It was the intermission period between rounds once again. Once again, several of the various dojo groups which had gathered to observe the tournament decided to spend their time on the cleared out tournament fields holding sparring matches to pass the time. Of particular note at this particular time for no particular reason (at least, it wouldn't be significant until later), two karate schools in a sea of random karate schools which had a rivalry not unlike many other generic rivalries between other schools had once again come to clash.

These two dojos were each led by a dojo master. They all wore the generic grey karate gi’s and belts. The two Dojo masters were both strong upper-middle aged looking men. For the most part, there really wasn't much of a way to tell them apart from the other dojos save for the labels on their sashes or so which declared their dojo names.

The dojo names however, were unimportant. As were the names of the two dojo masters. Which was good, because neither of those two dojo masters' names were remembered by anyone significant at the moment, anyway.

"Ah ha!!! It is you, nameless dojo master number one!" The other dojo master shouted.

"NAMELESS DOJO MASTER NUMBER TWO!!!" The first dojo master angrily snapped. "You dare to show your face around me again?"

"Haha, you are a fool, nameless dojo master number one!" Nameless dojo master number two grinned. "You thought you had humiliated my karate school and you dare to mock my Satsou no Pain, but now I will show you! I have evolved it to a new level!"

Odds were most likely that Japanglish was wrong and completely fubarred, but that wasn't important either. What was important was that the first dojo master decided to take the second dojo master up on his claim.

"You shall be proven the fool, nameless dojo master number two!" He retorted. "My best student of the nameless karate school shall easily defeat the best student of your Satsou no Pain school with mangled Japanglish name!"

"Very well then, nameless dojo master one!" The dojo master of the mangled Japanglish name karate school clapped his hands. "I summon my greatest top student, Andrea, to meet your challenge!"

First dojo man nodded then turned to one of his students. A rather gimpy one wearing glasses, at that. "Bremare, you are the greatest and top... of my rookie students! Go get Ferishi!"

Bremare bowed. "At once!"

He dashed off then soon came back with another young teenage girl in a generic karate gi. Ferishi, a rather upbeat girl with a flat circular haircut, quickly bowed down to her dojo master.

"I'm here, teach! What's up?"

Her dojo master pointed towards the opposing school and the girl presented to him. "Defeat this student of an inferior school and prove our dojo superior!"

"Okay!" Ferishi beamed. "If that's what you want."

"Bremare!" Nameless dojo master one ordered again. "Get Ferishi's weapon, the sword!"

"The sword, at once!" Bremare bowed again before dashing off. He quickly returned breathing a bit heavily from the run and handed the sword to Ferishi.

Ferishi's Pain no Hadou or whatever opponent was also a girl of near the same age. She had a plain untrimmed short hairstyle, but with a straight short smooth planar tail of sorts.

"Hmm..." The opposing girl, Andrea, nodded rather nonchalantly before calmly greeting her opponent. "I look forward to our match. Perhaps you too shall see the new sensation of the gift I have been taught to dispense."

"Hey, good luck, then." Ferishi confidently spun her practice sword around. "This should be fun."

"For her weapon," The other dojo master began to declare. "Andrea shall choose... THE WHIP!"

Everyone gasped.

"YOU CAN NOT USE THE WHIP!" The first dojo master angrily shouted. "That is not a proper karate weapon among our nameless unimportant dojo karate ring! A different weapon, you must choose!"

"Very well!" The second dojo master clapped his hands. "If I may, Andrea shall use the nunchucks! But I do not have them here! You must provide them if you do not wish for her to use the whip!"

"Bremare!" Nameless dojo master one ordered yet again. "Get the nunchucks at once!"

"ACK!" A flabbergasted and exhausted Bremare sighed. "I really wish you told me to get that before I ran off and came back with the swords. The weapon shack is all the way on the other side of the field!"

With that, he dashed off once again and soon returned, almost dead from exhaustion. Bremare handed the nunchucks to his dojo master who then threw them to Andrea as Bremare collapsed to the ground.

"FOR HONOR!!!" Both of the dojo masters screamed in unison as several other students looked on with anticipation. "Let the battle begin!"

The battle lasted all of ten seconds. Andrea's first two nunchuck lashes were easily parried by Ferishi, but the third slashed clearly across her shoulder with a loud CRACKing noise. After which there was a rather long pause as Ferishi blinked for a second.

Her eyes quickly weld up with tears.

It became quickly clear to her dojo master that something was wrong. THANKS TO HIS MANY YEARS OF KARATE MASTERY WHICH MADE HIM OMNIPOTENT AS ALL KARATE MASTERS ARE, AS WELL AS HIS SPECIAL BRAND OF SPIRIT TRAINING (this one commonly known as common sense), HE KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG!!!!

