This is a rather old story, written in the process of maintaining my
Ninja Gaiden webpage (http://classicgaming.com/ninjagaiden), and it's
essentially a rewrite of a story I never finished back in 1990. While
this version is better than what I had, in looking at it now, I notice
that it really needs some editing. So, if any kind soul would be
willing to pore over it and offer some C&C, I'd be most grateful.
For the record, I wrote up the idea BEFORE Ninja Gaiden III came out
for the NES, and when the 3rd game came out, the storyline was stupid
in the first place. I personally like my idea much better. If you're
not familiar with the backstory, there are synopses of the plots of the
first two games at the URL above in the "Story" section (plug, plug:).
Any feedback on this would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks. ^_^
----
Ninja Gaiden III
The Fury of the Dragon
(deuce@classicgaming.com)
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Chapter One
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It was a late evening in the year 1990. All was quiet, and only
two figures disturbed the evening calm. A man and a woman who had
faced and survived some of the most surreal events they would ever
witness.
The man was Ryu Hayabusa, also known as the Ninja Dragon. The
woman who stood close at his side was Irene Lew, the CIA agent whom
Ryu had met just over a year ago. In the short time they had known
each other, the two had grown quite close. Catastrophe tends to do
that to people.
She turned to him and smiled gently. "This is getting to be
something of a habit, don't you think?" she asked.
He looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Well," she said, "you seem to have a knack for leaving an
unmistakable mark of your presence. That's two of these temples now
destroyed, thanks to you."
He smiled a bitter smile, remembering what had led him to this
moment in time. "I suppose so," he said, reflecting back on what had
just transpired only scant hours ago. He had faced off Ashtar, the
damnable sorceror who had thrown his world into utter chaos. He
discovered that Jaquio, the man who murdered his father, had lived
again. Through some miracle, Ryu had managed to defeat him once more.
It had seemed a hollow victory at the time. With the defeat of
Jaquio and the closing of the Gate of Darkness, Irene had lost her
life. But through some quirk of fate, and perhaps some divine
intervention, the Dragon Sword sacrificed itself to restore her. She
lived yet again.
But Ryu was disquieted. With the loss of the Dragon Sword, he
had lost the only link he had to his late father. So Irene's return
had been a bittersweet event. He was no longer alone, but he somehow
felt isolated.
Irene looked at him, her smile fading. "Ryu... what's wrong?"
Ryu shrugged. "Just thinking about my father," he said.
She sighed. "And about the sword?"
"Maybe."
Her face fell. "So you'd rather have the sword than me?"
Ryu turned to face her, shocked. "Irene...," he began. She
turned away. "That's not true. It's just that... it was the only
link I had left to my father." He was doubly shocked when he saw
tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said. He put his arms gently around her, and
she embraced him tightly. "I must sound like a real bastard."
She laughed and sobbed at the same time. "Maybe a little."
He turned her face up to meet his gaze, and kissed her softly.
She returned the kiss, and the two remained motionless for a long
while. When they finally broke apart, he smiled at her. "I love
you, Irene."
She blinked, as if unsure of what she had just heard. "You
know," she said, "That's the first time you've ever told me that."
"It's not the first time I've felt it."
She smiled, "I love you too, Ryu."
Ryu hugged her close once more, and then looked around.
"Now... what would you say about going home?"
"I'd say lead the way, boy."
***
Ryu took her by the hand, and led her back up the pathway
leading to the front gate of the now-destroyed temple. As they
neared the shattered doorway, Irene asked why they were heading
back toward the temple, instead of away from it. Ryu explained that
he had seen portals leading back to the Maze of Darkness, and he
wanted to see if any of them were still active.
Irene stepped away from Ryu a moment, and walked over to inspect
the doorway. "I still can't believe you fought through all of this."
She touched the brittle rock near the doorway.
"Neither can I, sometimes," he replied. "Just be careful what
you touch... this place is hardly what I'd call stable."
As if on cue, the doorway nearly collapsed on Irene just as
Ryu was finishing his sentence. "IRENE!" he screamed. She just
managed to back away as the rocks fell, and get out of danger.
He ran over to check on her. When he was satisfied that she
was unhurt, he inspected the opening. Interestingly enough, the
entryway was relatively undamaged. "Hey Irene, look at this...
this where I fought those Kelbeross creatures."
She peered into the room. "It stinks," she said simply.
"Just be glad you couldn't smell them when they were alive,"
he replied, and smiled. "Come on, let's go check inside." She was
a bit reluctant, but agreed.
Inside, the smell was worse. It was also incredibly dark, and
Ryu was reluctant to go inside, for fear of himself or Irene tripping.
He closed his eyes in concentration, and summoned his ki to provide
him with light. He noticed almost immediately how much more difficult
it was without the sword. It had provided him with a focus point.
A moment later, a ball of flame burst into being in Ryu's hand.
"Let's make this quick... I can't keep this lit forever," he said.
The bodies of the two Kelbeross creatures lay on the floor,
inert. "Good riddance to bad rubbish," said Ryu, kicking at one of
the bodies. "I don't care if I never see these things again."
Irene stood, practically gaping at the sheer size of the
creatures. "You actually FOUGHT these things?" Ryu nodded. "I
have to say, I'm utterly amazed."
Ryu was only halfway paying attention, his fingers deftly
scanning the wall for telltale cracks. After a moment, he found
what he was searching for. "A hidden passage," he said, prying
at the opening. "Give me a hand, would you?" She came over to help,
and a moment later, the secret door swung open.
Beyond the door stood a small, shimmering portal of energy.
Its energy flickered, as the source of power which fed had been cut
off. It would not last much longer. "This is our best bet," said
Ryu. Irene looked at it skeptically.
"Yeah, it's long odds," said Ryu, "but long odds are better
than no odds. And no odds are precisely what we have if we don't
get back into the Maze before the power is shut down completely."
Irene reluctantly conceded the point. And so, with no time to
waste, they stepped through, gripping each other's hand tightly.
***
Darkness... all was darkness. It was cold, so very very cold.
In this darkness, Ryu felt alone, more alone than he had ever dreamed
possible. The world was gone, and only he was left. His father was
dead... Ashtar was dead... Jaquio was dead... and Irene? Was she
dead too? Had everything indeed been taken from him?
"Ryu..." came a voice. He was curled into a fetal ball, simply
floating in the limitless blackness. The voice seemed to have no
source. Nothing made sense in this lightless world. If he was the
only one left, then who could be calling his name? If only Irene
were here with him...
"Ryu!" came the voice again. "Ryu, come back to me... Damn
it, I'm not going to lose you now!"
Suddenly, the ninja recovered his wits, and reached for his
sword, forgetting that it was no longer there... but it was. And
when he drew it, it shone brighter than the sun, with a pure, white
light. And the light blasted back the darkness, revealing...
Irene sat hunched over Ryu's curled up, half-unconscious
body. She was nearly in tears. "Ryu..." she said over and over
again. He reached up and grasped her hand gently, but firmly.
"Irene?" he said. "I'm here... it's okay..." He wasn't
alone. She was with him. But the cold continued unabated. When
he sat up and looked around, he found he recognized the place.
It was a craggy, mountainous region. Ryu remembered fighting
his way through it on his way to the Tower of Lahja. This also
explained the cold. The bitter wind cut into their flesh, despite
the shelter of the cave into which Irene had apparently dragged him.
She hugged him tightly. "I'm glad you're all right... after
we came out of the portal, you just collapsed."
Ryu sat up. "I don't know what happened... I had a really
strange dream or something."
"Well, you can tell me when we get home. Where are we?"
Ryu smiled at her. "It seems, dear lady, that by some stroke
of good fortune, we're not very far from home. The portal must have
let us bypass the maze."
She looked around. The notion of journeying around outside
was not an appealing one. "Well, we're not going anywhere for awhile.
We'd freeze in no time." She nestled close to him for warmth.
Ryu figured they could stay there for the night, and said so.
As Irene tried to find a flat area of the cave that was less
uncomfortable than the many other flat areas of the cave, Ryu set
to work building a fire.
A short while later, the two were huddled close together,
warming their hands at the small fire Ryu had made. It wasn't much
to speak of, but it would keep them alive.
"Don't ever say I never take you anywhere," said the young
ninja, smiling at her.
She elbowed him playfully in the ribs. "Hush, you. I'm going
to spend a week under a blanket after this."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
The two smiled and kissed each other softly, taking what comfort
they could from each other's presence. As they laughed and joked, the
fierce trials and battles of the previous day faded into the recesses
of memory. Perhaps, finally... they could live in peace.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Two
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Irene awoke in Ryu's arms. She glanced up at him, and found him
smiling at her, keeping a silent vigil.
"Good morning, sunshine," he said.
She smiled and gently poked him in the stomach. "Silly ninja."
He raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like a bit of an oxymoron."
The two laughed and got up, working out the various kinks in
their bodies, due to the awkward conditions under which they had been
sleeping. Rock is not known for its pillowy-softness.
"Now," said Irene, once they had gone outside the cave, "Do you
have any clue where we are?"
"Yeah... if the scenery is any clue. This mountain is really
close to the Tower of Lahja."
"Not too close, I'd hope."
He shook his head. "Don't worry, we're closer to home than you
think. There should be some train tracks further down the mountain.
We'll hop one and ride it back into town."
"You talk as if you know the way by heart," she commented.
He shrugged and smiled. "I had to follow you via this route."
And so they made their way down the mountainside. It was slow
and treacherous going. Irene lost her footing in a few of the rougher
spots, and they had to take breaks often. But finally, they reached
the foot of the mountain and saw the train tracks not far off.
"The ninja boy knows his stuff," said Irene with a grin.
"Years and years of training, m'dear," he replied. "All that's
left now is to hop an eastbound train."
"Sounds like loads of fun," she said sarcastically.
Ryu patted her shoulder and smiled. "It'll be a life-enriching
experience. Where's your sense of adventure?"
"I think I left it in that castle."
"Fair enough," conceded Ryu. "Guess what we do now is walk
along the tracks until a train comes by."
***
After about two hours of the aforementioned walking, a train
finally did pass. Due to the travellers' exhaustion, it was not an
easy task to catch it. Ryu leapt first onto the rear of the last car,
and caught Irene by the hand as she did the same. He pulled her up
and hoisted her onto the thin walkway where he crouched.
They spent the remainder of the journey in relative silence. At
this point, the two had little left to talk about. They had been
together with nothing to do BUT talk for the entire day, and both of
them were more tired than they had ever thought possible.
"All I want to do is take a shower and sleep," said Irene. Ryu
concurred. It had been a long, grueling journey, but at last, they
were in the city... and soon they would be back at the train station
from which Ryu had begun his adventure.
When they reached it, they realized they had no money on them
for cab or bus fare. So, they were forced to go it on foot. Indeed,
at this point, it seemed not to matter. Three more city blocks and
four flights of stairs seemed like nothing.
Three city blocks and four flights of stairs later, Ryu lay,
panting for breath, on the floor of his apartment bedroom. Irene
was in the shower, and Ryu was just trying to relax.
The two had been seeing each other for just about a year now...
but they felt like they had known each other for decades. She had
been well aware of the debt she owed to Ryu, and never forgot it.
He never made a point of it, however.
She stepped out of the bathroom in a bathrobe which she had
left here, a towel holding her hair up to dry. "You know, I think
that was the most enjoyable shower I've ever had in my life." He
grinned up at her from the floor.
"I just hope you left me some hot water," he said.
"I thought you ninjas were supposed to have been trained under
freezing cold waterfalls," she remarked teasingly.
"Maybe so," said Ryu, getting to his feet, "but that doesn't
mean we enjoy it. I'll be out in a minute." Evidently, thought Irene
later, a minute actually translates to thirty minutes. It had been some
time, and he still wasn't out.
When he finally got out, she went to him and hugged him tightly.
"Nice to be clean again, isn't it?" He nodded enthusiastically. She
led him over to the bed and lay down.
"Direct, aren't you?" he asked with a cheerful grin. She poked
him in the stomach.
"Dirty mind. I was hoping to take a nice, long nap. Care to
join me?" she said, stretching out beneath the covers.
Ryu had never heard such an inviting offer in his life. Until
about six hours later, after they woke up.
***
Some weeks later, they had finally managed to get back into some
sort of life routine. Ryu had made a rather noteworthy purchase, and
was gearing up to tell Irene about it. That evening, when she came
over, Irene told him one day that she was leaving the CIA.
"Why?" he asked, though the news was like music to his ears.
She shrugged. "I think I'd rather live a normal life. I've had
enough with espionage, schemes and everything else that goes with it."
He smiled. "Well, I can't say I'm sorry to hear it. I always
worry about you, you know." He stroked her cheek gently.
"So come on," she said, "I told you my news... what's this big
surprise you were babbling on to me about on the phone?"
"Weeeell..." he said, "I guess I can tell you before dinner."
She blinked and waited. "Close your eyes," he said.
She did as asked, making a point to grumble about being kept
waiting. He held his surprise out to her and said, "Okay... you can
open your eyes now."
She was greeted with the sight of a beautiful diamond, mounted
atop a golden ring. Her jaw dropped open. "Ryu... I...," she
stammered. He handed the ring to her, and she looked at it in utter
shock and wonder.
"I had been thinking about it for some time... but I finally
decided today. I was always too nervous before," he said, and turned
away a bit, smiling at a memory. As he turned back to her, she looked
into his eyes. "Kind of funny, don't you think," he asked, "that the
Ninja Dragon, who has slain demons, was afraid to propose to the woman
he loves?"
Irene was speechless.
"I'm not afraid anymore. Irene, will you marry me?" he finished.
She smiled at him, a tear rolling down her cheek. As she slid
ring onto her finger, she said, "Yes, Ryu... I will marry you."
She brought him close and embraced him tightly, and they sat for
a long while. "I love you," she said.
"I love you, too."
As they sat, Ryu was happy. His life now seemed complete...
with one minor exception. One issue pressed against the corners of his
subconscious. There was the issue of revenge against Foster. With
Irene leaving the CIA, he could be more comfortable in taking that
revenge. He had to keep her safe. He would wait until she quit, and
then....
