The Outworld Chapter Nine- The Fourth Tournament

As the sun begins to rise, Sonya makes her way to the indoor ring. She has heard from a fighter who fought in yesterday's tournament that Shang Tsuang always meditated there in the morning.

Sonya sees Shang in the middle of the ring surrounded by candles. He wore a long black and red dress-like warrior uniform with wide sleeves. He sat with his legs crossed and both hands up. Sonya could hear his rhythmic breathing.

After a few moments, Shang says, "Who enters here?"

Sonya was a bit startled but managed to say, "Sonya Blade."

Shang opens his eyes and looks up at the blond woman. "Sonya Blade. You're in tomorrow's tournament, yes?"

Sonya nodded.

"You'll be fighting Sagat, yes?"

"That's why I wanted to talk to you about," Sonya said. Shang only stared at her with his black eyes.

Sonya took a deep breath. "My companion Rose will be fighting Vega tomorrow. I...I wasn't sure I there was a rule that we could, well, switch."

Shang stood up and stared down at Sonya. "You mean, you want to fight Vega, and then Rose will fight Sagat?"

Sonya nodded.

Shang began to walk around the candles. "This tournament does not have many rules," he said. "Except for the rules....rules of life."

"What do you mean?" Sonya asked.

Shang turns to Sonya. "Sometimes in life, we get something that we don't want for reasons. We sometimes want to trade items with someone so we could have something better, but it is very much impossible."

"So you're saying that I can't fight Vega and I only have to accept my fight with Sagat?" Sonya asked.

"Of course," Shang said. He walked closer to her. They nearly ended up touching noses when he said. "I KNOW you want to fight Vega to avenge Johnny, for what he has done to him. Unfortunately, we don't get everything that we want. Sagat wants to fight Ryu for revenge as well, but that's not the way things go. Do you understand that, Sonya?"

Sonya couldn't argue with him. Anyone who opposed him would receive great punishment. She only nodded and walked away with tears forming in her eyes.

"(Johnny,)" she thought. "(I will kill Vega, even if I died doing it!)"

As she turned a corner, she saw Rose standing. Her velvet eyes stared at her.

"Sonya, dear," Rose said. "I do not mean to invade, but revenge is not the answer."

Sonya looked up at Rose with a little anger. "Has anyone you loved ever died in front of your eyes, ever?"

Rose only bowed her head down.

"I thought so," Sonya said. She stomped off into the darkness.

Rose sighed. "No matter what, revenge will only lead to the worse."

***

It's been now twelve hours since Dan ate the poison berries. Hereto was still making the medicine. Mika knew that she shouldn't interrupt the wizard since that would take up more time.

Dan's face began to pour with sweat. Mika tried to fan him with a piece of paper and give him as much fluid as possible, but nothing seems to work.

Dan then opened his eyes and he looked up at her. He put his hand on her face. "Mika."

"Yes Dan?" she asked.

Dan took a few deep breaths before continuing. "I want you to be strong. Don't worry about me."

"Dan," Mika replied. "You're sick, I should be worried about you, and I am."

Dan took another deep breath. "Mika, I...I'm going to die. Go find Nightwolf. Don't worry about me."

Tears began to form in her eyes. "No Dan! I'd rather be the weakest thing on earth than to leave you! And you're NOT going to die!! I love you damn it!"

Dan managed to smile. "You mean it?" He knew Mika meant it the first time she said she loved him, but not like this.

Mika nodded. "Yes, I love you." She leaned down to him and the two shared a passionate kiss for a while. Mika pulled back. "You're going to live and you're going to meet Nightwolf and get stronger, I promise."

***

Guile stood in his fighting position and stared at a half-human, half-brown lizard with yellow eyes known as Muscana (a/n: another made-up character). She stood in her fighting stance, her tail slashing back and forth.

"Whoa," said Honda. "That's one interesting mutant."

Everyone around him only nodded.

"Begin!!" Shang cries out.

Muscana jumps in the air with lightning speed with a loud hiss. Guile looks up still in his fighting position. Just as he did, Muscana lands right on his head with her big feet. Guile falls back and lands on his rear.

"Holy smokes!!" cried Fei-Long. "Guile better be quick."

"Muscana has been in many tournaments and has never lost," Rayden said.

Everyone stared at Rayden in nervousness and panic.

Rayden bowed his head.

With lightning speed, Muscana throws series of punches at Guile. She speed doesn't give Guile much time to react.

"(Man, she's fast,)" Guile thought. "(I hope I can survive this. Probably not.)"

Then, the thought of two beautiful women came to him. He wondered what kind of pain they would go through if he were killed.

"(No!)" Guile thought. "(I will win for my wife and my daughter!! I won't die on them!)"

Another person came to him...

"(I won't die on Charlie either!!!)"

"SONIC BOOM!!!!!!!!!!" Guile shouts. He released the energy and hits Muscana. She flies across the ring and lands hard on her back. Then she quickly got up and runs towards him.

"(Damn it!)" He thought and prepared for his death.

Then, she stops and her yellow eyes turn wide. "What the..." Guile said.

Suddenly, loud rumble could be heard all around the room. Guile looked around the room and then back at Muscana. His blue eyes widened as he saw her. He could see her veins visibly blowing up into bubbles.

"She's gonna blow!!!" someone cried out. Everyone grabbed their towels and Guile jumped behind the ring.

Then, Muscana exploded into pieces.

"What the hell was that?" Guile asked.

"Apparently an allergic reaction," said Rose. Everyone turned to her. "Your sonic boom may have something to do with it. She may have been allergic to something in it that killed her."

Shang stood up. "Guile wins!!"

Chun-Li turned to Ryu. He was next.

Ryu turned to her. "I'll be all right."

"Next! Ryu versus Mileena!"

