Fighting Spirit and Ki Ch. 7
By Mariko Hoshi

"Mom... Don't you dare." Kaori rubbed Mariko's head. "Hello, Kaori." Green eyes looked up into brown eyes. "Hello, Ryu." Mariko hugged her mom as Ryu faced Kaori. "Ryu, I should of..." Ryu put up his hand. "Don't Kaori. What ever happen in the past is the past. We should be looking forward to the future. Mariko's Future." "Your right Ryu but I should of tried harder to find you." Ryu looked at Mariko. She looked at him with Amber eyes. Ken was right about one thing his life was going to change. He hoped he could be the father that Mariko needed. "So is any one going to tell me what happen with Shadowlaw or do I have to..." Mariko tug at her mom. "Don't go over board, please mom." Kaori took a deep breath and hugged her daughter. "Well I see you haven't change too much. All ways trying to keep me out of trouble." Mariko hugged her mother. "That my job." Kaori laughed out and hugged back.

Mel was looked at Kaori from behind his father. Josh was standing beside Chun-Li. The boy looked at her and could see something was wrong. Chun-Li seem to have something on her mind and it was consuming her. "Chun-Li is every thing okay?" Josh didn't get a response from her. He reach out to touch her but Guile stopped him. Green eyes looked at Guile. "Chun-Li?" She turn to look at Guile and Josh. "Oh, I sorry did you say some thing to me." Josh didn't like the feeling he was getting from Chun-Li. "I asked if you are all right?" Josh got a shiver up his back when he looked into Chun-Li's eyes. They were cold to look at. It had to do with the vival of Kaori. For some reason she seem not happy to see Mariko's mother. Kaori could feel all eyes on her. "So is some one going to tell me what been going on?"

It took some time to tell Kaori what had happen in the past couple of days. Kaori stood quiet looking at her daughter. Mariko was sitting beside her father. "Well I know my daughter to get into trouble but this. Mariko I thought you knew better." Mariko remain quite. Amber eyes were dull. Kaori then looked at the boy hinding behind his father. She moved slowly toward the pair. "So this young man is the center of all this trouble." Mel shook a bit. He nodded slowly. Kaori then looked up at Ken. "So have I been told every thing Mr.Masters or is there something that been left out." Ken looked at her. His brown eyes looked into her green eyes. "As we told you Bison came after my son. Well he sent his children to do this." Josh lower his head. Guile quezed his hand, which made Josh look at him. He could see the warm smile on the man's face. Josh smiled back. Josh relies he had nothing to fear any more. He might have to answer a few more questions but he will not be held resonable for his actions that his father made him do.

"As well I taken Mariko as my student in Hadou-Ken with my son." Kaori gave another look over of Mel. She could see the likeness in the boy with his father but there was something else... she could feel... could it be. "So as you taught Mariko and Mel Hadou-Ken. That young man came to take your son to Bison." She pointed to Josh. Ken nodded. "But Josh didn't like doing this so he turned on his father and help us to get away." It was Mel that spoke up. Kaori keep her green eyes on Mel. She could not shake a feeling that nagging her. "Mel! You..." Kaori raise her hand. "Do not worry Mr.Masters, your son was speaking with his heart. I honor that." Mel could feel that Kaori was staring at him.