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Chapter Three
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The elevator door slid open, and Ryu stepped out. He had been
utterly amazed at the ease with which he had made his way up to the
penthouse level. He had expected a far greater degree of security...
but the place was practically abandoned. Perhaps his quarry was simply
of the opinion that he was in no danger. He would soon learn the error
of his ways.
Ryu looked at the lush interior of the apartment. Evidently,
Foster had been living it up. The room was filled with expensive
fusnishings, paintings, and electronic equipment. Off in the next room,
he heard the sounds of light splashing, and a woman's laughter.
Wait... two women. Foster was living it up indeed. Well, all
that was about to change. As silent as death, he crept over to the
doorway of the bathroom and observed. Sure enough, there was Foster,
sitting in a jacuzzi with two women, all three sipping champagne.
Ryu was hardly one to wait at this point. He announced his
presence with a simple "ahem." The women immediately ducked deeper into
the water in some reflex of false modesty. They had certainly not been
modest two minutes ago. Foster blinked, looking up at the intruder.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded angrily.
Ryu ignored him for the moment and directed his attention to the
women. "If you don't want to get hurt," he said, "I suggest you leave,
ladies.
"As for you, Foster," he continued, returning his attention to
the confused and slightly drunk man, "You're not going anywhere." The
women were scrambling for towels and were out of the apartment in no
time. Ryu wasn't worried... that particular type of woman was unlikely
to call the police.
Ryu watched them leave, and noticed movement out of the corner of
his eye. With a lightning-fast motion, he hurled a throwing spike from
the folds of his ninja uniform with unerring precision, and it embedded
itself deeply into Foster's hand. That same hand which had previously
been reaching for a nearby gun.
Foster grunted in pain and clutched at his wrist. He glared at
Ryu in anger. "Damn you! What do you want? Who are you?"
Ryu almost laughed. "Don't you remember? Your little play-toy
ninja whom you tried to have knocked off?"
"Ryu!" exclaimed Foster. "How did you find me?"
Ryu folded his arms, comfortable that Foster wasn't going to pose
much of a threat. "It wasn't too difficult. Living a life of excess
is hardly the best way to hide from a ninja."
Foster grimaced in pain, "What do you want?"
Ryu shrugged. "Revenge... I thought you were at least smart
enough to figure that much out."
The wounded man shook his head. "You never understood. I only
wanted to--" he began, but Ryu cut him off.
"Spare me the sob story, Foster! You tried to kill me! But now,
the shoe's on the other foot, as you Americans say." His eyes were
narrow slits. "I'm going to enjoy this."
Before Foster could protest, Ryu hoisted him out of the jacuzzi.
"What... what are you going to do?" stammered the CIA agent.
"Not much," said Ryu, and hurled him face-first against the
mirrored wall of the bathroom. The silvered glass shattered, cutting
open Foster's face and chest in several places. He hit his head and
fell to the floor and rolled over weakly, glaring in hatred up at his
assailant.
"You know, Foster, I don't think I am going to kill you," said
Ryu. "I'd prefer not to stoop to your level. This will be payment
enough. The look on your face is priceless." He stepped over him.
"Ryu...," gasped Foster. "Where are you going...?"
Ryu didn't bother to turn and look back. "To live my own life."
Foster slipped into unconsciousness as the ninja walked out.
When he awoke, the ninja was gone. He scrambled to the remaining
mirror and begin picking pieces of glass out of his skin, dabbing at his
wounds with a towel. He grimaced at the pain, but was determined not to
be defeated. He had two phone calls to make....
The first was a number he had never thought he would need to call.
One ring... two rings... an answer.
"Hello?" came a male voice.
"This is Foster... I need a favor."
"The ninja? He came after you?" came the reply.
Foster coughed. "Yes... I'm going to be in the hospital for
awhile. I've got some injuries... but I'll meet up with you in a few
days. Follow the plan like we worked out."
"Will do." And the man on the other end hung up.
The next call was to the hospital. He was going to require some
massive stitches to cover this... and no matter what, he would never
look the same again... Ryu would pay for this... if it took him years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Four
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It had been a long trek home, and Irene would still be asleep.
Ryu moved with catlike grace across the rooftops leading back to his
apartment. All that was left was to sneak back in without waking her.
A simple task for a ninja.
He slipped in through the window by which he had left, quickly
got undressed, and got into bed next to Irene. She stirred slightly,
and he looked at her worriedly, afraid he had somehow awakened her. But
she said nothing... only mumbled something in her sleep, and curled up
to him.
He let out a relieved sigh and put his arms around her. At last,
it seemed his life was complete. He had tied up all the loose ends...
all that remained was to marry the woman he loved, and live a normal
life. He relaxed, and closed his eyes... but sleep would elude him for
a long while this night.
And when it finally visited him, his dreams were disquieting,
painful things. Images of his father's disappointed eyes burned into
his mind. "Ryu... you have changed so much...," came his voice.
Ryu started to respond, but suddenly, his father's form shifted.
His eyes lost their irises and pupils... and his face became a smooth
white mask, with bloody tears running down it. "ASHTAR!" Ryu cried,
and reached for a weapon... but found himself defenseless.
"We are JUST ALIKE, you and I," proclaimed the nightmarish
figure. "You thought me dead...," it continued. Suddenly, it
transformed again, taking on a purple hue and regaining facial features.
The Jaquio said, "But I will always live on in your mind, Ninja Dragon.
You will never escape us... we will haunt you... for all eternity...."
Ryu turned to run from the apparition, and found himself staring
into the face of the Demon. That supernatural beast that he had sealed
away.... Without the Dragon Sword, how would he fight it? He had no
chance. The gargantuan maw lunged toward him, and he found himself
encased in blackness. He screamed....
Irene ran into the bedroom. "Ryu? Ryu, what's wrong!" He sat
up sharply, his head in his hands. She came over and sat next to him,
hugging him gently. "Ryu?"
He looked up at her amd held her tightly. "Yume ka," he
whispered to himself.
"What?" Irene asked.
"Oh, nothing," he said. "It was just a dream. I'm okay."
She wasn't convinced. "Ryu, you're shaking like a leaf... come
on and get some breakfast. It'll be all right."
He pulled away and smiled at her. "I suppose it will... and I
think I could use a good breakfast." The previous night had been real.
Ryu had gotten his revenge, without Irene's knowledge. She would never
have consented... nor understood, he felt. And the dream was just that:
a dream. Perhaps now, life could finally go on.
***
And for a long while, it did. The two were married some months
later, and were happier than either of them could remember being. Ryu
decided to open up a school of martial arts, a project which Irene
heartily approved. She had worried about him constantly, and she was
relieved to see him beginning to think less like a ninja and more like
a normal person.
She loved him dearly, but he could be so frustrating at times.
He was often given to long bouts of contemplative silence. And it was
only when she became upset that he realized he was ignoring her. He
always apologized, but he would never tell her what he was thinking
about. But she had learned to deal with it.
When the school opened, Irene took over managing the school's
finances. She was relieved to get away from the typical white-collar
workforce at this time. She even managed to get in a few lessons
from time to time, though nothing serious.
One year after the opening, the school was flourishing. They
were well into the black, and they were celebrating. Irene had told
Ryu that she had a surprise for him. That night, they sat on the
floor in front of the fireplace sipping champagne and reminiscing
about the events of the past year.
"So," said Ryu, "What's this surprise you have for me?"
She looked at him with a happy smile and gave him a look which
only a woman with a big secret could give. "Well," she said coyly,
"What would you say...." She stopped there and looked at him again.
He gently tickled her ribs and said, "I'd say tell me before you
force me to get rough with you." He grinned.
She squirmed and escaped the tickling fingers, then hugged him.
"Well, Ryu... brace yourself." She held him at arm's length and told
him her big secret.
"I'm pregnant."
Ryu nearly dropped his drink. He did drop his jaw, and found
himself at a loss for words for a few moments. She looked at him
expectantly, nervously. "Irene...," he said finally.
"Yes?" She was tense, almost stiff.
"That's wonderful!" he said, and kissed her. She relaxed and
returned the kiss eagerly. When they broke apart, he said, "How long?"
"The doctor said I'm about 9 weeks along." He suddenly furrowed
his brow in concentration. "What?" she asked.
Suddenly, he grinned. "Oh yeah. THAT night."
Irene knew that look well. She swatted him playfully on the arm.
"Silly boy," she said, and nestled close to him. The two were happy...
at last, life was proceeding normally. Everything was finally going
the way it was supposed to.
***
And for many years, it did. Irene bore a son, and the two decided
to name him Ken, in honor of Ryu's late father. At first, she had been
hesitant about this, but eventually decided that there was no real harm
in it. Ryu was the proudest father Irene had ever seen, and the boy
never wanted for love or attention.
"He looks just like you," Irene had said on many occasions. As he
grew, he began to grow interested in the martial arts. Ryu was very
pleased with this development, and Irene approved. After all, those
martial arts had saved both their lives on more than one occasion.
Over the years, Ken grew into a strong-willed, healthy young man.
He had been raised well, with the same disciplines bestowed upon his
father. He did his best to be Ryu's most attentive student, and he
grew quite skilled. On occasion, he even defeated his father in
sparring matches.
As Ken approached his teenage years, he became curious as a cat.
He often took to snooping around the neighborhood and around the house
to see what interesting things he could find. One day, he truly hit
paydirt, though he didn't know it until later that evening.
"Hey dad?" he said to his father, who was sitting in a chair,
reading. "Can I ask you something?"
Ryu looked up and smiled. "Feel free, son." The Ninja Dragon
was aging... bits of gray seeped in at his temples, and his face was
crisscrossed with the lines of age, worry and adult life. But he was
happy.
"Do you know a guy named Foster?" asked Ken.
Suddenly, Ryu's heart leapt into his throat. He thought he must
be going mad. But no... he would answer any questions, honestly. Ken
deserved no less. "Well... yes, I did once, a long time ago. How did
you find out about him?"
Ken turned away, somewhat abashed. "Um... well, I was looking
around in the attic and--"
"And just what," asked Irene as she walked into the room, "were
you doing in the attic?"
"Well, I was just seeing if there was anything interesting up
there," Ken said, trying to regain his composure in the face of his
two moderately annoyed parents. "And I came across some old files
about this guy named Foster."
Irene sighed. "That stuff was packed away for a reason, Ken.
We've been trying to forget about him for the past 13 years."
Ken looked downcast. He felt ashamed and guilty because his
snooping had upset his parents so much. But he had already broached
the subject... so he felt he might as well ask.
"What was it he did?"
Ryu put away his book and steepled his fingers in front of his
face, looking over them at his son. "He was your mother's former
employer." He took Irene's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "He
caused us plenty of problems long before you were born."
"And he also tried to have me kill your father," put in Irene.
Her eyes misted over as she thought of the horrors she had been forced
to witness while in the clutches of the Jaquio. Ryu put his arm around
her waist.
Ken was dumbfounded. He figured it was something big, considering
how deeply buried the files were in all the junk, but had no idea it was
something of this magnitude. He felt awful for having brought it up.
"I... I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to upset you... I really
didn't."
Irene walked over to him and hugged him tightly. "I know you
didn't, son... but he's part of the past. Let's not talk about him
anymore, okay?"
Ken readily agreed and held his mother close. And eventually, the
dark tide of emotions seemed to fade away. Ken continued his studies
under his father's tutelage, and grew more and more advanced, though
never quite reaching the level of skill attained by his father.
This was to prove unfortunate in the future....
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Five
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Years went by, and Foster was mentioned no more within the
confines of the Hayabusa household. But within the mind of the Ninja
Dragon, Foster roamed free. He pondered his wisdom in allowing Foster
to live so many years ago... but what was done was done. Brooding
over it only made him nervous and irritable, and it alienated his wife
and child... the very ones about whom he was so concerned.
Ken was growing up to be a fine young man; courteous yet
willful, strong yet gentle, he was a son Ryu could indeed be proud of.
At times, he seemed far older than his tender 15 years. At the thought
of his son's age, he pondered his own. He would be thirty-nine in only
a few short months.
He looked at the life he had built, and hoped that his father
could see him now, and would be proud. Ryu felt certain he would be.
He had fought and worked his way through life to provide for his
family, which was no less than his father had done.
And in the shadows, a long-lost ghost of the past prepared to
surface once more. A tangible ghost, one which would distort the lives
it touched... this time for good, it hoped.
***
Ryu and Irene sat calmly in the backyard of their peaceful
suburban dwelling. As was very common, Ryu was in his ninja uniform,
and Ken was off by himself, practicing his katas as his father had
shown him, sword in hand. Irene was lying down on a sunchair,
sunbathing. To Ryu's eyes, she was still just as lovely as she was
when they'd first met... and she had shot him with a traquilizer.
He chuckled slightly to himself at the thought and told her that
he would be right back, as he was going to get another drink from
inside. He went inside and began rummaging through the refrigerator
for the drink he sought... and caught notice of a few other tempting
things as well.
Cold roasted chicken. He took a drumstick and ate it, then
noticed the sound of a helicopter. Nothing too unusual, as there was
an airfield not too far from here. But it did seem a bit loud, and
that set him on edge.
Actually, it seemed VERY loud. He quickly towelled off his
hands, and came back outside with his drink in hand... but not for long.
What he saw made him drop it almost instantly.
Four men were surrounding his family... The helicopter buzzed
only about 15 feet overhead. They were wearing masks of some kind,
which allowed Ryu to see only their eyes. They all were weilding small
automatic weapons. Uzis, Ryu guessed, being unable to inspect them
closely.
The guns were trained on Ken and Irene. Ryu screamed their
names, and suddenly two guns were pointing at him. "What do you want?"
demanded Ryu, his heart pounding fiercely with fear and anger.
The thug's eyes narrowed. "You must be Ryu," he said with
contempt. "We're going to just take your family here on a little
joyride. They're going to be kept as collateral."