"Bremare! Censorship tape!" He quickly commanded.

"Censorship tape!" Bremare screamed before running off, then running back with a large black piece of tape labeled "Censored", and quickly slapping it over Ferishi's mouth.

Just in time, as it was right before she broke into a fit of what would have been many shouted swear and curse words inappropriate to all the juvenile students in the area. Thanks to the censorship tape, it sounded more like a bunch of #@$@ing dingbats and stuff.

"Hahahahaha, foolish nameless dojo master number one! My Satsou no pain whacamacallit school of karate wins!!" The second dojo master taunted. "There is nothing which can overcome the sheer power of pain, for it has disabled your top student and left her unable to defend herself!!!"

"STOP!"

The loud voice was one which was so commanding that everyone obeyed it. They quickly turned around as they saw HIM walking up to him. The old large powerful looking ultimate dojo man!

"GOUKEN!!!" The two dojo masters shouted in united shock before kneeling in awe.

"What is this excessive censored dingbat screaming?!?" Gouken demanded an answer with his tone.

"It is a result of the art of Pain no Pain!" Nameless dojo master two proudly declared. "We have transcended mere beating around the bush and go straight for the emotion that makes one hurt the most! PAIN!"

Master of stating the obvious, he was. Gouken, however, was not impressed.

"Pain? Is that all you believe in?"

"It is what I base my school after!" The dojo master replied.

"There is more to fighting than just pain! There is honor, and skill, and self-control!" Gouken stated, then motioned towards the young male student, also in a grey gi, behind him. "My very own student Dan is competing in this tournament. He shall demonstrate for all of you!"

"Very well, then!" The dojo master of the art of pain nodded. "I shall be honored to see a demonstration by a student of the master of the great Shotokan art! I look forward to the match. I am most certain that my top student Andrea does, too!"

Andrea's eyes fixated on Dan for a brief moment. She stared at him for a little while longer in interest as everyone else in her dojo left the scene, before she too finally turned around to follow them.

Dan patiently waited with Gouken while the other fighters began their matches. That girl, Andrea, had already beaten the lead girl from Nameless Dojo Number One, and he was taking a moment to converse with Gouken while the students from Nameless Dojo’s Number Three and Four were duking it out.

“Master, will I be fighting that girl?” asked Dan.

“No, the tournament is split between boys and girls. You will only be fighting boys your own age.” replied Gouken. Dan nodded, and trained his eyes beyond the two fighters in the simple rope ring. His eyes silently scanned the open terrain, separating the deep blue hues of the sky from the waving greens of the grass in the wind.

“Master, do you think Gouki will come to watc–“

”Do not speak of him.” cut off Gouken.

“But I’m sure he knows what’s going on today.” pleaded the young man.

“I said do not speak of him.” replied the angering Shotokan master. Dan was still trying to convince himself that even Goukens beard didn’t seem angry with him when he heard his named called.

“Representing the Satsou no Turtle School, Random Nameless Dojo Student Number Five!” yelled the annoying announcer. RNDS #5 cautiously stepped into the ring, so cautiously in fact that it took him 30 seconds just to work up the courage to step inside.

“And, represent the School of Shotokan Karate, Dan Hibiki!” hollered the announcer once again. People were beginning to give said announcer some nasty looks, so he quickly scurried to a corner. Having this many martial artists angry at you was not the way to get ahead in life. Several of the elder martial artists snickered lightly, and made some rude (albeit very quiet) questioning remarks about a Shotokan student having a last name. Gouken silenced them with a frightening stare, and Dan hopped into the ring.

“Alright Dan, this is an important battle for you!” encourage Gouken.

“Yes sir, I’ll fight for he’s honor!” Dan yelled back, much to the confusion of everyone including his teacher.

“Who’s honor?” asked Gouken.

“I mean, uh...your’s honor?”

“Whatever. Just fight!”

“Gopher Bloke! Whoops, make that Go for broke!” hollered the announcer before diving back to his hiding spot. He’d show those uppity martial artists one day! He’d travel the world, and perhaps be the Master of Ceremonies in some great, enormous tournament involving vampires and otakus and giant Hello Kitty corporate tie-ins.

