A fighter's destiny
The black-clad man leapt high into the air. On landing he somersaulted, punched the air, high-kicked and turned to give a victory salute.
`Good.' he thought. After all, the tournament was tomorrow and he couldn't go without a little training. As he entered his little house, he paused to look at a photo of his parents by the fireplace. Where were they now? Rumour had it that the vicious gang who had taken them had left his mother alive. If he won this tournament, he would have the money and status to start tracking them down. It was the day he had awaited for years.
He leapt high into the air and yelled to the empty concrete arena outside his door.
"I AM KAGE-MARU! I WILL WIN!"
He paused a moment before turning and making his way to the bed.
"Don't worry, Ranosuke-chan, nothing can happen to me."
"But Lion-sensei, what happens when we meet in the battle arena?" asked Ranosuke desperately, pulling up the bedsheets to get a better look at her boyfriend, who had taught her all she knew about fighting.
"Then show me how good my pupil is. Just stay calm and concentrate on the fight. If you don't, we'll never get to fight each other anyway. You know how important it is for me to get out of my family's legacy of evil. I'll do anything, anything at all, and that includes fighting you, my darling Ranosuke." Lion Rafale looked tenderly at the girl beside him. "Now get some sleep; else you'll never be fit for the tournament in the morning."
"Good night Sensei." whispered Ranosuke, locking her arms around his waist.
"Good night, Ranosuke-chan." Lion whispered back into her tangled mass of black curls as he reached over and turned off the lamp.
The next morning, Ranosuke awoke to find Lion gone. She wasn't worried; he said he wanted an early start. She did, however, wonder how he had managed to slip out of her arms - perhaps he was more stealthy than she thought! The girl dressed quietly and stepped outside into the cool morning air. Lion was outside leaping and cartwheeling around the arena (it was one of the tournament rules: every fighter must have their own arena by their dwelling place, paid for by the Tournament Fund). She watched him perform a series of flawless punches, a high kick and finish with a cartwheel and victory salute. `It's like some kind of dance, a deadly ballet. He's so beautifully graceful. If only he could have taught me his grace along with his Tourou-ken moves!' she thought wistfully, stepping forward into the arena to join him.
"Fancy a challenge?" Lion asked cockily.
"Always!" she replied, launching herself at him. He side-stepped and quickly caught her in his arms; she leapt away and tried a punch. Lion blocked it and performed a speedy cartwheel away from her. Ranosuke followed, seeing something he did not; she gave him a light punch in the back and he toppled out of the arena. She performed her victory salute, a series of fast punches followed by a shout of "YOSH!"*
Lion leapt up and hauled himself back into the ring.
"Watch your back Lion-chan." Ranosuke teased him. He grinned back and wandered over to where she was standing.
"You know, in mediaeval times, knights of honour wore a piece of cloth belonging to their love." Lion informed her. Ranosuke bent down and ripped a strip of cloth from her trouser hem and tied it round Lion's right arm.
"Here sensei, thy lady gives her love!" she laughed before racing into the house. *Yosh! = all right!
As Lion and Ranosuke arrived at the tournament, they were amazed at the number of people queuing to enter. As they climbed out of the car that had been sent to pick them up, dozens of fans ran over.
"OhmiGod! It's Lion Rafale!" "Lion, I love you!" "Ranosuke, good luck!" "Lion, can I have your autograph?" "Ranosuke, pose for a photo!" "Lion, I'm your biggest fan!"
The couple were dumbstruck for a moment, before beginning to push their way through the rapidly growing crowd, who were grabbing and pushing at them. Lion finally snapped.
"All right! Enough is enough! Let us pass, please." he yelled. The crowd immediately parted - an angry World-class fighter was not something to be taken lightly! Ranosuke instinctively drew closer to him as they strode over to the contestant's area.
"Okay, Ranosuke-chan. I've got to go over here to get changed. You've got to go elsewhere. Ask that guy over there. I'll see ya, sweetie." Lion bent to give her a lingering kiss before smiling at her and moving off to the male changing rooms. Ranosuke turned and saw a girl who looked a little older than she, wearing a little pink hat, pink trousers and a pink top with a beautiful Chinese dragon embroidered on the back. She wore her black hair in two plaits that she kept brushing back, the wind blowing them right back onto her face. The girl looked vaguely familiar, but Ranosuke couldn't quite place her.
"Excuse me, can you tell me where the female changing rooms are?" Ranosuke asked tentatively.
"Ah! Yes. They are over there, to the left of the entrance." the girl replied, smiling. "You are entering the tournament?"
"Yes." Ranosuke said. "This is my first year."
"I see. This is my second World Tournament. Don't be too daunted; it's not as bad as it looks! What style of fighting do you use?"
"I'm a Tourou-ken fighter, but I'm not as graceful as most. I use a little bit of Jeet Kun Do mixed in."
"I use Ensei-ken. But...Tourou-ken, that sounds familiar. Ah! I know. That's what Lion Rafale uses, isn't it?" the girl questioned.
"Yes. He taught me."