"Collateral for what?!" Irene had the barrel of a gun pressed
against her throat, and Ken had apparently been knocked unconscious.
Irene looked at him pleadingly... and with a hint of shame.
"Someone wants to meet with you... and wants to make sure you
don't back out of the meeting," the man continued.
"Who?" asked Ryu, his fists clenching.
"Fellow by the name of Foster. He said you'd know what to do."
Ryu's heart leaped into his throat. Foster... it couldn't be. But
before he could ask questions, his wife and child were hoisted into the
helicopter.
"WAIT!" he yelled.
The man shook his head. "No waiting. Follow us if you like."
He grinned under the mask and slammed the door shut to the helicopter,
which began to take off. Ryu couldn't believe what was happening...
his life had suddenly turned upside down.
In a rush, he ran over to where they had been, and picked up the
sword with which Ken had been practicing, and wasted no time in donning
a mask. Steeling himself for battle, he charged into the street, with
a sword strapped to his waist once more. He had not done this in many
years... and now more than ever, it was a necessity.
***
The street was strangely deserted. Any neighbors who might have
wanted to investigate were staying inside. Wise of them, thought Ryu
as he ran past, approaching the more urban section of town. When he
reached the point at which the suburbs stopped, everything seemed
deathly quiet. And so, he proceeded, looking still for the helicopter
which had vanished from the skies.
He was working purely from memory. He felt certain the copter
had come this way. Still, the emptiness of his surroundings made him
uneasy. Alas, they would not be empty for long.
Suddenly, a gunshot pierced the night. He looked around, and
found the sniper sitting in a window, grinning down at him. Unable to
reach him, he felt compelled to call upon the Art of the Fire Wheel.
But he soon realized, he had no such option at his disposal. The
Dragon Sword was gone, and it provided him with his focus. Those arts
were lost to him... perhaps forever.
And now was when he needed them most. As it was, he was forced
to run... he dodged and weaved past the bullets of the sniper and a few
friends he'd evidently brought along. As he ran through the streets,
he came across a few more of what were apparently Foster's hired thugs.
Since he had not allowed his training to slip in his years as
a father, he had minimal trouble dispatching them. But his heart and
mind were in agony at the thought of having to kill again... and at the
thought of what that maniac might to do his family.
Focusing his mind, Ryu took his sword in hand with all the skill
of a true ninja master. And none he faced survived long. He was
working almost on instinct, trying to remember the direction he'd seen
the copter heading. The men he faced seemed to be edging him in a
certain direction anyway, so he allowed himself to be led slightly.
In a dark, smelly alley, he found himself facing off against
four of the men at once. They surrounded him, circling him, all of them
wearing grim smiles. Ryu took advantage of the lull in battle to ask
some questions.
"Where is my family being taken?" he demanded.
One of the men laughed. "You're asking the wrong people, old
man. We're just here to make sure you dont' have an easy time while
playing this little game."
Ryu flushed hotly under his mask. "You think this is a GAME?"
"To the man paying us, yeah. But with us, it's business." With
a simple gesture from the man speaking, the other two men charged at
the ninja. Each was weilding some sort of weapon; one had nunchaku
and the other was much more matter-of-fact about fighting. He weilded
an aluminum baseball bat.
As the thugs approached him, Ryu ducked down and swept the
bat-weilder's legs out from beneath him, and delivered a nasty shot to
his jaw, which put him out like a light. Two more to go. The nunchaku-
weilding man used them decently, but with a noticeable degree of
clumsiness. He had obviously not been properly trained. But if Ryu
wasn't careful, he could end up with some nasty injuries.
The young man dashed in, swinging the nunchaku in a vicious arc
at the Ninja Dragon. Ryu nimbly stepped back, barely avoiding the
bonecrushing force, and countered with a quick open-palm strike to the
solar plexus. His opponent immediately gasped for air and fell back,
ducking underneath Ryu's followup knifehand.
He got his nunchaku back into place and rolled off to the side,
preparing to mount another attack. While Ryu was still recovering from
the force of his missed blow, the young man was able to get in a rushed
strike at the back of his leg. It wasn't as powerful as it could have
been, due to the awkward angle, but it hurt.
Ryu would not be so easily defeated, however. In a lightning-
quick motion, he brought his sword to bear and slashed backward, opening
a huge gash in his opponent's chest. The young man was unable to
continue the fight. He fell onto his rear, clutching at his wound.
The Ninja Dragon looked around quickly for the other two men,
but they were nowhere to be seen. Evidently the man who had spoken
before had dragged his unconscious friend in the confusion of the fight.
He looked down at his defeated opponent and looked into his eyes.
"Where are they?" he hissed. There was no response.
"Where ARE they?!" he repeated, more urgently, anger welling up
within him. The man groaned, seemingly at death's door.
His eyes opened slightly, and a bubble of blood burst on his
lips as he tried to speak. "Foster... took them away...."
Ryu nodded patiently. "Where?"
"... to... to...," the man stammered, then fell silent. Ryu
would get no information from him now, nor ever.
The ninja growled to himself, "Damn! Where do I go now?" He
crouched down in the dimness of the late evening, and thought of his
family. For the first time in many years, Ryu wept.
***
The darkness had become almost complete. Ryu sat, deep in
thought, until an unexpected interruption came about. A bright, soft
light penetrated the gloom. Suddenly, he heard a soft voice speaking.
"Rrryyuuuuu...," it said. It was barely audible, but it was
there. He looked up, his hand resting on his sword. He would not be
ambushed. Suddenly, he found the source of the light, and saw a face
he had never dreamed he might see again.
It was his father. He was transparent, surrounded by the
soft glow which brightened the night somewhat. On seeing him, Ryu
felt a mild sense of peace, which helped to soothe his nerves just a
bit. He started to speak, but his father held up a hand to stop him.
"Ryu...," he said. It was he. The voice was the same, the
tone, everything. "This is a time of trial in your life. I fear you
will have no chance...," he drifted off, lifting his hand to his chin
thoughtfully.
Ryu's heart sank. So his own father was telling him to give
up? This couldn't be. But the spirit continued. "Not at present...
you will need this." A shining object appeared in his glowing hands,
a long and slender blade, with a Chinese dragon engraved near the hilt.
"The Dragon Sword!" breathed Ryu. He accepted it from his
father's outstretched hands, and looked at it in amazement. His eyes
journeyed back up to the image of his father. He had so many questions
to ask... and he was afraid he might never get another chance.
"Ryu, no...," said the elder Ken Hayabusa. He had read his
son's mind, it seemed. "Those questions are for later, not now. You
have more important things to do. Save your family... I know in my
heart that you can do it." And the image began to fade into the mist.
Ryu reached a hand out toward the vanishing apparition.
"Father! Wait! Please don't leave me!" he screamed, but it was too
late. Ken was gone.
Ryu was practically in shock. A visitation from his late
father, dead for years... and the blade of his family returned to his
hands. But it had been sacrificed to save Irene's life! How could it
be in his hands now if Irene was still alive? Maybe she wasn't. With
a shudder, Ryu cut off that line of thinking.
Irene must be alive. His father had told him to save his
family... he had to believe they would both live. He looked at the
Dragon Sword, glowing with a soft, but harsh white light. He thought
of the trials he had endured with it... and because of it. But his
father had been right. He had no chance without it.
Silently, he discarded the sword which his son had been using
for practice, and held his family's ceremonial blade in his hands
for the first time in years. And it felt natural. He felt twenty
years younger.
One question remained: where to go now?
As if in answer, a metal spike embedded itself in the wall
next to him, missing him by inches. He looked in the direction from
which it had come, and saw the man with whom he had spoken earlier.
The man gave a lopsided grin and motioned for him to follow. "Come
on, Hayabusa!" he called. "Your family's waiting for you!"
Without another word, the man vanished into a subway stairwell.
Ryu wasted no time in giving pursuit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Six
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu charged down the stairwell after his tormentor, and looked
around frantically for some sign of him. But to no avail. The station
was pretty much deserted, and the few bums who occupied the hallways
still were far too drunk to pay any notice to the desperate ninja.
He heard footsteps off to his left, fading quickly. The man was
still running... or simply leading him on. It galled him, having to
play Foster's little game, but he had no choice. He had no leads, and
with his enemy's CIA contacts, the authorities were likely to be of
little or no help. They could be in on this, for all he knew.
As he chased his quarry, he faced off against a few more of the
hired thugs, but they were no match for the powerful ninja. All
thoughts of despair had left him, and all that remained was
determination. He would get his family back home safely, even if it
cost him his life. This man was going to tell him where to find them.
Ryu ran through the station, hot on the heels of the man who
had taunted him, weaving through the mazelike arrangement of columns.
A loud rumbling shook the entire area as one of the trains shot past
near him. Shortly after it was gone, he saw the man getting onto the
next train, which was about to leave.
The man gave that infuriating grin of his, and beckoned Ryu
aboard just as the train was beginning to pull out. Wasting no time,
the Ninja Dragon ran for the nearest door and grabbed on. He was at
the very last car of the train, but once inside, the going would be
easier... and the man would be trapped. He struggled to keep his grip,
but managed to somehow pry the door open.
He fell inside, sprawling on the filthy floor. Immediately, he
stood and looked around, with the distinct feeling he was being watched.
And indeed he was. He looked up at the cars ahead, and saw a plethora
of hired thugs, along with a few street punks, looking in at him.
Foster had probably offered some money to the punks in order to keep him
busy. They were brandishing knives and clubs, and an assortment of
gangland weaponry. He had faced worse.
He opened the doorway leading into the next car, and looked around
at the young men surrounding them. He frowned under his mask. Some of
these boys weren't much older than Ken was. And here they were,
prepared to risk death for the price of a few dollars. It was sad. But
Ryu would not allow their youth to sway him.
The men and boys looked at him with evil grins. They figured this
one man didn't stand a chance. Ryu returned their stares with narrowed
eyes. "If you're looking for a fight, you don't know what you're
getting into, kids," he said. The boys chuckled and began brandishing
their weapons. "But if you're set in your course, I suppose I'll be
happy to oblige you."
Ryu drew the Dragon Sword and stood at the ready, waiting for the
punks to make the first move. They were young and impatient... so he
did not have to wait very long. Almost immediately, one of them rushed
him with a knife. The ninja sidestepped and tripped him effortlessly,
and gave him a vicious openhanded chop to the back of his neck for his
efforts. He went down for the count.
Perhaps one life could be spared, thought Ryu, but the luxury of
fighting without killing would soon be lost to him. The sheer number of
opponents would soon necessitate deadly force. Another of the punks
charged in at him, screaming an inarticulate battlecry.
Ryu figured this one for a fool. With barely any room to move,
he brought the sword up and sidestepped, carving a sizeable gash in the
young man's arm. This one, too, went down, clutching at his wound and
screaming in pain.
And so it went... the confined quarters didn't allow the thugs to
swarm him like they might have otherwise. Ryu fell into a rhythm,
countering each blow as it came, never stopping his motion for an
instant. "You kids are lacking an important degree of subtlety," he
told the group between blows.
His assailants only barely registered his words, and continued
pressing their unsuccessful attack. "You're just charging in, no grace
or anything remotely resembling strategy," he said as he sidekicked one
of the attackers in the ribs. "If you'd take the time to--" His
monologue was cut off by a baseball club to the arm. He clutched at the
area of impact and looked at the one who had hit him.
Foolishly, the boy was standing there, looking smug. "Where are
all your lessons now? You ain't so tough!" he shouted in defiance.
Ryu cocked an eyebrow. "Never relinquish your advantage," he
said, and quicker than a cobra, he hurled a shuriken at the boy. It
caught him squarely between the eyes, and he fell over. Unlike many of
his compatriots, however, he would not be getting up again.
At this, the few men left who were still both conscious and alive
fell back a step, then tried to regain the momentum of the battle. But
it was to no avail. Ryu had decided to keep moving. And those that got
in his way were cut down as the obstacles they were.
His progress through the train was steady, and none of the thugs
who opposed him posed much of a threat. The lights in the car were
evidently on the verge of failing, as they came on and off and random
intervals, making for a rather confusing journey. He was nearly at the
first car, and through the window, he could see the man whom he had been
chasing. The grin was still there, as if he knew Ryu would have no
trouble getting this far.
Ryu stepped through into the car, and the man gave gim a lazy two-
fingered salute. "Nice work," he said. "I see you managed to get past
my associates back there." He motioned toward the rear cars.
The ninja almost laughed. "What do you mean, 'managed'? I've
fought tougher battles than that blindfolded!" The Dragon Sword stood
at the ready, in his hands. It vibrated with seeming anticipation of
the fight to come. Could it truly be alive, like its cousin was? Could
it be that similar to the Dark Sword of Chaos?
Ryu had no time to ponder this as the man spoke. "I believe you.
You've got quite a rep, Hayabusa... and believe me, I'm not out to make
one by killing you. I just go where the money is." He was tossing a
throwing spike to himself. With the deftness of a master, the sharp
metal rod twirled through his fingers.
"So Foster hired you, then?" asked Ryu. "Where did he take my
family?" Some urge was pushing him to attack, but he held back, knowing
he needed information before he needed blood.
The man shook his head. "I don't even know the guy's name. All
I know is that he paid me a lot of money to take you out... and for the
kind of money he's paying, I'm not about to let him down." Without
another word, the throwing spike went sailing through the air at the
Ninja Dragon.
Slightly shocked, but prepared, Ryu dodged aside, the spike
piercing the wall and sticking straight out from the force of the throw.
This fellow was not only skilled, he was strong. This would indeed be
a difficult fight.
Ryu drew upon the power of the Sword, and felt a tell-tale heat
building up in his arms. With a short battlecry, he swung his arm
forward, and the heat was released. A spiralling burst of fire hurtled
through the air at the spike-thrower. He was too shocked to dodge
fully, and the flames caught his side as he sidestepped.
A growl ensued from the burned man, and he quickly put the flames
out. "Eat this, old man!" he screamed, and held up his curled fingers.
Between them were more spikes, totalling three. In a vicious backhanded
swing, the implements of death went sailing through the car as the
light flickered on and off.