Dan rushed forward with a dashing lunge to his opponents chest. RNDS #5 blocked quickly. Dan tried again with a heavy kick to RNDS #5's midsection. RNDS #5 blocked quickly. Dan became a bit frustrated and tried to slap his opponent several times. RNDS #5 blocked quickly. Dan took a few steps back and yelled “Ooga Booga!” Somehow, RNDS #5 blocked that quickly too. Dan looked around for some sort of assistance from the crowd, got really annoyed when RNDS #5 got in front of him to block his view. So annoyed, in fact, that he simply grabbed RNDS #5's collar and hurled him out of the ring.

“Dan Hibiki wins! Can you fight the way to glory?” yelled the announcer.

And so, the tourney proceeded much like the other participants predicted (which really pissed off the students of the Satsou No Gambling School), with Dan moving up in the ranks just as quickly as Andrea did.

Dan watched as Andrea finished off the top student from the Satsou no Button-Masher School. How a person from THAT school got so high up, he’d never know. Privately, he was quite glad he wasn’t facing off against Andrea. He calmly stepped into the ring, ready to face off against the student from the Satsou no Pogo Stick Jumping School. When the SnPSJS student hopped over the heads of the other participants into the ring (doing so several times, in fact), both he and Dan were in for a nasty surprise. Granted, the nastier surprise went to the SnPSJS student, because he was literally plowed out of the ring when a seven foot tall mountain of muscle jumped in..

Clad in only a pair of pristine blue kickboxing shorts, the man was impressive to look at. Well built, dark tan, he would have been the object of several womens desire had it not been for the eyepatch and shiny dome of a skull which shined in the daylight like a second sun.

“How about I give this young man a go before the final round?” asked the man. He dropped into a light Muy Thai stance, supposedly one of the strongest forms of kickboxing known to mankind. The judges seemed to debate this for a few moments as Dan stared at the larger man before him. Gouken immediately stepped between the young Hibiki and the and the larger man, blocking him mostly from Dan’s view.

“We have decided...” announced the Supreme Elder of Fighting and Noble Battle Through He’s Honor, “you, Sagat, may fight only if the young man and his teacher agree.”

“Looks like here comes a new challenger!” hollered the apparently disembodied voice of the announcer.

“I will allow no such thing to happen!” yelled Gouken, while at the same time moving around to keep Dan’s eyes from focusing totally on Sagat.

“On what grounds, Gouken? Surely you’re not afraid that your pupil isn’t good enough!” taunted Sagat.

“Master Gouken, why can’t I fight him? He’s got no right to be here! I’ll show him a thing or two!” piped up Dan.

“Oh? Show me a thing or two, will you?” asked Sagat, also trying now to get around Gouken to see the boy. “Why don’t you move, old man? Or do you think I’d scare the boy into wetting that bland old karate suit of his?” this little remark brought a slight chuckle to Sagat’s lips, prompting the germ of memory in Dan’s brain to act up again. Who the hell was that?

“Sagat, aren’t you a bit old to be taking on a thirteen year old?” provoked Gouken. He hoped no one could see the sweat running down his forehead. The boy couldn’t see this person, not now, it was too early...

“So? I should take on an old codger like yourself, then?” That was when both Sagat, and Dan, made their respective mistakes. “Heheheh....haha....BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” laughed the titan kickboxer.

Dan gasped, as horrific recognition flared to life within him like demon locked in the closet set free once more. That laugh! The laugh that haunted every last dream he’d had for the past three years! It was that man, that monster, that devil, that back stabber, he was here! Taunting him! Back for him! Back to rub his face in all that had happened. Dan’s vision slowly began to blur, both by anger and the tears that began to well up in front of the wettening pupils.

“Eh?” came the voice of the announcer, “Is Dan starting...to cry?”

“I guess maybe I do scare the boy a bit too much!” goaded Sagat, who started to laugh again.

“Gods, no...” prayed Gouken. He turned around, but as he did, he felt a substantial weight grab and pass over his shoulder. When he turned around, Dan was no longer there.

Dan launched right over his masters shoulder, screaming towards the evil murderer before him. “MONSTER!” he cried, as he landed on his feet with a resounding stomp. Uncoiling the quickly gathered power in his legs, Dan launched upward with one mighty kick....right between the legs of Sagat, who had been laughing too hard to notice Dan’s assault. Needless to say, the laughter was quickly silenced. Dan quickly followed up with a sharp punch to Sagat’s one remaining eye, and his fist was slightly wet from the small bit of blood that spurted from the wound. As Sagat fell backward, Dan tore into him. He ground his knees into Sagat’s stomach, forcing him into the ground, and wailed on him wildly on the chest and face until Gouken, along with several other martial artists, managed to pry the wildly incoherent Dan off of him.

