A full moon night and the winds were blowing strongly. The moon hung bright in the cloudless sky as the sea crashes endlessly upon the breakwater. 

Terry sat at the pier casting his fishing line into the choppy sea once again. These few days were slow. He wished that the Inner Circle had assigned him to Shadowlaw instead of letting XiangFei be attached there. After all there is always some kind excitement going on the Shotoken-Wushu dojo. With Geese gone for the moment things in Southtown is strangely peaceful. 

Terry passed a bottle of ice cold beer to Ryo who sigh as well. His sister Yuri was assigned to Shotoken-Wushu dojo while he was here. He jerked his line reeling up the fish he caught. After unhooking it he toss the fish back into the sea. 
“Too small.” He mumbled. 
  

Ryo then accepted the rice cake from Kyo who sat beside him. It was the school holidays for Kyo and he was here in Southtown attached to the Kusanagi Corporation branch here. He had heard that Iori was around. Maybe his ‘old friend’ could be able to help him in ridding this boredom. Carried by the howling wind was the sound of two spine-chilling howls. Kyo smiled. 
  

“That’s Iori alright. I can recognise that howl anywhere.” Kyo mumbled as he baited the hook. 
“Who’s the other one?” Ryo asked 
“Leona. They’re both howling at the moon.” Kyo shrugged and the three returned to their fishing. The howling continued on Sound beach as the moon hung high in the sky. 
  

----------------- 
  

Chapter 12 
  

That little cottage in Southern Mokai 
  

The Twisted Pair howled as they rushed towards the source of energy. The thought of possessing the pure energy was the only thing on their minds. Rose frowned and vanished and reappeared some distance in front of the Twisted Pair. 

“So eager to embrace chaos…so eager to embrace your doom.” She unleashed two Soul Sparks, one after the other. 
  

In perfect synchronisation the Twisted Pair spilt up at the last moment to go around the Soul Sparks. They rejoined and were face to face with Rose. Staring a moment eye to eye then unleashing a combine Hado-kikoken at point blank range. Sending the mystic woman flying off some distance. Nothing must get in their way to the source beckoning power. 
  

The others joined in to separate the Twisted Pair. ‘Ryu’s eyes narrowed and he growled at Haohmaru, Shizumaru, Galford and Kumori. His head move from left to right and back to left. One side his mate was fending of the others while the other side pure power awaits. He gritted his teeth and rushed the four in a mad frenzy. 
  

“Don’t hurt my son!” Miyuki yelled from the sideline. 
“He’s the one doing the hurting! We won’t hurt him. Much.” Kumori yelled back. 
  

Miyuki worries, if her son get to the source of power. Three parties would be gravely injured. More tragedy. The Twisted Pair though outnumbered made up for it with their ferocity. 
  

‘ChunLi’ grabbed Nakaruru’s knifehand and rammed it against the tree to make her dropped the knife. She kneed the girl in the abdomen and shoves her into Charlotte. Her line of sight shifts to where ‘Ryu’ was. Her mate was pinned under and she made to help him out. Rimururu and Rinka got in her way. 

‘ChunLi’ was distracted when someone tapped her. Turning around she nearly doubled over as Iwa rammed her fist into her sifu’s abdomen at the same time giving out an ear splitting yell. 
  

“Arrgghhoooiieeeoooww.” Iwa shook her hand in the air. She still had yet to master that particular move. ‘ChunLi’ rose and unleashes the Senretsu upon Iwa. The younger woman blocks and waits till the last kick when she lets loose a combination of kicks and punches in an attempt to disorient the older woman. 
  

“Sorry!” Iwa apologise after every single combination that hits home. Every single combination of moves was punctuated with an apology as if that could make up for it somehow. 
  

From the other side, the pinned down ‘Ryu’ saw his mate at a disadvantage. Gathering all his strength he heaves the three men aside and unleash a Hadoken at Kumori. A picture of calm Kumori holds her hand out as a little icicle slowly grows upon her palm. With a shove she sent it flying straight towards the Hadoken. 

Upon contact it began to grow and envelops the ball of qi and drops the ground with a ‘clink’. A grin on her face as both hands rise, both palms face upwards, drawing energy watching it grows to become a bolt of lightning. Kumori hefted it and run before sending it flying. The bolt of lightning sizzle with energy as it impales through ‘Ryu’ without shedding a single drop of blood. 

‘Ryu’ screamed as the energy courses through but yet in his frenzied state he was almost unstoppable. 
  

Hearing her mate’s screams ‘ChunLi’ attention turned to Kumori. No one hurts her mate and gets away with it. She rushes to where Kumori is. ‘ChunLi’ found that Iwa had placed herself between them. Iwa swatted off ChunLi’s every punch and kick with ease. There was starting to be a strange familiarity within the swats. 
  