The poor lighting conditions made it difficult to determine the
direction of the throw, so Ryu ducked as opposed to dodging. One of the
spikes caught the flesh on his shoulder, and he winced. But it was not
serious... muscle had not been torn. But it had passed right through.
This was both good and disturbing. If one of those spikes hit him in
the right spot, it could pierce his skull... or sever his spine, or any
number of various other unpleasant results.
With an incoherent kiai, Ryu took advantage of the flickering
light in the car. Every time the light would come on, Ryu was in a
different spot, thus making it impossible to draw a bead on his target.
"Where are you, you bastard?!" he cried.
And suddenly, he saw. A masked face right in front of his. And
he knew he had failed, even before he felt the cold, folded steel
sliding through his gut. As he slumped to the ground, he looked up into
the eyes of the victor. "You won," he said simply.
Ryu only nodded silently. The man continued. "Not a bad fight,
I thought," he said, clutching at the wound and coughing weakly. "Oh
well... had to happen sometime."
"You fought well," Ryu admitted. "Now tell me...."
The dying man cut him off. "Your family's been taken back to...
to... what this Foster guy called 'the source of all your troubles,'"
he said. The light was gradually leaving his eyes.
Ryu's eyes widened. "The what?"
"He said you'd know what that meant." And indeed, Ryu did know,
or at least, he had some idea, but truly hoped that it didn't mean what
he thought it did. The man brightened slightly and said, "Oh yeah... I
was also supposed to give you this if you survived..."
Ryu stood at the ready, prepared to kill the man instantly if he
tried anything else. But the man only pulled out a small key, attached
to a paper keyring, now reddened with blood. "What's this for?" he
demanded.
The man was overcome by a coughing fit. "Go to... the airport...
locker number 217. There's something in there you'll need... Foster's
arranged... transport for you...."
The ninja pondered this, but the man continued. "That is," he
said weakly, "if you can make it... I wouldn't go above ground if I were
you." He grinned again, but it soon faded. And the man's cold eyes
stared up at Ryu, in death as they had in life. Silently, he knelt down
and closed the lifeless eyes.
"Don't go above ground, hmm? I guess this means I'm stuck with
the sewers...," he thought. First order of business now would be to
find a way in at the next station. He was being led on a wild goose
chase, and he knew it. But this was his only hope....
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Seven
------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was hot. Hot, bright and humid. Ken woke to the sound of his
mother shouting. Was he late for school? No... couldn't be, this was
summer. It didn't sound like she was shouting at him... she was angry,
but at something else. He opened his eyes...
...and saw her tied to a wooden stake which had been forced into
the ground. Her hands were bound above her head, and she was glaring
furiously at a man wearing a hooded cloak. He couldn't see who it was
she was talking to (or more accurately, shouting at) because of the
hood. Odd that someone would wear something like that in a hot place
like this.
"Mom!" he yelled, as his senses returned. He took in all there
was to see in as short a time as possible. Two large men hovered over
him, and he was lying on the rocky ground, his hands cuffed behind his
back.
Irene looked over at her son. "Ken! Are you all right?"
The cloaked man said, "He'll be fine as long as you both behave."
She glared once more at the man and said, "Foster, you bastard."
Ken's eyes went wide. So this was Foster? This was the ghost of his
parents' past? His mind reeled.
"You'll never succeed, you maniac," continued Irene. "Ryu will
be here soon enough." She was supremely self-assured.
Foster smiled under the hood. "That's exactly what I want, dear
Sea Swallow," he said, referring to her by her old CIA codename. She
struggled against her bonds, wanting more than anything to attack this
man. "Oh dear," he said. "Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself. I'm
not out to hurt either of you."
"Then what do you want?" demanded Ken.
Foster knelt down by the young Hayabusa, and said, "I'm waiting
for your father... and when he gets here, I will kill him. Slowly.
As for the two of you, I don't care whether you live or die."
Ken blanched for a moment, then steeled his nerves. "What makes
you think you stand a chance against my father?" he said defiantly.
Foster shrugged, his face still hidden beneath the cloak. Only
his chin was vaguely visible. "I have my ways."
Irene's scowl had not faded in the slightest. "Why are you doing
this, Foster? What did Ryu ever do to you?"
At this, the cloaked man stood and rounded on her. His hand came
up and gripped her neck painfully, cutting off her air supply. "What
did he do to me...?" he asked, anger visibly welling up within him.
"You dare... to ask WHAT HE DID TO ME?!?" His voice had risen to a
scream.
"Mom!!" said Ken. He was desperate to help her, but he was bound,
with no way of escaping. Even if he had, the two men pointing guns at
him would finish him off before he could lift a finger.
Foster released his grip on Irene's neck and moved his hand to
the hood. "THIS is what he did to me, you self-righteous bitch!" He
pulled back the dark cloth, exposing his face to the harsh sunlight.
Hundreds upon hundreds of scars crisscrossed his visage.
He was truly a grim sight. His left eye was slightly sunken,
due to some nerve damage, and his mouth was wider than it should have
been, due to a scarred gash in his right cheek. The patterns made an
oriental rug look simplistic.
Irene stared, aghast. "Ryu... did THAT?" she whispered in shock.
Foster nodded, his fists clenched at his sides. "But... when? How?"
"Many years ago," said Foster, "he hurled me face-first through
a very large mirror. I spent months in the hospital, but they were
completely unable to reconstruct my face. I will look like this for
as long as I live."
He turned to Ken, who was completely white. "How does it make
you feel to know that your 'heroic' father committed such a vile act?"
Ken was too shaken to speak. Foster swept on, "When that ninja gets
here, I will show him the true meaning of horror... revenge WILL be
mine!"
Irene was appalled, both at the sight and at the thought of Ryu
doing what Foster had said. But she had to believe in him... she knew
he loved her and Ken with all of his heart. A lump was forming in her
throat, but she swallowed it and spoke. "Foster... let us go. If you
do, Ryu may not hurt you when he gets here."
The scarred man grinned, and it was a truly gruesome spectacle.
"Oh, he may not? I prefer my method... he WILL not. It's his turn to
feel the pain I have felt." He motioned to some more of his men, and
they set about putting gags on Ryu's family.
"He should be on his way to the airport now...," he said.
***
Back in the subway tunnel, Ryu had been making his way through the
tunnels. It was rough going. Subway trains came by periodically, and
he was forced to duck into alcoves in order to avoid being flattened.
Even so, the noise reverberating through the metal tunnels nearly
deafened him.
After a lengthy distance, he found a passageway which would lead
him into the city's sewer system. He knew the general direction he
needed to go to reach the airport. As he opened the hatchway, the
stench of filth assaulted his senses, and he silently cursed Foster once
more for forcing him to endure this, in addition to everything else he
had already done.
Holding his breath, he slipped through the grime-covered hatchway,
into the underbelly of the city, which no one likes to think about. As
his feet touched down, he felt a rat scurry across them. He frowned,
and continued on his way. Fortunately, his path was to be a linear one.
He held his hand up and concentrated. A dim glow emanated from
the Dragon Sword momentarily, and a small fire burst into being in his
open palm. The soft orange light illuminated his surroundings just
enough to allow him to pass through unhindered.
He tried to avoid the murky water in the center of the passageway,
but that was not always an option, and he found the sheer stagnancy of
it almost as disgusting as the smell. He was eager to get out of this
place, as soon as possible.
The ninja made it a point to check every possible manhole he
could. His exit from this place could not come too soon. Peeking
aboveground also enabled him to keep his bearings, and he was able to
keep from getting lost in the labyrinthine tunnels of the sewers.
After what seemed like hours, Ryu came to the end of his journeys
in the true underworld. There was a ladder leading up, and he was
comfortably certain it would indeed be the one closest to the airport
he sought. He began his climb.
The hatchway at the top was not a manhole cover, however. He was
forced to unscrew the seal, and when he opened it and climbed up, he
saw another ladder leading up on the other side of the odd room into
which he had entered.
The more intrigueing thing, however, was the man looking at him
with small, dark eyes. At least, Ryu thought it was a man. It was
humanoid, and looked like a hunched-over middle-aged man, who had been
in the sewers for years. He also looked extremely muscular. But the
humanity ended there.
An odd colorless slime coated the man's skin, and dripped off of
him in a foul, viscous rain. He looked at the ninja and spoke with a
voice like rocks rattling in a rusty can. "Wh... what do... y-you...
wannnt?" he said, as if he had difficulty speaking. Ryu had no trouble
believing that to be possible.
Ryu held up a hand (the one that wasn't holding a bright flame)
and said, "I'm only here to pass through. I mean you no harm."
In response, the man looked down at his arm and ran his other
hand along it, scooping up some of the slime. And suddenly, with a
lighting-fast motion, he hurled the glob of viscous goo at the ninja.
Almost in a panic, Ryu dodged to the side, not wanting to touch
the slime, though a small part of him wondered how it could be any worse
than the slime that he'd been wading through for the last half-hour. A
split-second later, his wondering was granted an answer.
The slime struck him on his left side, just at the bottom of his
rib cage, and he immediately noticed a burning sensation. This stuff
was acidic! Without even a moment's thought, he brought the fire in his
hand to the slime, which evaporated away instantly. There was a
sizeable hole in the cloth, but he was not burned too badly. It would
be red and swollen right there for some time, though.
"Gooooo... a-a-awaaaaaaayyy!!!" screamed the sewer-dweller. Its
voice sounded full of pain. "Ha-haven't you d-d-done enough?" This
caught Ryu by surprise. What had he done?
"Who did this to you?" asked the ninja carefully, trying not to
appear threatening. If he could avoid a fight, he would.
"Fffff--" began the creature. "Fffff..."
Ryu's eyes widened in astonishment. It couldn't be... Foster
wouldn't stoop to THIS, would he? Could he have somehow transformed
this poor man into a monster? What sort of unholy energy was he
playing with? "Foster?" he asked.
The creature roared. "FFFFOOOOOOSSSSTTEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!"
it screamed. "YOU D-DID THIS T-TO M-M-MEEEE!!!!" It charged at the
dumbstruck ninja with fists outstretched, evidently confusing him for
its tormentor.
Ryu had almost no time to react. Fury and pain had given this
half-man speed and power unlike any he had ever encountered. In its mad
dash, one of its fists caught Ryu full in the chest, knocking the wind
out of him and burning him with the acidic slime. He went flying back
into the wall, and a pip caught him solidly in the back of the neck.
The world went hazy for the Dragon Ninja, and he had only the
vague knowledge that there was danger approaching. He could not see,
and even his hearing felt a bit off after that jolt. He clumsily with-
drew the Dragon Sword from its sheath, and slashed forward.
The blade bit into the creature's chest, causing it to cry out
once more in pain. As horrible as the sound was, it was nothing
compared to its screams of torment at its own existence, which now
seemed endless. "FFFFOOOSSSTTEEERRRRRR!!!" it cried out, and raised
both fists to crush the Ninja Dragon's skull with a hammer blow.
This time, however, Ryu gave a scream of his own... one born not
of pain, but of anguish. Anguish for his family. Anguish for what his
old enemy might be doing to them. Anguish for what had been done to
the former human he was now forced to fight. The Dragon Sword burst
into bright yellow flame, and Ryu hurled the focused energy at his
opponent.
Barely a moment later, the world ignited.
The air in this room was stagnant, flammable, and filled with
unpleasant odors. In his emotional state, Ryu had failed to comprehend
the explosive nature until it was too late. The flames were gone as
quickly as they had come, and nothing was on fire. But the concussive
force had knocked Ryu back into the wall, giving him another nasty blow
to the head. That, and the oxygen in the room was now almost completely
burned away. It would be a matter of minutes... and the Dragon Ninja
would be no more.
Or perhaps less. The creature, though severely wounded, was still
conscious, and very angry. With a low growl, it staggered over to Ryu
with the light of hatred and pain burning in its eyes. Its intended
target was unconscious, slumped against the far wall. Closer it crept.
Closer... closer... and soon it would all be over.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Eight
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The muscular, acid-coated hand reached down for the ninja's neck.
And the ninja made no move to stop it. Indeed, he seemed not to know of
its approach... and in a moment, he would know nothing more.
When the caustic slime touched Ryu's skin, his eyes shot open and
he instinctively tried to knock away the threatening arm. But to no
avail. He was too weak, from lack of oxygen and from the multiple blows
to the head. The monster's hand closed around his neck and began to
squeeze slowly.
"Fffooossterrrr...," it rumbled.
Perhaps this is the end, thought Ryu. Maybe this is the one time
I can't beat back death. What about Ken... he has such a promising life
ahead of him. And Irene... won't she be lonely without me?
These thoughts came to him as if in a dream, and he was suddenly
struck with a vision of his family, dead by Foster's hand... their
bodies left unburied, their souls left unmourned. Images of scavenging
birds and insects flooded his mind... and through a nearly crushed
windpipe, the Ninja Dragon screamed.
It was a scream of unbridled fury, of pure instinct... of
hatred. He was no longer Ryu, he was only instinct, that which told him
how to destroy his enemy. He brought his arms up with newfound
strength, knocking the monster's hand away. He immediately brushed the
slime away with his scarf as the creature fell back in surprise.
The ninja began to take on a pale blue aura, and a thin trill
of a sound filled the air. Without a word, Ryu reached down, taking the
Dragon Sword back into his hands. "YOU!" he cried. "YOU are nothing
more than an obstacle to me!"
He dashed forward at his opponent, preparing to carve this
misbegotten freak of nature in two. The sword sang with anticipation
as it cut through the air. For a split-second, the monster seemed to
realize what was about to happen, and it raised its arms instinctively
to defend.
For all the good it would do.
The razor's edge cut through the soggy flesh as easily as it cut
the air, carving the creature open from ribcage to groin. It fell over
with a whimpering cry, twitched a moment, and died. Ryu averted his
eyes from the grim sight, and immediately ran to the ladder leading up,
on the other side of the room.
The oxygen in the room was gone, and he had been living on
adrenalin for much longer than any human ever should have been able to.