"Ah! You are his pupil? You must be Ranosuke Marima. I am pleased to meet you," she grinned, holding out a hand, "and I am Pai Chan."
"Now I remember! You are a Hong Kong action star, aren't you?"
Pai giggled. "Yes, that's right. Come, I'll walk you over to the changing rooms. What's your outfit like?"
Entering the changing rooms, Pai nodded hello to a blond girl in a catsuit over the other side putting on some high heels.
"Sarah, this is Ranosuke Marima." Pai said. Sarah barely looked up and muttered a brief `hi' before exiting the room.
`What's her problem?' Ranosuke wondered, before turning back to Pai. "So, show me your costume." Pai smiled.
Ranosuke unzipped the blue sports bag she held and pulled out a black tunic and a pair of red leggings. The black tunic glimmered in the light; underneath the black were tiny silver and gold threads woven into it.
"Pretty!" sighed Pai, touching the silky material. "Now you get changed, and I will take you over to meet some other contestants."
Once Ranosuke was changed, Pai took her to the side of the arena, where a group of costumed fighters were standing around.
"Ranosuke-chan, this is Wolf Hawkfield, Jeffry McWild, Kage-maru and Jacky Bryant."
They all smiled and said hello, except for Wolf who shook her hand in an iron grip and kissed it.
"Hey kid, how're ya doin'?" he roared in a deep Canadian accent. He had bright red stripes across his face, almost like war-paint, and wore nothing but blue trousers and boots.
"Um, fine thanks." Ranosuke replied, trying hard not to laugh.
A man with slick black hair and a moustache arrived and joined the group. His costume was quite like Pai's; green and red with a Chinese dragon. Ranosuke was surprised to see Pai turn on her heel and stalk off.
`Well, whatever can be wrong with Pai?' Ranosuke wondered. Just then, an announcement came over the loudspeaker.
"All contestants, to the ring, where you will be handed your schedules. All contestants, to the ring."
Ranosuke felt a tight knot of nervousness begin to settle in her stomach as she quickly made her way to the vast arena. A man in a long red cloak handed her a piece of paper. She was lucky; her first fight was not until the next day. She couldn't see Lion, but in the confusion he could have been anywhere. Ranosuke caught Pai's eye, and the Chinese girl stepped over to Ranosuke's side.
"When's your fight?" Ranosuke asked immediately.
"Now. I'm the first fighter." Pai looked happy and nervous at the same time. Ranosuke instinctively reached out and hugged her. "Rann-chan. Wish me luck. I'll see you later, OK?"
"Yes, Pai, all the best to you. Oh, by the way, who are you fighting?" Ranosuke asked.
"Sarah Bryant. You remember, the girl I showed you in the changing rooms?" Pai replied. "Anyway, I have to go. It looks like they're looking for me. Bye bye!"
"Good luck, Pai!" Ranosuke called as Pai ran across to the ring, and climbed through the ropes. She looked down at her timetable again, noting that she was fighting someone called Shun Di. Lion was up against Kage-maru, who she had seen briefly earlier when Pai had introduced her to the fighters. She hoped that neither fighter proved to be a big problem for she and Lion.
Ranosuke stepped over to the fighting arena and took her seat in the VIP balcony, where she had a perfect view of the proceedings. Both Pai and Sarah were limbering up, stretching and performing swift punches and kicks. As the adjudicator climbed into the ring, dressed in the Tournament uniform of a long blue robe, both fighters came to the centre of the ring and faced each other, striking fighting poses. The judge began the fight.
Instantly Sarah kicked viciously at Pai's head. Pai merely brought up her arms to block the attack before punching Sarah squarely in the jaw, sidestepping away as the blonde girl fell to the ground. Ranosuke looked at Pai's face, seeing that her jaw was set, a grim frown was masking her features and there was no pity or mercy in her eyes.
`Is this the same girl?' Ranosuke wondered. This Pai was totally different to the laughing, happy girl she had seen before. What she saw before her was merely a fighting machine, devoid of feelings for anyone who stood in the way of her ultimate goal. Ranosuke felt a chill run down her spine. She suddenly realised that she might, someday soon, have to face this merciless battler. Ranosuke tried to push the thought out of her mind.
Sarah rolled to the side before leaping up and scoring a hit on Pai with a sweeping kick. However, the Chinese girl was still standing and Sarah had left herself vulnerable with her move. Pai took advantage of this and leapt forward, swinging her arms over her head and narrowing her eyes as each fist connected with a dull thud. Sarah crumpled and fell to the floor, and Pai took the opportunity to leap high in the air and land on Sarah's unprotected back hard, smashing her fist into the back of the American girl's neck. Sarah moaned and lay still as Pai stepped away and performed a victory salute. Ranosuke stared in wonder at Pai's fighting ability.
"Battle one goes to Pai Chan!" called the judge as the crowd erupted, half into cheers, half into boos. Pai was led out of the ring.
PART TWO COMING SOON!!!
Email me with comments and suggestions: mylene.jenius@btinternet.com
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Mylene F. Jenius
"I believe in lovers, I believe in friends..."
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Venue/4110
Email: mylene.jenius@btinternet.com
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