“Sorry.” Iwa said and with all her strength she lets loose a punch an inch away from ChunLi’s stomach. 
“Gwaaagghhhaa.” The yell follows the punch as Iwa remained in straight punch stance that seems strangely familiar. Partly Saigo Ken partly something else. 

“Chunny-Whunny!!!!!!!You hurt my Chunny-Whunny!!! Die!!!!” ‘Ryu’ yelled as he rose like a cobra ready to attack. He approaches them in a manner that would lead to the Shun Goku Satsu. 
  

“These roses will soon die, 
Let the spirit be released, 
I call upon the god of death, 
To released the life of the dead.” Kumori said quickly as her body slowly burns with a white light, a hooded skeletal image appears and it throws a ball of wispy energy at the oncoming ‘Ryu’. He screams as he felt his energy being drawn. ‘Ryu’ collapse to ground. 
  

“Well that’s a relief.” Kumori whistled. 
“Yeah thought he never gives up.” Iwa was trying to catch her breath. 
“Where did you learnt that almost Saigo move?” 
“Remember that time when you ask me if I wanna go to that Keanu Reeve movie marathon.” 
“Yeah. You said you have somewhere else to go.” 
“A Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee movie marathon. Heh.” Iwa rose her eyebrows repeatedly to emphasise her point. 

“Aiyah! Bad lah!” The two friends said in union. 
  

Like a phoenix back from the dead the Twisted Pair rose once more, they goal remain the same and now its personal. The double demons are now enraged. They both rushed towards the two friends. 

“Shall we?” Kumori asked. 
“No two ways about it.” Iwa looked back at Miyuki as if seeking permission. The older woman nodded with  heavy heart. She prayed. 

“SORRY!!!” the two yelled as they rushed forward to meet the Twisted Pair in battle. 
  

“Soul Earth Energy!!!……..” they started, around their fists wispy strands of energy danced eerily. The two rushed straight into path of the two raging demons with every intention to counter the Twisted Pair with something called the ‘Kuan Long Ba Feng Wu’. A little something that was almost similar to the Twisted Pair’s Double Demons with little enhancements added here and there of course. 

The white light enveloped all four. A roar and scream. The image of a dragon and a phoenix appeared for a mere second. Then the concentration of energy exploded creating a crater around the four. Silence filled the area. 
  

------------- 
  

By now Geotao had finally clear from Sho the energy which belong to her in originality. The cycle of Sho absorbing qi from his surrounding will start once again and in six months Geotao will return again until they could find a way to break the vicious cycle. 

The storm-blue dragon creature called Geotao folded her wings. 
“Well. The party started without me it seems.” She observed. She patted Miyuki’s shoulders to assure her that everything is in control. The others aren’t badly injured just rough up. 

Geotao stopped at the crater. Miyuki and Sho quietly followed the creature. 
  

“So that’s Old Vega’s daughter.” 
“What you expect her to take after her father?” 
“Sort of.” Sho shrugged. 

Geotao squatted down between Kumori and Iwa. She gave Iwa a light rap on the head. 
“Oow.” Iwa answered sitting up looking slightly groggy Kumori followed moments later. 
“What a rush.” Iwa said, rubbing the side of her head. 
“Yeah. We haven’t used that move since….since.” Kumori stopped when she thought she saw something that irritated her. 
  

“Could you stop that?” Kumori mumbled. 
“Stop what.” Iwa and Geotao said at the same time. 
“That mirror image thing.” Kumori said when she noticed Iwa and Geotao mirroring each other’s movement. 
“Sorry.” Iwa stood up and back into the creature who enfolded her within her wings. As Geotao spreads her wings wide Iwa was no longer there. 

“Don’t even say it.” Kumori warned as Geoiwa opened her mouth soundlessly. 
“You’re no fun you know that.” 
“I know. Because you were watching too much Sunday morning cartoons. Which will remain nameless.” 

The wings receded back into her shoulders as scales give way to skin and cloth. Moments later Iwa stood before them once more. All that remain of the creature were the tell-tale scaly half-gloves that remain on her hands and the headband. 

“Now comes the hard part.” Kumori said. 
“What are you doing?” Iwa asked as Rose came forward. 
“They have to be stopped. One who had nulled the Great Divide and going through the trail period is bad enough. Two will be disastrous.” 
“No. We will deal with comes naturally. The course of nature is as is.” 
“But.” 
“You’re in my territory and you stay out of this Rose.” Sho came forward. 
“You’ll will regret this.” Rose eyed him coldly. 
 “We are all responsible for our own actions.” Sho answered 
  

Sometime later Ryu and ChunLi were brought into the cottage and were laid upon the bed to allow them to recuperate, Haohmaru and gang had left because Nakaruru was starting to go rant and rave about some events of the past. Sean and Sakura were silent. 