With a bit of effort, he forced the manhole cover away, and climbed into
the hot, still air of the city. But it was the breath of God as far as
he was concerned, and he took it in huge gulps.
A moment later, he passed out.
***
When he awoke, he saw a pair of fine leather shoes directly in
front of his face. He looked up slowly, finding that he had one hell of
a headache to contend with. Above the shoes were some fine gray slacks,
and above that, a button-down cotton shirt. Above that, there was the
face of a man.
Given his current mental state and perspective, that was about
all the information his addled brain could come to grips with at the
moment. His head pounded like a triphammer.
The man cleared his throat. "Ah, Mr. Ryu Hayabusa, I presume,"
he said. "I'm here on orders to provide you transport and... well, some
freshening up. And from the looks and smell of things, you could
certainly use it."
After so much time in the sewers, Ryu had stopped noticing the
foul stench he was covered in... but now, in the relatively fresh air,
it was plainly obvious how pungent it was.
He got slowly to his feet, and looked the man over. He was tall
and slim, his jet-black hair cut in a short, businessman's style. He
appeared about six foot two, and wore a pair of small, round-rimmed
glasses. He gestured, "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the
showers."
Ryu shook his head, still groggy. "Wait a minute... who are
you? Who sent you?"
"The name's Caldwell. I was sent here by Foster."
Ryu took a step back and reached for the sword, but found it
wasn't there. What the hell?
Caldwell sighed. "I figured that would be your reaction, so I
took the liberty of removing the sword from you. It's right here." He
held out his hand, the sword held in its sheath.
Ryu sneered. "So what now? Are you going to kill me?"
"If I were here to kill you, Mr. Hayabusa, I could have done so
easily, before you woke up," said Caldwell.
Fair enough, thought Ryu. "All right, so what's your story?"
Caldwell tossed the sword back to him, turned away and gestured
for him to follow. "I'll tell you on the way." Seeing little other
choice, Ryu did as asked.
While walking, the ninja looked around. He was indeed at the
airport... his instincts had guided him well. "I'm supposed to go and
find locker 217," he said offhand.
"I know," said his odd new companion, "That's where we're
headed. "There, and to the airport showers."
The idea of a shower sounded like heaven to Ryu. "But how on
earth are we going to get security to let me in? I've been trudging
through the city's sewer system, and I look and smell the part... and
holding a deadly weapon, to boot." This whole situation struck him as
being more than a little preposterous.
Caldwell shrugged, "Don't worry... like I said, Foster's got
everything sorted out. Come on...."
Ryu did as asked, and was amazed when they were not accosted by
security, despite getting some truly odd looks. They went to locker
#217, and he found a couple of items of extreme interest. Chief among
them was a fresh change of clothes... an outfit identical to the one he
was wearing now, except clean. And a few shuriken as well, evidently
to restock his supply.
"Foster left me THIS?" Ryu asked of the tall man.
Caldwell shrugged. "He wants to meet you face to face, he says.
So he's doing his part to help make sure you're at your best when you
face the tests he's set up for you."
Ryu scowled. "So this is just some sort of game to him?"
"To him, yes. Not to you or to me. Now please," said Caldwell,
"go take a shower. You're not getting on my plane until you do."
"But--" began the ninja.
"I'll explain everything once we're onboard. I'm your pilot."
***
Ryu stepped out of the shower and dried himself off, then
changed into the new outfit which Foster had left for him. As strange
as all this was, he had to admit, he felt ten million times better now
for having washed off all of that filth.
He stepped out, and Caldwell was there to greet him. "Feeling
better, I hope?" he asked.
"Much. Now, this explanation...."
Caldwell shrugged, "Now's as good a time as any, I guess."
Ryu waited.
"The fact of the matter is, I was sent here to fight you. But
I'm not going to."
"Why's that?" asked Ryu.
Caldwell smirked. "Because I know you'd kill me quite easily,
and I'm not an idiot. Plus, I know why you're here, and I personally
think Foster's out of his fucking mind."
"Heh... you too?"
"Basically, Hayabusa, I'm here to help you on your way. I'd
like to see you get your family back," said Caldwell.
The ninja blinked in amazement. This was unexpected. "So
where has Foster taken them? What did that man mean when he said
'the source of all my troubles?'"
"The ruins of some temple in Brazil."
Ryu's heart leaped into his throat.
Caldwell sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Yeah, that's pretty
much the reaction Foster was hoping for. His routine seems to be that
he's confident you'll get past all of the obstacles he's placed in your
path. He wants to kill you himself."
Ryu folded his arms. "Charming man."
"Yeah, I thought so. He got ahold of some statues that were
somewhere in the ruins. Ugliest things I've ever seen."
Ryu couldn't believe he was hearing this. Foster had the Demon
Statues? It couldn't be... had he somehow gained power from them? It
would explain that sewer-dweller he'd just fought. He shuddered at the
thought.
He nodded. "I understand... and I know what I have to do. But
first, I want to ask you a question."
"Go ahead."
"Why," asked Ryu, "are you helping me? I don't get it."
"Because," said Caldwell, "you're just a man trying to help his
family... doing no more than any man would do. I may be a little
money-hungry, but I'm not going to help him, either directly or
indirectly, to murder innocent people."
Ryu nodded, a bit relieved, but wary.
"I squandered my relationship with my family," said Caldwell.
"Maybe in some small way, this will help to make up for it."
The ninja looked at him intently, trying to determine if he was
indeed telling the truth. In the end, he decided he had little choice
but to trust him... since he was the only one who would know how to get
him to his destination.
***
And so, the two boarded a small jet plane, which had obviously
been chartered... few men were rich enough to own something like this,
and Ryu was comfortably certain Foster was not one of them. They took
off a few minutes later, the small plane headed south toward another
airport which would procide a stopover and refueling point. Caldwell
had instructed Ryu to relax, as it would be a rather long while before
they reached their destination.
"Why don't you get some sleep, Hayabusa?" asked Caldwell as he
stared out the cockpit window. "I know you're exhausted, and you could
use the rest.
"It's not going to get any easier, I'm afraid," he finished.
With a shrug and a mild sigh, Ryu took the advice in stride, and
tilted his seat back, covering his eyes. Now that he had a chance to
relax, he was amazed at how exhausted he was. "You're no spring chicken
anymore," he said to himself. As thoughts of his wife and child
drifted through his mind, the Ninja Dragon slept....
And when he awoke, then he would be ready.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Nine
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu's sleep was filled with dreams, some pleasant, others not.
He remembered when Ken was born... he had never imagined he could be so
happy or proud as on that day. It had been a difficult birth, and Irene
had lost a substantial amount of blood.
That day had been the last time in fifteen years that he
imagined what his life would be like if he lost Irene. And even then,
the thought had been unbearable. She was forced to remain in the
hospital for several days, and Ryu almost never left her side. He swore
to her long ago that he would always do his best to protect her, and he
kept his word.
When the danger was past, life returned to normal... or at least,
as close to normal as life gets when one is a new parent. Ken was a
strong, healthy baby, and Irene was well again. But the complications
during labor had caused permanent damage... they would never have
another child. This bothered them, but they found they truly could not
complain....
They were all alive and happy... what more could they ask for?
"Hey, Hayabusa?" came a voice. It was Caldwell.
Ryu awoke groggily and looked up at his companion. "Yeah?"
Caldwell nodded, satisfied that Ryu was at least partially awake.
"We're at the airport... time to transfer to a helicopter." The ninja
looked at him quizzically, to which he replied, "There are no airstrips
in the heart of the Brazilian jungle, remember?"
Ryu chuckled. "Oh yeah... silly me."
"Feeling better, I take it?" asked the pilot.
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"I doubt that... trudging around through the sewers can't be fun.
I saw that manhole belch fire a minute before you came up... I don't
even want to know WHAT caused that," said Caldwell.
"Lack of foresight."
"Ah...."
***
The two transferred to a helicopter, Ryu scanned his surroundings.
Yup, this was definitely Brazil... the signs gave away that much. But
this Caldwell person was still a mystery. Was his story on the level?
And if so, how far would he go to help? And in the more likely case,
that he was lying, when was he going to turn on him?
Still, if he was lying, he'd had countless opportunities to kill
him already... why hadn't he?
Sighing, Ryu followed Caldwell to the helicopter and strapped
himself in. As much as it galled him to admit it, he was stuck. If he
chose not to trust this man, he was stuck in Brazil with no money and no
transportation. And if he did, he opened himself up more than he was
comfortable with.
It wasn't much of a choice. He decided to sit and let this man
take him where he would... he had very little to lose at this point.
Caldwell put on his flight helmet and checked the helicopter's
equipment with the speed and efficiency of a trained professional.
Seeing everything in working order, he fired up the engines. "Ready to
go?" he asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," said Ryu. The pilot nodded as he got
his signal to takeoff. A moment later, they were on their way.
"I can only take you as far as a clearing about one and a half
miles away from the ruins," said Caldwell.
"Why is that?"
"Well, remember, I'm on contract," he replied. "I can't take you
straight there, or else Foster will literally have my hide."
"Tell me something, Caldwell," said Ryu.
"What?"
"The truth... why didn't you attack me when you had the chance?"
Caldwell laughed. "You still don't trust me. I'm not surprised.
Basically, Ryu, I'm not a murderer. I don't want you dead... Foster
does. I'm doing enough to earn my pay, nothing more, nothing less. And
I'm trying to lend you a hand in the process."
Ryu shrugged, "I suppose I'll have to trust you."
Caldwell smirked. "If you want, I can try and push you out of the
helicopter." He looked visibly annoyed and somewhat offended.
In spite of himself, Ryu laughed. "That's okay, I'll pass... or
at least wait until we land."
"Aye aye, cap'n," said the pilot.
A few minutes later, Caldwell brought the helicopter down in the
clearing he had mentioned earlier, and Ryu got out. "Hey Caldwell?" he
said as he checked his possessions to make sure everything was where it
was meant to be.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks... for everything," said Ryu.
Caldwell chuckled. "Don't mention it... you'll see me around,
have no doubt. But you'd better get going... and good luck to you."
Ryu nodded, his expression growing grim. "I think I may just
need it," he said.
"I'm sure you will," said Caldwell. "Be careful out there."
The Ninja Dragon replaced his mask and nodded. "I always am...
I'm getting too old for this though."
And so, the two parted company, Ryu finally concluding that he was
best off for having trusted the mysterious man. He could certainly do a
lot worse when it came to allies. He watched the helicopter rise into
the air and fly off, then looked into the jungle, and he could see the
flat plateau of the solitary mountain off in the distance.
He knew he had no time to waste, so he immediately set off in
that direction. The battle was not over yet....
***
The trek through the jungle was no easier than he remembered it.
Within ten minutes, he was stifling under his mask, and was occasionally
tempted to take it off. Eventually, he compromised with himself, and
covered only his mouth and nose, leaving his hair free. This, he found,
was considerably more comfortable.
Shortly after entering the jungle, Ryu found himself set upon by
a group of knife-weilding men. "Well, well, look what we have 'ere!"
said the first in a heavy Australian accent. Foster had evidently
gotten his hired help from all over the place.
Ryu drew his sword and scowled. "I don't suppose there's any
chance you gentlemen would let me pass without a fight, is there?" he
asked, stressing the word "gentlemen" enough to turn it into an insult.
"Not fucking likely, jap," said a second man.
The Ninja Dragon chuckled, and would not allow himself to be
goaded into making any rash moves. "Delightful," he said. "I wasn't
aware neanderthals were capable of bigotry as well."
The man who spoke tried to respond, was was too flustered to do
anything more than stammer out, "Son of a bitch! Kill him!"
And so, the battle began once more. The first of the five men
rushed forward, stabbing precisely at Ryu's stomach. With the ease of
a master, the ninja batted the hand away and dodged aside. In a
lightning-quick movement, he brought the blade up to the man's neck, and
slit his throat effortlessly, then turned to face his opponents.
They were standing there, somewhat dumbfounded. They were told
that Hayabusa was a weak-willed man, who would never kill another human
being if it were at all possible to avoid it. What had changed?
But money is money... and they were more afraid of Foster than
of the ninja. So, they rushed in to attack as well. Ryu expertly
dropped to a low crouch, sweeping the first's legs out from under him,
and hopped up immediately.
In another display of surprising brutality, he stomped on the
neck of the fallen man, and twisted his heel, breaking the man's neck.
The three survivors pressed onward. One sneaked up on him from behind,
and put Ryu into a full-nelson.
"Come on," the man cried, "I got him! Kill him!" Ryu growled
and attempted to break the hold, but to no avail. The other two men
came up slowly, brandishing their knives and grinning. The Dragon Sword
lay powerless on the ground, out of its master's hands.
"Now, jap, it's time for you to die," said the one who held him.
The other two men looked at each other, as if trying to decide
who would get to make the first cut. A moment later, the one on the
left grinned, and took a step forward, brandishing the knife.
With a surprising burst of energy, Ryu kicked up both legs,
wrapping them around the stunned assailant's head. With another twist,
this man also fell, dead before he hit the ground. The ninja used his
momentum to pull the man who held him of his balance, and deliberately
fell forward, ducking forward to roll.
The man tumbled forward, over Ryu's shoulders. The ninja stood
behind him, the hold broken, and immediately slid over to collect his
sword once more. The sword glowed a bright red... unlike the blue Ryu
was so accustomed to. But he could take no notice of it. He still had
two more opponents to deal with.
Reaching into his ninja outfit, he withdrew two shuriken,
preparing to throw them. The last man who still stood charged at Ryu
as his companion got to his feet shakily. The hunting knife in the
man's hand whistled as it cut the air. Ryu attempted to dodge once
more, but the blade bit into his arm, cutting into his bicep.
It was not a bad wound, but it would slow him down... so he had
to make sure to finish this before his opponents could regroup and
begin their attack anew. He grabbed the man's wrist with his free hand
as his momentum carried him forward. He spun the Dragon Sword up
beneath the man's barely-existant guard, and it slid cleanly between the
man's ribs, puncturing a lung. The man could not even scream.