"(What?!)" Ryu thought. He remembered how Mileena was the one who almost killed Sakura.

Mileena stepped into the arena in her usual attire and held up her sais. "So, Ryu, we meet again. I didn't think we'd go against each other, but it seems that we are. I'd grab a weapon if I were you."

Ryu got into his fighting stance. "I don't need any weapons. All I need is my strength."

"You're a brave one."

"Begin!" Shang cries.

Mileena jumps in the air and aims her sais at Ryu. Ryu rolls out of the way and then stands up. Mileena darts her sais rapidly. Each time, Ryu dodges them.

Chun-Li watches with nervousness. "(You're doing good Ryu.)"

As Mileena darts, Ryu finds an opening and aims his fist at her stomach. She cries out in pain a little and pulls back. Ryu kicks one of the sais out of her hand and it flew to the crowd. Ken manages to catch it.

Now with only one sai, Mileena tries to dart at him again and punch him, but Ryu dodges every one of them. Then, to his surprise, Mileena kicks him hard on his side and he falls back. Just before Mileena bends down to stab him, Ryu gets up, clenched his fist, and jumps high in the air, hitting under Mileena's chin.

"SHO-RYU-...OW!!!" he cries out.

"Shoryu-ow?" said Ken. "That's a new one."

During his dragon punch, Mileena's sai ends up slashing his forearm deeply by accident. As he rises up and as Mileena goes with him, he kicks her other sai out of her hand. This time, it went near the side of the ring. Ryu lands on his feet while Mileena lands on her side. Ryu holds on to his bleeding arm as she got up.

"Ryu!!" cried Chun-Li noticing the deep cut.

"Finish her!" Shang cries out.

Ryu nods. He runs to her and jumps up again. He puts one leg out and spins around rapidly. "Tatsumaki Senpu Kyaku!!" he shouts hitting Mileena's face rapidly. Mileena falls into the crowd.

"Ryu wins!" Shang cries.

Ryu holds his bleeding arm and smirks....until he saw Mileena leap into the air and run off.

"(Crap!)" He thought. "(What does it take to kill her?)"

"Ryu you won!" cried a female voice. Ryu turned around and saw Chun-Li with a big smile on her face in the crowd.

Ryu smirked at her and nodded.

***

"Great fight both of you," said Sub-Zero. He, Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, and Ken were walking out of the dining area that evening after a big dinner. Everyone else were already back in the cave.

"I wish I had a better fight," said Guile.

"Yeah, but you killed her with only one blow," replied Chun-Li.

"She was allergic to my sonic boom. If it wasn't for that, I'd be dead."

Ryu patted his bandaged arm. "I had a good fight, even though I didn't kill Mileena."

"That's all right," said Ken. "Maybe next time."

***

Sonya, Jax, Guy, Kitana, Rose, Dhalsim, and Honda sat around the fire silently. Fei-Long, Rolento, Rayden, Liu, and Cody were practicing at the beach while the rest were at the dining area of the island.

"Sonya," said Jax. "Are you all right?"

Sonya turned to Jax and looked into his dark eyes. "Once I kill Vega, I will be."

"Vega's dangerous," Jax said. "Rose is going against him tomorrow. I prefer for her to not go against him."

"I'll be fine, Jax," said Rose listening to the conversation. She looked at Sonya. "Dear..if it really means a lot to you to avenge Johnny, then I will switch with you tomorrow, but I still say that revenge is not the way to go."

Sonya hugs Rose. "Thank you."

Across the fire, Guy and Kitana stare into the fire.

"Reminds me of Hell sometimes," said Kitana.

"Does it?" asked Guy.

"Yes. Fire is of evil and it burns what it wants."

"Fire can be a good thing too. Fire helps to keep you warm."

Kitana looks into Guy's dark eyes. Then, she took his hand. "Not as much as your hands."

Guy smirked and squeezed her hand a little.

"Oh, looks like there's a bit of love connection here," said Honda.

Guy turns to Honda. "Honda....be quiet and eat your rice."

Honda shrugs and continues to eat.

Guy turns back to Kitana. "People can be a bit nosy," Kitana said.

Guy sighed as he enjoyed hearing her sweet voice. He enjoyed being with her last night, just holding hands and staring into the water in the moonlit night.

The two stared into each other's eyes for a while. They knew that the others were distracted; Jax, Sonya, and Rose's conversation, Dhalsim meditating, and Honda munching away.

Guy began to slowly lean his face towards hers. Kitana knew his intentions...and wanted it as well. She began to lean towards him as well.

Just as their lips were inches away, they suddenly heard a loud, piercing battle cry that sounded like it was coming from a mutant.

Everyone who sat around the fire turned around. On top of the cave stood a mutant-like person with long sharp teeth, a bald head, long ears, ripped clothes, and long claw on both hands.

"Baraka!" cried Kitana. Everyone stood in their fighting stances.

***

As Sub-Zero, Ryu, Chun-Li, Ken, and Guile walked home, they could hear the piercing battle cry.

"Not again!" cried Ken. Just before the five broke into a run, three people jumped right in front of them.

Sub-Zero narrowed his eyes at the same man who attacked he, Chun-Li, Sonya, and Jax in the cave two nights ago.

"Reptile, you again!" he cries.

The two other with him were both women wearing the same attire in different colors.

"Mileena and Jade, nice to see the both of you," said Ken. The five of them stood in their fighting positions.

Mileena laughs holding up her sais and staring at Ryu. "For beating me, you will get the one thing that will hurt your heart."

"What are you talking about?" Ryu asked.

Jade laughs and holds up her stick. "You know exactly what we're talking about. The only way you will ever be defeated is to hurt the one thing that you love." Their eyes stare at something.

Ryu follows where their eyes laid..right at Chun-Li!