Edit: Sorry for any typos or grammatical errors. I sort of rushed to get this up. I’ll be going over it tomorrow and fixing any errors, and hopefully I will get the next part up then too!
##India
Ryu had sat with the Yogi, Dahlsim, for days, fasting, and attempting to focus his mind, thus to finally mount his lasting struggle. Here Ryu had sat for hours alone in silence…until the Yogi finally came over. Floating, as if to just defy gravity at will, Dahlsim’s approach was silent, but Ryu could sense his familiar presence, a fierce, and distinct power that emanated from his being.
“Ryu,” Dahlsim spoke, “I think the time to continue you journey has come.” Ryu’s eyes slowly opened, and the world quickly flooded back into his view. The street upon which he sat was bustling with shops, shop keepers, and customers alike.
“Where would you have me go, Dahlsim?”
Dahlsim had tutored Ryu a few times over the years, whenever Ryu made his way through India they would have a match and reflect. Ryu had made great strides in relieving himself of his burden, but for this next step, he would need help that Dahlsim himself could not offer. “Go to the Himalayan Mountains,” the Yogi told him. “There you will find the path you seek.”
The ‘eternal warrior’ could feel the light within him, calm and in control, but he knew he was still stained, and he would travel to the ends of the Earth to purge himself completely of that rage. It would be a long trip Ryu knew, but he would pack lite…
##Himalayan Mountains
Days passed as Ryu walked through the roads and countryside, making his way over the vast distance. He finally had reached the Mountains, but even harder still was going to be the climb up them. Ryu was strong however, uniquely so. This next step was just that, his next step.
Climbing the mountain face, Ryu finally reached the pinnacle where he saw a set of huge double doors; but there was a problem. The doors were ajar…slightly, but more immediately, beside the door on his right lay a bloodied man clutching his abdomen tightly. Ryu rushed over to the man’s side. “Are you Ok?” he asked. The man’s breath was lite and shaky. His eyes tired and weak. The dying man tried to look Ryu in the eyes, but just as contact was made, his strength gave out. His neck fell limp, and the hand clutching his stomach fell to his side.
Ryu froze, listening for a sign of any ongoing struggle inside. Nothing. Quietly he peered into the temple, where he witnessed a scene of horrors. Blood spatters everywhere. Broken bodies, and broken furniture fixtures; lay strewn about like some war had just ended. All of the dead men, about 20 or so, wore the traditional Tibetan Monk garb, and many seemed to have sword slash marks to the back like they were running away from…something. A portion of the battle had taken place in this room obviously, but it was also clear that it didn’t begin here. The direction in which he needed to go was clear, as the path from which the bodies were seemingly fleeing from directed him in to the next hall. Ryu readied himself, and pressed on.
“Ooumm…”
Ryu could hear a loud, deep, guttural sound emanating from down the blood spattered hall through which he walked. Leading to what seemed to be a centuries old courtyard, upon entering new the expanse, he could see, off in the distance, a massive the massive bell hung off the mountain side. This was a training area, probably where the monks would gather for morning katas. While Ryu traveled here, he could hear the bell ring at the same time during the day from miles away.
He just realized, he didn’t hear the bell today…
Ryu’s gaze was quickly pulled back into the courtyard, to the ground in front of him where a man sat cross legged on the cobble stone floor…meditating?
“Ooumm…Ooumm…Oou-“. The man’s chanting stopped abruptly, as if he was unwelcomely interrupted.
“Please…leave this place stranger. I don’t…want you to be hurt.” His voice was audibly troubled, as he seemingly was struggling to keep some unseen force at bay. Ryu could tell what was happening; he could feel it. He had had a similar struggle with the Dark Hadou, the ‘Satsui No Hado’, that had corrupted his being so long ago, but ever since his old Master, Gouken, had seal away that evil power with in him, his struggle had for the most part been over. But now, in this man’s presence, he could feel that oh so familiar pull…
“You did this?!” Ryu questioned in a stern and straight forward tone. “You created all this horror?! I will not, I cannot, back away from such an evil. I am all too familiar with the darkness that can corrupt a warrior’s heart. Face me! Let me purge you of your ‘intent to kill’!
The seated man paused for a moment, as if unsure of what he should do. Slowly rose to his feet, his back still facing Ryu, an animalistic growl could be heard. Clad in partial monk attire, the man wore traditional shoes, and loose fitting pants, but was shirtless, with a makeshift rope sash that crossed his back. Attached to the sash was the broadsword he carried with a noticeable tinge of red at its blade.
The man turned to show the metal mask that covered the bottom half of his face. Ryu could now see the blood. It splattered across his chest, and his knuckles and palms were caked in it. Behind the warrior’s eyes was a hint of reddish energy. Ryu could tell that there was an inner struggle going on, and he could also sense the dark was overcoming the light. A look of sorrow was on the blood stained monk’s face, mixed with a palpable anger, and rage that seemingly emanated from him
“LEAVE!” the masked man bellowed. The voice was obviously more angered than before, most likely due to the defiance of this would be hero. “You know not the power within this vessel. If you stay… “AHHHHHH!!!” The man clasped his hand at his temples as bent over…
Ryu, steadied himself. He was ready for any incoming attack. “Direct all you rage and hatred at me! I will purge you of your darkness!”
Waffling for a moment, the monk looked like he was about to keel over at a moment’s notice, but then, in a huge explosion of KI energy, the monk’s rage and demonic power over flowed into the courtyard. Ryu’s stance was strong, but even he was forced to take a step back to recover from physically being pushed back. Furthermore, the initial explosion seemingly rocked the entire mountain top, as dust was falling from every structure and swirling around in the air, and the mountain breeze had grown a bit harsher in that moment. Even the bell off in the distance could be heard, giving off a faint ringing over the echoing boom.
Now the reddish energy wasn’t just in his eyes, but had clad him in a cloak of energy! Ryu had seen something like this before, and the pull of the dark beckoned him. Ryu grasped his heart and took a deep breath. He was steadfast. He was strong. Ryu regained his composure.
“I am Jago of the Tiger Monk Monastery. And your path ends here…”