Grimacing, Ryu withdrew the blade from the man's body, and
frowned at the blood which covered it... matching the red glow it was
emitting. Was the sword protesting in some way? No... the spirit of
the Dragon was with him. This he knew.
He turned his attention to the man who had been holding him.
He held his knife out in front of him, but he had lost his nerve. He
was shaking like a leaf, and when he spoke, his voice shook even more.
"K-k-keep away from me!!" he screamed. "D-don't come near me!"
Ryu's eyes narrowed. "Then run."
The man took the hint. He scrambled to his feet, turned tail,
and ran as fast as his feet would take him.
The Ninja Dragon felt his rage building up once more. "And
tell Foster that when I find him, I will kill him as well!" His voice
rose to a scream of unbridled hatred. "NOTHING WILL SAVE HIM!!"
He looked around at the trees surrounding him. "And any more of
you that are lying in wait for me!" he screamed. "You will die too, for
aiding that monster! I will kill ALL OF YOU!!!"
He fell to his knees, and cried out incoherently. The red aura
from the sword burst into flame, and it covered him, bathing him in a
familiar heat.
"FOOOOOSSTEEERRR!!!!!" he screamed again.
The Fury of the Dragon had almost reached its peak... the fire
reflected his emotions. Uncontrolled and uncontrollable. When the
anger subsided, the flames died away, and he sat on the ground, crying
despite himself.
"Irene... Ken... wait for me...."
He heard a sound behind him. Instantly, he sprang to his feet.
"Foster?!" he said, turning around to face the source of the noise.
"No," came a mocking voice. "I'm not Foster."
And a flurry of shining steel-like needles, each one about a
foot in length, came flying at him out of nowhere.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Ten
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
With a quick dash to the side, Ryu narrowly avoided the tiny steel
lances which flew at him. They had come from above... one of the trees.
He looked up at their thrower, and saw another abomination of nature. And
this time, he felt certain that Foster had been its creator. Or at least,
its mutator.
The creature looked and spoke like a man. He stood about five-and-
a-half feet tall, and his skin was covered with what appeared to be bark.
Where his hair should have been, there were more of the steel needles. He
looked like some cross between a tree and a porcupine.
From the palms sprang more of the needles... evidently his means of
firing them. His eyes glowed a vicious red, and his grin revealed teeth of
a similar nature to the quills.
"Who the hell are you?!" demanded Ryu as he brought the sword to
bear against this new foe.
"Who am I?" he asked. "You don't ask WHAT I am? I'm impressed."
This would be difficult, thought Ryu. This creature was armed with
its body, and it had intelligence, to boot. It could indeed be much more
dangerous than the insane derelict in the sewer.
"All right then, if you insist. WHAT are you?"
The grin widened, revealing even more of the shining steel teeth.
"My name is Kulsen. As for what I am, I am soon to be your killer."
"We'll see," said Ryu.
"Indeed we shall!" screamed Kulsen, and leaped to another tree with
blinding speed. "Take this!" Another flurry of needles shot down at the
ninja, who again dodged to the side.
Ryu wasted no time in finding the nearest low branch and leaping to
it, using his superb skill to balance himself. He readied a shuriken for
when he saw his enemy.
"The much-vaunted Ninja Dragon," said Kulsen's voice, from
seemingly nowhere, "is a fool. He willingly fights in his enemy's
element." Suddenly, the air in front of Ryu came to life, shimmering to
form the tree-man.
Almost instinctively, Ryu slashed outward with the sword. Kulsen
stepped back along the branch, but the tip of the blade nicked him anyway.
Ryu noticed that his skin flaked off like the bark it resembled. Perhaps
he would be vulnerable to fire.
"And you make the mistake, wood-monster," said Ryu, "of attacking
a man who controls the force of fire." The Dragon Sword burst into flame,
and he dove at the creature, screaming a battlecry.
Kulsen swung down to the side, and Ryu passed him harmlessly. The
Ninja Dragon extinguished the flames as he fell and flipped in midair to
land on his feet. He looked up and saw his opponent hanging from the
branch as if he were a bat.
A hollow, rasping sound came from Kulsen. He was laughing. "This
cannot be the extent of your ability!" he called out. "I was told you
were a much more creative fighter!"
"It isn't," said Ryu, "and I am." Then, with the speed and ease of
the master he was, he hurled fire from his hands up at Kulsen. It spun
through the air in triplets of flame, and caught Kulsen while he still hung
from the branch. He screamed in pain, and fell to the ground while
attempting to smother the flames.
Ryu pressed his advantage. He charged a shuriken with his ki, and
hurled it at his enemy. But Kulsen recovered just in time to see it coming
and counter. He held up a slightly charred hand, and another blast of
needles deflected the shuriken.
Kulsen used the moment's distraction to get to his feet and charge at
the ninja. "Die, ninja!" he cried as he ran.
But Ryu would not die easily. He had not survived his many
adventures by being careless. He kept a look of shock on his face, to lure
his opponent closer. Kulsen's hands bristled with the quills, and his
needle-laden hair stood on end.
The ninja summoned all of the spiritual energy he could muster, and
began to take on a flaming red aura. Kulsen blinked in surprise. "What
the hell are you doing?" he exclaimed.
Ryu's eyes began to glow a fiery red, and he shook with energy. This
shot would have to count. Every moment wasted increased the chance that
Ken and Irene might not be alive when he reached them. Kulsen, however,
was not waiting. He resumed his charge and prepared to tackle his
opponent, quills-first.
"SHININASARE!" screamed Ryu in Japanese, and the fire which
surrounded his body shot forth in a white-hot blast at Kulsen. Before the
needle-man could wonder at the meaning of the ninja's words, he was
completely engulfed in the flames.
He felt the bark that made up his skin char and then ignite... and
soon, he was consumed. He screamed in pain as his inhuman body turned to
ash. Ryu's onslaught of energy continued for a full fifteen seconds, then
died away.
Ryu fell to his knees, panting for breath. He had never unleashed so
much power at one time before. He looked over, and saw that Kulsen was no
more. Consumed by Ryu's rage and desperation.
As desperately as the ninja wanted and needed to rest, he knew that
he could not. Time was of the essence, and he had to hurry. He looked at
the gradually darkening sky, and could feel in the air that it would soon
rain. The clouds were slowly building. After sitting a moment to catch
his breath, he continued toward the semi-steep face of the plateau on
which had once stood the Temple of Darkness. It was about fifteen minutes
away on foot.
He walked toward the plateau, knowing that if he ran, he would only
tire himself out and be slowed down... easy pickings for Foster or one of
his men. As he got within a mile of the rock formation, he noticed that
the sounds of the jungle stopped. No creature seemed willing to come that
close to it. Even the plants looked weak and lifeless. There was still
plenty of greenery, but it was no longer lush and filled with life.
It was a very craggy, porous mountainside, and the climbing would be
considerably easier than Ryu had expected. Evidently the erosion of the
past years had taken its toll. As he began the climb, he thought
reflectively that climbing the outside was only slightly less dangerous
than climbing through the inside had been, so long ago.
It was only a few hundred feet up, probably no more than the length
of a football field. He was thankful for that, as it made the journey
easier. It's considerably easier to work toward a goal of the goal is a
relatively close one. The climb was relatively uneventful, and due to the
odd nature of this place, he was also able to continue unmolested by any
passing birds which might have thought him to be a tasty snack.
***
Some time later, he finally crawled over the ledge onto the surface.
He was immediately greeted by a familiar voice. "Well, well...," said
Foster. "Look what the cat dragged in."
Ryu glanced around, panting for breath slightly at the exertion.
Master ninja or not, he was feeling the onslaught of age. In the split-
second he had at his disposal, he saw Ken and Irene, both tied to large
stakes which had been rammed into the ground. They both returned his gaze,
eyes full of hope.
"Ryu!" said Irene.
"Dad!" cried Ken.
Foster stood in his brown, hooded robes. He looked very much like
a monk, particularly with the way he had his arms folded in his sleeves.
He looked at Ryu and said, "I figured you'd make it here, Ryu."
Ryu drew his sword and prepared himself for battle. He looked around
apprehensively, expecting dozens of Foster's henchmen to attack. But the
plateau was almost deserted. There were only four people to be seen.
"Couldn't leave well enough alone, could you, Foster?" said Ryu.
Foster shrugged his shoulders. "As you know, vengeance is a vicious
cycle. You got your revenge on me, now it's my turn."
"So what's the point of all this, then?" said Ryu. "You could have
just sent someone to kill us." He tensed, preparing to leap at his old
enemy. He wanted nothing more than to see Foster's lifeblood spilling onto
the cold rock.
The robed man tilted his head back, and the hood fell back, revealing
his ravaged face. "Oh, but simple assassination is so impersonal," he
said. "I want to kill you myself, and I'm going to let your family watch."
Ryu was finally able to see what his handiwork had wrought on that fateful
night. He could see every scar, every distortion of Foster's ravaged face.
And his too-wide mouth grinned a truly evil, malicious grin.
Thoughts raced through the mind of the Ninja Dragon. Foster was
obviously scheming something. He wouldn't be so stupid as to sit here with
no form of self-defense. But what was the story? What was he planning?
As if in answer, Foster pulled his hands from his sleeves. "These
should look quite familiar to you," he said. In each hand was a marble
statue, both identical except for the stone from which they had been cut.
One was white marble, the other was obsidian.
The Demon Statues.
"Very useful little things, these are," said Foster. "Once I learned
how to use the, I was able to do quite a few interesting things. And I now
have more than enough power to kill you."
Ryu didn't doubt for a minute that Foster was entirely serious. He
could only guess at what he had learned. He figured he had little choice
but to get Foster to show his hand. "So what are you waiting for then?" he
taunted. "I'm not getting any younger, and you certainly aren't getting
any prettier."
Foster's brows furrowed, and he chuckled. "Well, I figure I'm going
to play with you a bit first. How about Rock-Paper-Scissors?"
Ryu blinked in astonishment. "You're mad."
"Oh, of course I am... but observe." The two Demon Statues in his
hands vanished, and he lightly slammed his fist into his palm three times.
He took on a look of mock surprise and held up his fist.
"Rock it is," he said. "And rock beats scissors." Ryu kept his
guard up, trying to be ready for anything.
Foster pointed his fist at the ground, and suddenly it seemed as
though the whole mountain began to shake. Before Ryu's eyes, the ground in
front of him began to rise and take on a humanoid shape. All of the loose
stones nearby rolled toward the expanding form, being absorbed into it and
making it grow.
Finally, the transformation was complete. A faceless rock-creature
stood in front of Ryu, about ten feet away. It was about eight feet tall,
and it began slowly walking in the ninja's direction.
"Come now, Ryu," said Foster. "This should be easy for you...."
And off in the distance, the rumble of thunder began to permeate the
darkening night.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Eleven
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu stared at the humanoid rock which stood before him... he was
utterly astounded. How had Foster figured out how to control the power of
the Demon Statues? It seemed impossible... and yet here was the evidence.
"You see, Ryu," said Foster, grinning his morbid grin, "I've spent
many years studying the statues, and learning how to use the power they
contain." He held up a hand, and the Dark Statue appeared in it.
"You sealed away the Demon, but a portion of its power still resides
here. And now, it resides within me." The statue vanished again.
"You think this thing can stop me, you maniac?" snapped Ryu.
"Not really... but I intend to watch it try." With that, Foster
pointed at the ninja, and the rock monster moved forward, its stone hands
reaching for Ryu's neck.
Irene and Ken stood off to the side, still bound, struggling against
the ropes which held them fast. But to no avail. Ryu supposed it was for
the best currently, anyway. They couldn't get themselves into any MORE
trouble than they already were. And the creature was focused on him, not
them, which was good.
He sized it up, and it was as slow as it looked. He pondered how
best to eliminate it, and wondered if the Dragon Sword's power would be
enough to carve solid rock. Somehow, he wasn't so sure.
Suddenly, the creature shot its arm forward. Not just to punch, but
the ENTIRE arm separated from the body, careening toward Ryu with the speed
of a freight train. One hit from that, and it would pulverize his bones.
He nimbly stepped to the side and the stony projectile missed him, sailing
off the mountain.
Perhaps, thought Ryu, it will simply tear itself to pieces if I wait
long enough. He turned quickly to look at the creature, and saw that the
arm was slowly rebuilding itself by absorbing the rock around it. This
could possibly be a lot tougher than previously suspected.
After a split-second's thought, he decided to try to make the best
use of his speed. The Dragon Sword glowed its now-familiar deep red color,
and he dashed forward, directly at the gargantuan creature. He barely came
up to its waist, but he had speed and power on his side. The creature was
slow, ponderous and unintelligent.
With a mighty running leap, the ninja landed on the rockman's
shoulder, and drove the magical blade deep into its rocky "flesh." It cut
easily, much to Ryu's surprise. With a grunt of effort, he pushed the
sword forward, slicing through the rock and opening a great gash in the
creature's chest.
It did not react to the cut, but it reached an arm up to grab at him.
He quickly climbed atop the creature's head to avoid the great hand, and
stabbed once more. Again, the blade bit deeply, and again, the rockman did
not react in the slightest.
Suddenly, Ryu felt a rumbling under his feet... and just as quickly,
a blistering shower of stones broke off from the rocky form and shot up at
the ninja, knocking the wind from him and sending him tumbling to the
ground at the creature's back. Irene screamed his name as he landed.
He recovered quickly, however, and slashed at the back of its knee
joints. The blade cut, and was immediately followed by another rocky
hailstorm. As much as he tried to cover himself, there was no way to
totally defend against the onslaught.
A truly effective defense mechanism... cut it and it counters
instantly. Ryu heard Foster laughing. Perhaps, he thought, distance was
the key. He immediately ran around to the front of it, and wandered
dangerously near the cliff edge.
He pulled a shuriken from his outfit, and concentrated a moment. The
rock creature slowly trudged toward him. The metal star in his hand
swelled to twice its normal size, and took on a red glow, identical to that
of the Dragon Sword.
