvious that she was hurt, but could walk.

"I don't know how you can still stand, but I will take you out! You are both weak. The girl can hardly stand. It is but a matter of time before you both fall!"

"Akuma," Ryu began, "I've got two words for you!"

"Shut...up!" yelled Sakura, who shot a Shinku-Hadoken in perfect harmony with Ryu's! The double beams smashed into Akuma, sending him rolling down what may have been a cliff.

"Wow! I've...never done it like THAT! I think this is the first time we ever teamed up to do that!"

"I think this is the first time we actually teamed up!" and to her delight, he moved closer, and put his arms around her.

"Sakura? Are you ok?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little dazed."

"Sakura!"

"Yes?"

However, her name was repeated. She looked at Ryu, and he seemed to go blurry on her. What was going on? Maybe she was loosing consciousness after the battle.

"Huh? S, Sean? What are..."

"My God, girl! DON'T DO THAT! After all that's going down, and with Ken and Ryu in trouble, I don't need you dying on me! You ok?"

It was all a dream! Nuts! I guess that's way A-O didn't do anything. She then heard a voice in her head say "Maybe...maybe not!"

"Listen, Sakura! I'm hoping you know more about this than I do. Otherwise, we're are in some deep shit!"

"She would not know, at least not yet. However, she will, and soon. Sakura, I must speak with you at once."

"G, Goutetsu?"

©2001