Hero of Heroes Ch. 2 - Memories
By Night

Ryu and Ken, dressed in their respective white and red gis, stood only a few feet away from each other inside the Masters Estate dojo.

Both were eager to engage in battle once again. Both had the same memories as one another in their younger years and in their older years as they fight with and against each other in the past tournaments.

"So show me what you showed this Gill!" Ken taunted.

"I am not too sure if you can handle it! To make this match fair, I shall fight at a lower level!" Ryu retorted.

"You'll see that I've ALWAYS been the better fighter!"

"Enough talk... let's BATTLE!"

Ken, being the offensive cocky fighter he always was, lunged at Ryu with a straight punch first, which was easily dodged. But Ken was fast, and he quickly followed the missed punch with another punch to Ryu's gut.

Ryu anticipating such a follow up attack blocked it.

Knowing Ryu would block low, Ken delivered a kick towards Ryu's head, smiling knowing he would make the first attack.

However, Ryu knew his opponent well, and parried the kick, following up with a punch right to Ken's chest knocking him backward. "The first blow. Perhaps it is your marriage that holds you back from training? Or perhaps it's your arrogance?" Ryu said as he got back into fighting stance.

"You may have delivered the first blow, but I shall deliver the last!" Ken responded.

Ken leaped in the air with a flying side kick, which Ryu blocked, but still pushed him back with powerful force. He landed and quickly crouched and kicked low, forcing Ryu to crouch low to block. Smiling, Ken quickly stood up, raised his foot and performed his Inazuma Kakoto Wari, chopping down with tremendous velocity at the crouching Ryu.

Ryu tried to block, but the overhead kick was too powerful! Ryu rolled back, and tried to recover.

Ken took this opportunity and already charging at the recovering Ryu leaped in the air. "TATSUMAKISENPUUKYAKU!"

Not prepared to block the powerful hurricane kick, Ryu was hit across the side of his head countless times.

The attacker landed from his kick, but Ryu knowing full well of this move, as he knows how to do it himself, took the opportunity to counter attack. Ryu stepped forward and brang his knee up and nailed Ken right in the crotch! Ken yelled as he realized he was hit in a vital area... but that wasn't it.

After landing his foot, Ryu pivoted and delivered a powerful high side kick - the joudan sokutou geri - causing Ken to fly far back.

"You must learn to KNOCK DOWN your opponent with the tatsumakisenpuukyaku my friend... mine has always been more powerful than yours," Ryu told to a kneeling Ken.

Ken growled under his breath and leaped up in the air to jump kick Ryu, but Ryu spun and performed his marvelous roundhouse, knocking him out of the air he was once in.

Ryu's roundhouse was one of his favorite moves, and he knew so well when to use it.

Ken however knew he'd use this to hit him, and Ken timed his landing and rolled right behind Ryu as he recovered from the roundhouse.

"IKUZE!" Ken yelled out. Ryu knew what was coming and knew he didn't have enough time to block it. "SHINRYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKEN!"

Ryu was pummeled by multiple blows as he was lifted into the air by Ken's powerful form of the dragon punch. However, knowing Ken's super attack, he knew how to take the damage. Anticipating where each blow would land, Ryu positioned his body so each hit would deliver minimal damage.

Both Ryu and Ken landed on their feet and Ken saw Ryu standing with no signs of heavy damage.

"What??? How could you survive THAT?" he asked puzzingly.

"You are predictible as always Ken. That has always been your weakness." Ryu stepped forward punching for Ken's face, but it was blocked. He followed up the blocked punch with another punch to Ken's lower right side which was also blocked. Another punch followed, but it was also blocked as well as the next four punches.

Ken smiled, "I'm just too quick for you Ryu!"

Ryu twiched at his snide remark, and that was all Ken needed to counterattack with a short, but powerful... "SHORYUKEN!!!" Ryu fell backwards to Ken's mighty dragon punch and tumbled backwards. Ken's shoryuken is a powerful one... Ryu thought to himself.

After landing from his first shoryuken, Ken decided to be flashy and executed another shoryuken, going higher into the air than the first.

If I know Ken... he's gonna do his flaming shoryuken right after he lands...

Ken landed right next to Ryu and... "SHORYUKEN!!!" His fist bursted into a flame and Ryu easily blocked the predictable attack as Ken rose to the roof with his third and most powerful shoryuken.

As Ken began to land Ryu spoke, "If I must say it again, I will! You are just too predictable my friend! Now suffer from your mistake!" Ryu flipped backwards and dashed forward at the landing Ken landing his left elbow right in Ken's gut, and brought his forearm up and backhanded Ken right in the face!

Ken tried regain balance, but Ryu ducked low and foot sweeped him taking his feet off the ground causing him to fall forward... but he never hit the ground... he continued his attacks as he punched Ken right in the face with his left fist stopping his fall, and followed up with an uppercut right to his gut.

The wind was completely knocked out of Ken, but more attacks followed up. Ryu kicked Ken right in the head with his left foot, following up with a right punch back to his face.

Ken was too stunned to do anything, and Ryu finished his combination of attacks with a powerful roundhouse kick which sent Ken flying. Ryu put his hands together, calling up his energy inside him... "The finishing blow! Shinkuu..."

"HEY!!!" a female voice yelled.

Eliza entered the dojo in her nightgown, her hair a mess. "People are TRYING TO SLEEP!!!"

Ryu lowered his hands, while the collected energy swirled away.

Ken regained his bearings and walked up to his wife, "Okay okay okay! We were just about finished anyways! Just go back to bed!"

"Cause a disturbance like this again and you're sleeping on the couch buster!"

Ryu chuckled, seeing that Ken and his wife indeed were a great married couple.

Ken kissed Eliza goodnight as she headed back to the bedroom, and walked back towards Ryu.

"Heh heh, well that sure brought back a few things. Leave it to a woman to always interrupt a battle between men, eh Ryu?"

Puzzled, Ryu simply said, "I guess."

"Well, we can finish this some other time ol' buddy. We should go to sleep, I'll show you your room."

"Very well, even a warrior requires rest..."

Ken walked his long time friend down the halls of the estate to Ryu's bedroom. "Heh, you never change Ryu."

"You haven't changed much either."

"Hey now! Being a father has changed me a LOT! It's a totally exciting and wonderful experience Ryu."

"I suppose. At least you have people to love and love you back." Ryu said as the both finally arrived to the bedroom Ryu was to sleep in.

"Heh... so what about you Ryu? Have you fallen in love with any ladies you have come across in your journies?"

"...No."

Ken sighed, "You really have to keep an open eye buddy! You might realize one day you had someone, but by then you'll realize it's too late!"

"Too late?"

"It happens all the time. A woman loves you but you just never realize it, and by the time you do, she's gone!"

Ryu was speechless. "Then I suppose the fault lies with me then if that ever happens."

"Heh heh, just like you to always cut yourself down. Look, as a best friend, I only want to say to you that there is more to life than just the fight, Ryu. You have to take a grasp of what you can truly get a hold of!"

"...I suppose you are right. But for now, I just want to fight until I meet my one true challenge."

"Well Ryu, your one true challenge is out there... but it won't be a fight."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You'll find out one day. Good night! Seeing you again sure brang back a lot of memories."

Ken left Ryu's bedroom leaving him to think about his last words.

Ryu, exhausted from battle, unfolded the bed and drifted off to sleep pondering what Ken had told him. ...my true challenge... isn't a fight...? Then what is it...?