With an incoherent scream, the ninja hurled the shuriken at the rock
creature. It spun like a buzzsaw as it flew, and upon reaching its target,
cut through the rock as easily as it had cut through the air. It flew
completely through the creature's chest, and from the opening, the crack
widened after a moment.
A split-second later, the star spun around and began a return trip,
carving cleanly through the rockman's "stomach." As Ryu suspected, the
opening widened, just like the previous one. The star flew closer to him,
and he held up a hand to catch it.
But it did not return. It sat, spinning, in the air in front of him.
He stared at it a moment, confused, then reached for it, thinking of the
fact that he needed to draw its power into himself once again, in order to
recharge another shuriken in a similar fashion. This monster had to be
destroyed.
As he completed that thought, the star spun away, back toward its
original target, and began whirring around it in ever-tightening circles.
Finally, Ryu realized that it was, somehow, responding to his subconscious
commands. With a mild burst of concentration, the star flew back into the
rock body.
The rockman made some strange, unintelligible sound as the star
pierced it again and again. Every time the rock was damaged, its own
defenses seemed to work against it, causing the damage to triple as the
rock split and shattered to fire off the shower of stones. Ryu was amazed
at his discreet control over the shuriken, and willed it to cut down the
center of its head.
It did as commanded, and made a long, thin passageway directly down
the rocky body. The rock began to crumble, long faults growing in an
intricate meshwork through its body. The damage had been too much for it
to absorb from the ground, and it finally split entirely, the rock
shattering from the magical forces which had been released.
After taking cover for a moment, Ryu could still feel that the
shuriken spun in the air where the rock monster had been destroyed. He
looked up, saw Foster, and mentally commanded it to attack him.
Foster just chuckled as the shuriken drew near, and waved a hand.
The glowing metal shattered, and Ryu blinked. "Ryu, you disappoint me,"
he said. "Did you truly think I would not be prepared for such tricks?"
Ryu smirked under his mask and ran his hand through his hair.
"There was always the hope," he said. He brought his sword to bear on his
old enemy, even though they were at least forty feet away.
Foster reached into his robe and pulled out a much more mundane
object... a revolver. "I suppose," he said, "that you think you stand a
chance, now that you've beaten my little pet."
Ryu's heart pounded with fear. "What are you going to do, you
son of a bitch?!" he yelled, and stepped forward.
"Now, Ryu, you must learn to behave," said the insane man. "If you
don't behave, I will have to punish you... like this." He turned the gun
on Ken, and fired. The young man slumped over, and Irene screamed in
protest.
"Ken!" she said, tears streaming down her face. "Ken, please answer
me! Please be all right!" She was faced partially away from him, so she
couldn't get a good look at him.
Ryu's world shattered. He looked at his fallen son. He looked at
the woman he loved, screaming incoherently at what had just happened. He
looked at Foster... he saw the smoking gun. He saw everything he cared
about ripped from him.
He had been dropped into the most frightening pit of Hell he could
have ever have possibly imagined, and he was unable to scream.
"Now, Ryu," said Foster with a mocking tone of voice. "It's time to
see if you truly are worthy of the title your clan has bestowed upon you."
He tossed aside the gun and held out his hands, in which materialized the
two Demon Statues. Now, they glowed with energy... the Dark one with a
jet-black aura, the Light with a halo of pure white.
Foster's voice rose to a fever pitch. "OBSERVE!" he wailed. And
the light and darkness flowed into his body. The power surged through
every cell in his body, impregnating it with demonic energy. His muscles
rippled and expanded, and his flesh grew hard and armorlike.
The eyes bulged slightly, turning blood-red and glowing with an evil
light. His hands extended into claws, his arms lengthened, and the robe
was torn to pieces as he grew too big for it in the space of a few seconds.
In moments, he had transformed from a mutilated, weak shell of a man, to a
horrid, humanoid beast... with the power of many men, and of a demonic
sorceror.
Around his body orbited the two Demon Statues, connected to him via
conduits of white and black energy which continuously flowed from the
stone sculptures into his magic-infused body. The hideous mouth now held
sharpened teeth, and the same grin was still there.
"This, Ryu Hayabusa," he said, "is where it ends...."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Twelve
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A bolt of white energy shot from the Light Statue at Irene, and
as it struck her, the bonds holding her and Ken in place vanished. Ken
fell to the ground, and Irene quickly followed, the strange energy being
more than she could handle. Her last thought before she slipped into the
murky depths of unconsciousness was that she prayed for her family to
still be alive when and if she ever woke up....
The clouds above churned in agony, anticipating the finale which
was soon to come. The barren-faced Foster glared at his longtime enemy,
Ryu Hayabusa... and both knew that when this night had reached its end,
only one would be left alive.
"And to the victor," said Foster, "go the spoils." He waved a
hand off in the direction of Ken, who lay on the ground bleeding. "That
is, if you still think they're worth keeping."
Ryu's anger grew with each passing moment. He didn't know if Ken
was even still alive, or if he had a chance of surviving. But Irene lay
on the ground as well, knocked unconscious by this bastard. He could at
least save her... but Foster had to die. Or else he would never know
peace. But how? Even the newfound power within the spirit-charged
shuriken had been of no use against him.
The Demon Statues rotated around Foster's superhuman form. "It
was simple, really," he said. "You really should have killed me when
you had the chance. These past fifteen years have been well spent,
learning the ways of the Demon Statues and unlocking their mysteries.
"They have given me all the power I need to destroy you. And I
didn't even need it to kill your pathetic son." He snorted derisively.
"I wonder what your ancestors would think if they could see what you've
been reduced to." Ryu's grip on the Dragon Sword tightened. "Your
blood has thinned, Ninja Dragon. At least your son will never see your
greatest shame."
Ryu could stand no more. With a herculean effort, he broke free
of the state of emotional shock which held him in check. He raised the
Dragon Sword aloft in the air, its aura of energy pulsating like a
heartbeat. The Ninja Dragon screamed, and the sky answered with
thunder. "Foster, know this!!" he shouted. "Today, you DIE!" He
brought the sword to bear on his most hated foe.
Foster chuckled, fully expecting this. "We shall see, Ryu... we
shall see. I am pleased that you still have a bit of fight left in
you after all." The Demon Statues began to glow brighter, and bolts of
black lightning passed between them, through Foster's body.
Ryu charged. Foster waited for him to approach calmly, building
up his power all the while. He floated gently above the ground, and
when the ninja got close enough to swing, he flew out of range.
"Damn you, Foster!" cried Ryu. "Fight like a man!"
"Oh, but I am more than man now," said Foster, and pointed down
at Ryu, sending two arcs of deadly black lightning down at him. The
ninja backflipped, narrowly avoiding the bolts. They seared the rock
where he had stood only moments ago, and charred it black.
Ryu concentrated a moment, and summoned the power of the Art of
the Fire Wheel. He hurled the twirling flames upward, and they flew
with deadly accuracy at their target.
Foster winced as the fireballs struck him, noticing that the
energy shield could only block a small portion of the flames. "Very
good, Ryu," he said, "Indeed, you are stronger now."
"Strong enough to kill you, you bastard!"
Ryu leaped up and swung his family blade at Foster's chest, and
connected. But the hit was minor, barely cutting through the tough
organic armor which the self-proclaimed sorcerer had grown. Even a
minor wound, however, hurts the recipient.
Grimacing aside the stinging pain, Foster pointed once again.
"Die." Two more bolts of black lightning seared through the air at
the ninja, one catching him fully in the shoulder. He screamed at the
pain, and glanced at the wound, noticing that it had cauterized itself
instantly from the magical heat.
Ryu barely lost his stride, however, and charged like an enraged
bull at his opponent. He reared back, and stabbed the sword at Foster's
black heart. Foster dodged to the side, but not quickly enough, for the
blade pierced the armor in his shoulder, and then the flesh, cutting
through to the bone.
Elated, Ryu drove the sword deeper, trying to make the hit count
as much as it possibly could. Foster growled, "Get AWAY from me!!" The
statues glowed more brightly again, and suddenly, Ryu felt the sharp
pain of both bolts of black lightning searing across his chest. He fell
back and collapsed on the ground, clutching at his fresh wound.
With the ninja prone on his back, Foster knew he had every
opportunity in the world to kill him. "The poor little ninja breathes
his last today," he said. He raised his hands high above his head,
and the energy from the statues began to collect in them. He was
preparing a blast that would not only kill the ninja, but incinerate
him.
Ryu rolled painfully off to the side, hoping to find some cover.
The only cover to be had in the short distance he could travel was a
slight rise in the rocky ground, barely a foot high. But it would have
to suffice. He huddled behind it, and concentrated as best he could.
He had only one shot at surviving this, and it would be close, no matter
what he managed to pull off.
Foster glared down at his cowering foe and said, "I had hoped you
would prove more worthy, Ryu." Without another word, he pointed two
open palms at him, and unleashed a blinding blue flash of unholy energy.
It sped on toward the ninja, and when it struck, the area was obscured
by flying rubble and blue smoke.
"The spoils go to me," said Foster. He chuckled and waited for
the smoke to clear, so he could have the pleasure of seeing Ryu's burnt,
broken body for himself.
When the smoke cleared somewhat, he saw three pinpoints of orange
light spinning through the air. "What on earth...?" he wondered out
loud. This was something entirely new.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, which was quickly
followed by three more. He grimaced and looked down, and saw shuriken
protruding from his body. Ryu was alive.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!" came the cry, and Ryu tore out of the stinking
cloud of smoke at Foster, the flames of the Invincible Fire Wheel
circling his body. With a vicious arcing slash, he brought the Dragon
Sword down across his opponent's chest, carving through the weakened
armor. He immediately spun around, following up with a powerful kick to
Foster's shell-like stomach.
Foster was dumbstruck. "H-how did you survive that? It's
impossible!!" he screamed. Ryu did not answer, but stepped forward,
and thrust his blade through the crack in Foster's armor... right over
his heart. He pushed as hard as humanly possible, until the sword
simply could go no further.
"It's over, Foster," he said quietly.
Foster rasped, "N... no... it can't be... not like... this...."
He fell silent, and his body fell to the ground, immediately followed by
the two Demon Statues. He attempted to reach for Ryu, but the life left
him before he could utter another word. The organic armor began to
crumble, revealing Foster's true body. It was weak, scarred and broken.
Ryu watched intently until all of the rocklike substance had
crumbled to dust. "Is it over?" said the ninja aloud. He turned around
and ran over to his son.
"Ken!" he said. "Ken, speak to me!"
The boy was alive. As it turned out, he was not even that badly
hurt. The shot had been a rushed one, and he was only hit in the thigh.
Fortunately, it had gone right through. He opened his eyes weakly and
saw a pair of very familiar, caring eyes staring down at him through a
charred mask.
"Dad...?" Ken asked. "Is that you?"
Ryu hugged his son tightly. "Yes, son, it's me... I'm sorry for
all you've been through...." Ken hugged him back, and after a quick
moment passed, Ryu set to using his scarf as a bandage for the wound.
"I'm glad you're all right, son."
"I... I knew you'd come for us, Dad." Maybe now, the nightmare
would finally end....
What Ryu had failed to notice, however, was that the Demon
Statues were still far from inert... and their energy poured into the
lifeless body of their master, initiating a gruesome transformation. A
transformation with which Ryu would become acquainted, very quickly....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Thirteen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Light met Shadow. Flesh met stone. And the merging was a thing
most foul and unholy. Deep inside Foster's inert body, there lay a
hatred so powerful that death itself could not kill it. It was burning.
It was old. And it would not be denied by the Reaper.
Flesh expanded and grew, forming muscles, claws and teeth...
forming an abomination of nature. All done in the deadest silence.
Ryu was still looking into his son's eyes, tending to his wound.
Suddenly, he saw those eyes go wide with fright, and felt his son's body
go completely tense. "Son, what's wrong?"
"D-dad...," stammered Ken, "B-behind you...."
Setting his son down, Ryu turned around... and found himself
staring into the jaws of Hell.
Only a few feet behind him, there sat a huge, misshapen beast,
with green, slimy skin. The gargantuan head a grotesque number of flat,
pink eyes, and the mouth was large enough to swallow a man whole. It
was also lined with dozens of razor-sharp teeth.
Curiously enough, it had no arms or legs. The head sat perched
atop a short neck, which was attached to a bulbous mass of the green
flesh. The body was crisscrossed with brown-colored lines, and a split-
second's observation revealed the lines to be tentacles of some sort.
What in HELL had Foster been playing with?
He looked at the very top of the head, and saw Foster... or at
least, half of him. It was he, there was no mistaking that face. But
he was embedded into the creature from the waist down. His naked upper
body was in plain view, and his eyes glowed with a pale white light.
The two Demon Statues were embedded into his shoulders, and he looked
like some kind of demonic centaur. Blood flowed freely from the chest
wound Ryu had inflicted on him only moments ago, but it was glowing
like molten lava.
The creature sat there, simply breathing, for a moment, then
Foster spoke. "RYUUUUUUU!!!" he screamed, and his voice sounded hollow
and grainy, as if he was speaking into an empty oil drum.
Ryu's jaw went slack, practically unable to believe what he was
seeing. Suddenly, he regained his senses, and dashed to the side,
trying to get this monster away from his son.
"Come on, Foster! It's me you want!" he called. His chest and
shoulder were aching like he couldn't believe, but he was damned if he
would be stopped now. But first and foremost, he had to protect his
family.
Foster almost seemed not to understand him, and looked at him
uncomprehendingly. Evidently the transformation had damaged his mind in
addition to altering his body. He turned his attention back to the
prone Ken, and began to move forward. Ryu scowled, and tore the mask
from his face. "Foster!!" he screamed. "Look at me!"
Suddenly, Foster's face held the sign of recognition. "RYUUUU!!"
he screamed again, and the giant head snaked forward to bite at the
Ninja Dragon. Ryu dove to the side and rolled, and found several of the
brown tentacles chasing after him.