Miyuki sat by Ryu’s side stroking his hair. The baby she had given away is now a fully-grown man. She had always wanted to see her son again. And now under these circumstances. She felt Sho rests his hand on her shoulders. She realised that their son had taken a strong resemblance to her husband. 
  

“Shall we?” Kumori asked. 
“Let’s begin then.” Sho said. 
“Er…Could you two go outside for a moment?” Iwa said. 
“Fine fine.” Sakura mumbled as she and Sean left. 

Iwa removed the orb from her sword and placed in over the couple. It hovered over the unconscious pair. Iwa, Kumori, Sho, Miyuki and Rose placed their right hand on the orb. 
  

-------- 
  

They entered a mist filled place. The mist parted as a couple towards them. Cold eyes watching them. This time was different from the last. Previously the two aspects of the couple would always be present now it seems that only one side remains after the Great Divide was nulled. 
  

“No…The Twsited Pair remained dominant.” Rose exclaimed. 
“You shut up.” ‘ChunLi’ snapped. 
“Why did you bring us here?” ‘Ryu’ started, then he noticed something that was but a fleeting moment during his frenzied state. 

Seeing Sho and Miyuki. ‘Ryu’s features seem to soften, returning him to an almost normal state. But on seeing Rose the rage builds up again the hardness return to his face 
  

“I believe Rose there made a mistake in bringing you guys here.” 
“Why was I never told?” ‘Ryu’ started, his eyes narrowed, anger slowly boiling. 

<<  Great. We’re going back to square one again.  >> Kumori sent to Iwa who answered with a shrug. It had rather recently became a family issue. 
  

“Why was I never told that my parents are still alive?!!!!” 
There was a moment of silence. 

“Gouki would have ferret out that information from your young mind.” 

“How long had you intend to keep me in the dark?! All my life? Leading me on to think that I am an orphan??!!” Ryu glowered. 
  

“We thought that we would let you know when You have become a Grand Master.” Rose started. 
“And What? If I then decide to retire before then?! And you will let me go on thinking that?! Huh? Does that serve some perverse pleasure of yours?” He hated being kept in the dark about things that concern him. 
  

“And would you lead a life of seeking vengeance then?” Sho asked. 
“Yeesssss.” ‘Ryu’ hissed 
“That was not what we would have wanted. Ryu. You would have become another Gouki.” Miyuki said. 
  

<<  I’m going to try something.  >> Iwa said to Kumori. 
<<  Think it will work?  >> 
<<  Have to try appealing to someone first. If that someone refuses to help then all is lost.” >> 
  

‘Ryu’ refuses to listen. It could be that he does not want to listen. All his life he was led to think he was an orphan. And now this? He couldn’t tell if this was the truth or some trick of Rose to make him give up his dark side. 
  

Hadn’t she understood well enough? That light and dark are a part of a balance? That in everything there must be a balance. What is Rose up to? He had worked so hard to null his Great Divide so as come to understanding with his normal self. It won’t matter who was more dominant now. For they are both the same person with the same goals. 

Coming to terms with the fact that ‘him’ and him are one and the same somehow. And when they both made peace and found that particular little secret, they found that they have become one when Great Divide null. And what’s wrong with the fact that he let on that understanding to his mate. What he also wants to know is why was Rose trying to reverse that process. 
  

<<  Ryu. That’s not the point.  >> A familiar voice broke his train of thoughts. 
<<  Chunny-Whunny? >> he noticed that her coldness had subsided, she seem somewhat normal now. ChunLi had also went through the nulling with him. She had shifted back into her normal self it seems. 
<<  No. ChunLi. And is there supposed to be a difference?  >> she asked. 
<<  Well….  >> 

<<  The point is that this thing about Rose is that she has no idea what she is doing. Don’t let that get in the way of reuniting with your parents.  >> 
<<  …….  >> 
<<  If Rose is up to anything. We can deal with her. But don’t let this opportunity slip you by.  >> ChunLi placed her hand on ‘Ryu’s cheek. 
  

“Well I see you plan works.” Kumori noted. 
“Well. She has a way through to him.” 
“Come on. Let’s go. The rest is up to him.” Kumori added. 
  

The mist gathered once again bringing the five out of the minds of Ryu and ChunLi. When they are back in physical world. ChunLi has now awaken and unconscious Ryu was leaning against her. There was an awkward silence around as Iwa and Kumori left the room leaving Sho and Miyuki.