All three judges of the tournament stood up. The middle one, who was also the Supreme Elder of Fighting and Noble Battle Through He’s Honor, shook his head and announced with a grave voice, “Dan Hibiki of the Shotokan Dojo has been disqualified, for attacking one outside of a proper arena battle. Take him away, Gouken. Perhaps next year you will bring us a better pupil who will not disgrace you.”

“But I..” began Gouken.

“I said take him away! You may stay to see the outcome, but he cannot. The student of the Satsou no Pogo Stick Jumping School has won by default.”

“Yes, sir...” said Gouken, as he half led, half dragged Dan away from the arena, where half of the participants were laughing at them both while the other half tried to help Sagat stand up.

Dan leaned against a tree, his mind boiling, not because he had disgraced himself of Gouken, that hardly mattered at all. It was that man, the thought of him still laughing (assuming his lungs could still draw enough air) at him. They hadn’t let him finish the job...he would eventually, though. He’d kill him with his bare hands, if he had to. An eye for an eye, right? Dan hardly noticed as Gouken walked solemnly up to the brooding young man.

“Andrea of the Satsou no Pain School won, if you want to know.” he said.

“And Sagat?”

“I’m just glad I could tune out his laughter enough to watch the fight.”

“..................”

“I’m going back to the dojo.” said Gouken. He walked off silently, leaving the angry young man with his own thoughts.

She won.

Not that she was surprised. They underestimated her.

Normally Andrea wasn't one to be overconfident or snobbish, but she had learned something which made her know she was probably going to win.

None of the people who opposed her feared her. To be more specific, they underestimated her. They didn't realize that they had to be on guard. That they had to defend.

So she won.

But none of it was... that beautiful...

No, the biggest example of someone falling to their lack of fear wasn't her victory.

The silly big man laughed. He bravely mocked his foe. And the display... the beautiful display of pain and suffering that resulted... it...

Andrea had never dreamed that something like that could happen. She saw him flare up with the eyes of the dragon and deliver the true gift of enlightenment to Sagat. But sadly, all he got was disgrace.

The whip was seen as a weapon not to be allowed among the dojos, so Andrea had to train in the art of the nunchucks all her life. They all mocked her style, saying it lacked honor of any sort. And of course, now the one person, who had shown mastery over it greater than any one she's ever seen, was forced to leave in disgrace.

This trophy was an empty victory.

Was she the only one who knew? Bitter over everything? Her master was proud. Proud that his style proved true. The rest of the students cheered her on as she dispensed the gift of a higher level unto her overconfident opponents. Odds are they were all back waiting for her, practicing and sparring once again to see how much they themselves could overcome the senses of pain under pressure.

But all Andrea could do... was remain bitter.

Far away from the tournament grounds, alone on a hill, the dragon eyes watched.

And she saw him. Bitter, dismayed, angry at the world. The warrior, the champion, the true winner...

Andrea smiled as her mood lightened up. She wasn't the only one who realized the bitter tragedy of it all, after all.

Dan watched the evergreen grass below his feet. True, sulking rarely did someone any good, but he didn’t really care right now. He had won. He had beaten Sagat, taken him on man to man, and won....hadn’t he?

Didn’t his heart elate at the pain he caused? Wasn’t he happy in the torture of Sagat? Wasn’t this supposed to be satisfying!? Dan whirled around, kicking the tree that so easily had given him support from falling. The slight ‘crack’ from the old bark gave him a glimmer of satisfaction, a faint hope in the darkening clouds of his soul. He hit the tree again. And again.

The rush was building. It was pounding its way into his heart. There was something on him. A weight, crushing him, suffocating him, making him want to cry out. The suit. It was the damn suit! Dan ripped the shirt off of himself, hurling it away and striking the tree like a rabid animal again. He had lost! He had won! Which was it!? Somebody ANSWER! NOW!

With one more punch, and a scream not from any external pain, Dan struck the tree square one last time. His fist stayed pressed to the wood for what seemed like a minute, and hour, the darkness of a mere eye blinking was like night and a new day to him in this crazed riotous aggression. It meant nothing to see the small rivulets of blood slowly trickling down the rotted oak.

“....Hi.”

Dan turned his head, slowly at first, before he was staring not at the dead, dull brown of the tree but instead into the deep brown of someone’s eyes. No, not anyone, yes it was that girl, the one who’d won the girls division of the tourney. She was standing there, seemingly half awed and half embarrassed as she tried to hide the trophy behind her back.

“I’m Andrea.”

And, as he let his fist leave the tree and turned fully to the girl, for the first time since he was dragged off from the ring, Dan smiled.