He was occupied for a few moments cutting them down as they
approached, but they seemed to present no extreme danger. Foster's
monstrous bulk lumbered around to face him once more. Sensing an
opportunity to strike, Ryu drove the Dragon Sword deep into the slimy
green flesh.
A viscous, purple fluid came from the wound, accompanied by a
foul, acrid smell. Ryu decided he'd seen enough supernatural creatures
to last ten lifetimes. But with a loud kiai, he twisted the blade's
edge upwards, and forced it up with all his strength. Foster howled in
pain, and the tooth-lined maw screamed as well.
Immediately, five more tentacles were brought to bear against the
ninja, and swatted him away as if he were nothing more than a gnat. Ryu
had only just barely managed to maintain his grip on the sword and pull
it out.
He landed a few yards away, every muscle in his body aching.
Foster now had him in direct view, and the two statues embedded in his
flesh were glowing. That couldn't be a good sign. Ryu scrambled to his
feet, and half-ran, half-crawled out of the way of the attack which was
sure to come.
As if on cue, a blast of black energy shot from the creature's
giant mouth. It narrowly missed Ryu, and blasted a great divot into the
solid rock on which they stood. The ninja leapt into the air, and
tossed a volley of three shuriken at Foster's human body.
One of the stars hit its mark, landing very near the shoulder,
where one of the statues lay. The other two hit the giant head, but
seemed to cause no noticeable damage. But the first one had done its
job. Foster screamed like the monster he was and clutched at the
statue, as if he was afraid it would fall out.
Perhaps Ryu had discovered his opponent's Achille's Hill... or
shoulder, depending. But taking advantage of it would not be easy.
Foster's eyes blazed brighter for a moment, and spat forth a small, but
no doubt deadly, blast of reddish energy.
In a panic, the Ninja Dragon cartwheeled off to the side, once
again bringing the Dragon Sword to bear. Since getting close only
seemed to invite abuse, he continued pelting the demonic entity with
shuriken, but knew his supply was running low, and he was having a devil
of a time maintaining accuracy. His body felt like it was on the verge
of simply giving out.
***
Unbeknownst to either of the combatants, Irene stirred to
wakefulness nearby. She saw the huge creature that squared off against
her husband, and then saw the humanoid form perched atop it... Foster.
She'd know that grotesque face anywhere, no matter the distance. But
what about Ken?
He'd been shot. "Oh, dear Lord," she thought, "let him be
alive... please don't take my baby from me." She felt certain that Ryu
could handle himself for the time being, and she painfully dragged
herself to her knees, scanning the area for Ken.
After a short moment which felt like an eternity, she saw him,
attempting to sit up, but not having much luck. But he was alive! She
crawled over to him as quietly as she could, not wanting to distract Ryu
from the obviously pressing matters of the fight. He looked back at
her, his face full of both hope and worry.
When she reached him, she threw her arms around him and held him
tightly. "Ken... my baby... I thought I'd lost you," she said, tears
streaming down her face.
He returned her embrace gladly, but he was still fixated on
watching his father, and felt galled by his inability to help... more
than anything else, he wanted to be able to fight at his father's side.
"Mom," he said, "Dad's in danger... can't we do anything to help?"
Irene began looking around frantically. "Maybe... but not
barehanded. Help me look."
"For what?"
***
Ryu was fighting for all he was worth, getting in his hits where
he could, but it was not easy going. He had exhausted his supply of
shuriken, and was forced to resort to calling on his spirit energy to
be able to maintain an offensive. But the more he summoned the flames,
the weaker he became... and if Foster did not die soon, Ryu felt certain
that he would die himself.
He hazarded an approach, and managed to cut a wide gash in the
monster's side, but it was not a very deep wound. The opportunity
gone, he hopped back to avoid the counterattack which would come in
mere milliseconds.
With a powerful kiai, he summoned the power of his ki once more,
and a twirling pinwheel of fire flew out across the mountaintop. It
smashed into Foster's monstrous body, leaving an intricate tracery of
burn marks. Another scream emitted from the giant mouth, and the head
snapped down at the ninja, who managed once again to dodge to the side.
A tentacle lashed out at Ryu, but he cut it down easily. However,
the arc of the slash left his back exposed, and another one of the
slender appendages slammed into his back, right into a kidney, with the
force of a freight train. He fell over, clutching at his back, still
totally unaware of the actions of his wife and child.
Foster let out a guttural roar, and his human eyes took on, if
only for a brief moment, the light of human intelligence once more.
"Ryu...," he said, "Now it is time for you to die...." Ryu was too
exhausted to even utter words of defiance. This truly would be the end,
it seemed....
The gaping, drooling mouth surged closer, and Ryu closed his eyes,
fully prepared to meet his end. "Forgive me, Irene," he thought to
himself as he closed his eyes. "I could not save you... I tried my
hardest... but I wasn't good enough...."
But the vicious rows of teeth did not tear his flesh. At the last
possible instant, he heard the unmistakable crack of a gunshot. His
eyes shot open, and he saw Foster clutching at his throat, seemingly
unable to scream. Blood poured from the wound, and Ryu looked off to
the side.
Irene was holding a gun, pointed at Foster. "Ryu!!" she cried.
His family was still alive.
"Dad!" called Ken.
He was still alive.
"Do it now!" screamed Irene. "Now's your chance!"
There was still hope.
His family had not given up on him... how could he give up on
them? His father's spirit was with him. Summoning the last of his
reserves of strength, he took the Dragon Sword in his left hand, held
it over his shoulder and behind his back, and leaped up to attack the
staggering monster who had caused him so much pain. The familiar blue
aura enshrouded him once more as he flew through the air.
Foster gurgled through the hole in his neck, and held up his arms
to ward off the oncoming attack, but Ryu would not be denied. He
screamed, all of the anger and pain of the past flowing through him,
through the sword.
He brought the sword over his shoulder down at his enemy, the
ancient blade ablaze with energy. It cut through the defending arm as
if it were nothing more than a dry twig, and continued on. The severed
limb fell to the side, bouncing off the rubbery flesh to the ground.
The sword continued its journey. It bit deeply, from the left
side of Foster's neck on, and severed the spinal column. Ryu landed
firmly on the monster's head, and withdrew the Dragon Sword from
Foster's human body, which somehow still lived.
Ryu could abide this no longer... Foster was an inhuman creature,
and he must die. "For everything you've done, to me, my family... you've
made a mockery of life! You are DEAD!" he screamed, and spun the sword
in his hand to make a stabbing motion. And his target was the Demon
Statue embedded in Foster's left shoulder.
The metal struck the black onyx of the Shadow statue, and plunged
through. The energy coursing through the blade flowed into the unholy
artifact, and the statue shattered. Ryu's aura faded at that moment.
The world around the mountaintop went totally black, as the
essence which the statue held was released. No light could penetrate the
sphere of darkness... he could not see the glow of the Dragon Sword, nor
that of the moon. And as quickly as it came, it was gone. The darkness
dispersed into the air, and faded away.
Foster screamed, one last, horrible scream... and went limp. His
source of power and life was gone... he was dead. The other statue fell
from its resting place in his other shoulder, and tumbled to the ground.
The mammoth green body collapsed, and Ryu leaped off, his back to
his family. He stood and stared as the green flesh dissolved away into
a powdery mist, which blew away on the wind....
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epilogue
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryu crouched, trying to rest. He watched as the greenish cloud
drifted away, and looked down at what remained... Foster. Just a man...
just a fragile, empty body. The Light statue sat next to the body,
the last evidence of the magical creature.
A low buzzing noise emanated from it... it seemed to be crying
out in protest of its brother's destruction. Perhaps it was alive as
well... and would it, too, come back to haunt him? Would the Demon live
again, and hunt down his family?
Ryu could not allow that. Calmly, he stabbed the sword through
the Light statue as well... and it, too, shattered. But this time, the
darkness of night was replaced by a blinding light, brighter than Ryu
could have dreamed. For just a few moments, a star seemed to sit atop
the plateau. And then it, too, was gone.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. More enemies, Ryu thought, and
spun around, brandishing the sword and preparing to strike.
"Ryu!!" cried Irene, falling back. "It's me! It's Irene!"
Suddenly, the Ninja Dragon stopped and looked at the sword. "My
god...," he said, "What was I about to do?"
Irene sat back up and reached for him. She breathed his name.
He threw the sword away from him and fell to his knees, cradling
his head in his hands. "Irene... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...."
She immediately rushed to him and held him tight. "Ryu, it's
okay. I'm all right, and so is Ken.... You didn't do anything wrong."
She gently ran her fingers through his hair, trying to comfort him.
But the tears streamed unbidden down his face. "I-- I nearly
killed you... I've been fighting for so long to save you, and I
almost--" He broke off, sobbing.
She cradled him like a baby in her arms. "But you didn't... and
I'm alright. I'm not mad at you... I'm just glad to see you again." She
cupped his face in her hands and looked at him pleadingly. "I love you,
Ryu."
He put his arms around her and kissed her softly.
"Umm," came another voice, "Mom? Dad? I could use a hand here."
Ken was dragging himself over to them, smiling at them through the
grimace of pain he wore.
"Son!" said Ryu, and immediately released Irene and walked over
to him. With a little bit of effort, he helped him up. "I'm glad you're
okay, Ken."
"You're not the only one, Dad," Ken replied. "Can we go home
now?" He put his arms around his father and hugged him. "I knew you'd
come for us."
Ryu had been about to respond, when he heard the sound of an
echoing, ethereal voice. "My son," said the voice, "You have done well.
I am proud of you."
All three looked around, until Ken pointed at where the sword
had landed. "There, Dad, look!" A white, glowing mist poured from the
blade, slowly coalescing into a very familiar shape. And the shape was
emitting a very familiar blue aura.
"Father...," said Ryu softly.
The apparition smiled. "You are a credit to your lineage, my
son. But the Dragon Sword needs a new master now." He leaned down, and
picked up the sword as if he were as solid as rock.
This confused them. "But--" began Ryu.
The apparition of the elder Ken Hayabusa moved over to his
grandson. "It has come time for Ken to learn the true ways of the
Hayabusa clan," he said, and held the sword out to the younger Ken.
Ken was wide-eyed as he reached out to accept the hilt of the
sword. "Grandfather," he said, his tone full of awe and reverence.
The sword felt perfect in his hands, as if it were made just for him.
The spirit turned to Irene. "You, my dear... are just what Ryu
needs right now. You have loved him and believed in him for many years
now. And he needs that faith, now more than ever."
Finally, he turned back to Ryu. "My son... may you go on to
live out the rest of your days peacefully. And do not grieve for me.
I can now rest, that I know you and your family are well...."
"Father," said Ryu. "I-- I miss you."
The spirit smiled. "I know, Ryu. And I miss you too. I wish
that I could have always been there to offer advice, and to always be a
part of your life. But know that I am always with you... in spirit.
And I have been with you all this time... I could not directly affect
the outcome, but I tried to lend you a hand when I could."
Ryu nodded, "So that red glow was your influence?"
"Yes, partially. The red came from the pain and anger you
felt for so long. You were lucky to be able to channel to your benefit
instead of letting it overcome you. And now, I will devote my efforts
to aiding my grandson. My time grows short," said the spirit.
"Farewell, my family. I am proud of all of you...." The cohesive
image of Ken Hayabusa began to break up, and then vanished, carried
away on the wind.
The three sat there for a long moment, pondering what they had
just witnessed... the pain in Ken's leg seemed distant as he held the
Dragon Sword of his heritage.
Suddenly, Ryu noticed the sound of a helicopter. "Who on earth
is coming here now?" They looked up, and saw the flashing lights on the
aircraft, which was fairly close by.
"Maybe we can flag them down and get a ride home!" said Irene,
looking at Ryu.
Ken was staring up still. "I don't think that'll be necessary,
Mom... looks like he's planning to land."
***
A few minutes later, the three sat huddled together, bracing
themselves against the rush of air from the helicopter. They waited for
its occupants to emerge patiently, and hoped that it was someone
friendly. If not....
"Hayabusa!" came a familiar voice.
Ryu brightened immediately. "Caldwell!" The tall, slender man
hopped down from the chopper and walked over.
Irene looked at him curiously. "You know this man?"
Ryu smiled, "Yeah... he brought me here. He helped me out when
I was in desperate need of some assistance." When Caldwell reached them,
Ryu made the introductions.
Caldwell smiled. "It's a real pleasure to meet you, Mrs.
Hayabusa," he said. "You've got quite a husband."
Irene smiled back, "Yeah... I do."
Caldwell crouched down and looked at Ken's leg. "Ouch, that
looks nasty. "I've got a first-aid kit in the chopper, let me run and
get it."
Ken said, "Don't worry... I can get there with a bit of help."
The four made their way back to the helicopter, shouting to each
other over the noise of the whirling rotors.
"Caldwell!" shouted Ryu once they were inside, "How did you know
to come check on us?"
"Simple," he replied, tending to Ken's wound. "That was one hell
of a flare you set off a few minutes ago. They could probably catch that
one from orbit." He finished setting the bandage, and clapped Ken on the
shoulder. "You should be good as new after a doctor takes care of you."
A few minutes later, they were in the air, heading back to the
nearest airport. Ryu kept his arms around his wife and son, both asleep,
leaning against his shoulders. He never felt so happy in his life.
Caldwell glanced back at them. "Good to see you again, Ryu."
"You too... thanks for getting us out of there, Caldwell."
"Elliot."
Ryu blinked. "What?"
"The name's Elliot. That's what my friends call me," he said.
"And after today, I'm proud to consider you a friend."
"The feeling is mutual... Elliot."
The helicopter sped off, illuminated by the light of the rising
sun. A new day was dawning. But for the Hayabusa family, it was simply
the end of a very long ordeal... and finally, they slept... finally
together once more.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE END
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Ninja Gaiden, Ryu Hayabusa, Irene Lew and all characters, with the
exception of Elliot Caldwell and Kulsen, are the sole copyright of Tecmo.
All events portrayed in this story are the inventions of Deuce, and
do not reflect the "proper" story as shown by Tecmo (even though Tecmo
screwed the pooch on the NG3 story).