“All wings, report in.” Gold Leaders voice rang through the comm systems as the Death Star loomed ahead of them. Tie Fighters scrambled to intercept the team but were reduced to little more than atoms under the quick assault of the X-wing pilots.

“Red 10, standing by.”

“Red 7 , standing by.”

“Red 2 , standing by.”

“Red 11, standing by.”

“...Rekshu!” (Author’s Trans.: A shiny new donkey to whoever brings me the head of Colonel Montoya!) Dan would be sure to show them all the power of Saikyo-Ryuu! With power that could outdo even the greatest of all X-wings! For Great Justice!

“Red 5 standing by.”

“Lock S-Foils into attack position.” came Gold Leaders next order. They were now in the trench. Nothing would stop the advance of teams Red and Gold. Gold Leader and his faction handled things above the trench, keeping Tie fighters out of Red Teams way and disabling the stationary ion cannons that kept them all under fire.

“Namen ja ne zo!” (Don’t look down on me!) Dan laughed inwardly at his compatriots. He hardly needed them to take out the Death Star! In fact, he was outrunning them while they flew above in their X-wings. Obviously they must be in awe of his awesome mastery of Saikyo-Ryuu, for several of them were weaving and dodging to keep from being zapped. This alone proved that he was the focus of attention of the pilots, instead of the exhaust port that was their target.

“Here they come!” cried Luke. Somehow, a barrage of Tie’s had broken through Gold teams defenses. They immediately opened fire on the vulnerable backsides of the X-wings in Red team. While a new hailstorm of red light dispatched several ties, one still remained and bore down on Skywalkers wing.

“Watch it, you’ve got one on your tail!” Biggs yelled to Luke, unable to get a clean shot. Pulling the trigger may damage or even destroy the enemy Tie, but he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t hit Luke as well.

“I can’t shake him!” yelled the frightened Skywalker. Dan came up behind the both the Tie and Luke, one valiant course of action blazing through his mind as he leapt several hundred feet into the air.

“Hah! Hah! Dankuukyaku!” With a breathtaking whoosh of the pressurized cockpit exploding into the wall of the trench, Dan came back to the surface, his foot not even numb from delivering the Imperial scum’s ship to the side of the wall. Taking his original speed back up, he quickly caught up with the other fighters in time to hear the latest report.

“This is Gold Leader, we’re starting our attack run!” Two of the remaining X-wings spread out to the top of the trench, the deathly crimson of their lasers bringing swift ends to several stationary gunners as the point men approached. They took to evasive maneuvers as a deadly emerald splash of light rained down upon them.

“The Force is strong with this one....” mumbled Vader. Taking one of the X-wings back into his sights, he began to wonder if their cries of panic sounded any different from those of the inhabitants of other planets he’d personally attacked.

“Doshita doshita!?” (What’s the matter what’s the matter!?”) Taking his eyes to the onslaught, Dan recognized the ship firing on them immediately. It was him! The Black Knight! Worse, the Black Knight was turning his attention to him, the Saikyo-Ryuu Master!

Under his dark mask, Vader grinned with the malicious intent of a hawk about to swoop onto a mouse. “I have you now...” Shots again rang into the empty blackness of space, but they were not emitted from the small Tie Fighter. This time, it was Vader’s turn to look upon the sight of a behemoth bearing down on him. The Millennium Falcon! Taken by surprise, Vader’s left wing clipped the side of the trench, sending him into a mad spin into the inky blackness of space.

Han only wished he could have seen the look on that masked idiots face. Watching his ship lose control and tumble into space, Han reacted in the only way he could think of. “YAHOO!”

“YAHOOIE!!!” Dan echoed his sentiment. The end of the trench was in sight! As the exhaust port merrily went about its business being an exhaust port, Dan increased his speed tenfold, to the point where it would put shiny blue (or even shiny yellow!) hedgehogs to shame.

“You’re all clear kid now let’s blow this thing and go home!”

“.....GADOKEN!”

With an explosive sound that echoed throughout the galaxy, the Death Star became a supernova not unlike what it had reduced Alderan to not too long ago. But, what of the hero who had vanquished this terrible evil? Wait, look there! Hanging onto the bottom of the Millennium Falcon, Dan Hibiki cried out his own words to describe his own sentiments on the situation.

“Youyouse! (Too easy!)”

Dan blinked. Twice. That was...quite an interesting dream. Making a mental note to NEVER EVER EVER watch a weekend-long-non-stop-sci-fi-marathon of CHEER again, Dan stretched to get his muscles ready to help him exit this exceedingly comfortable construct known as Ran’s Queen Sized Bed. As he casually rolled over to send his feet on a expedition to find the floor, his mind was momentarily confused as he felt a resistence against his wrist. Turning his head, he was even more confused to find a taught string tied to his wrist.

The confusion simultaneously left him and came back as he yanked on the string and a brick fell onto his head. Removing said brick from his scalp, Dan found a note attached via the incredible technological leap known as the rubber band.

Danny boy, Had to go to school, need to get some work done afterward. Be back later tonight, there’s something that resembles food in the fridge. Enjoy! ~Ran

Sighing at being left alone, while at the same time praising his hard working sister, Dan got up and went to a small wicker chair in the corner of the room. Taking a new dark green shirt from the back of the chair, Dan froze with his head bent forward as he realized what he was doing. Tossing the shirt back to the chair, he decided it wouldn’t hurt anything to wander around topless for a bit.

Dan really hadn’t had any trouble with the clothing from Bogard Store. That green shirt being an exception, he simply had no strong feelings one way or the other for what his sister had picked out. His only complaint...well....those colors were just so...so.....bland! These Khaki shorts? Ugh, drab. Black? Aside from his undershirt, who needs it? Earth tones in general? Boring boring boring! He wasn’t always the fan of pastels he was known for being. Really, he wasn’t! They just kind of grew on him. Still, earth tones...bleah.

Of course...that green shirt....Dan eyed it warily, like an old grizzly eyeing a rusty bear trap. No. He wasn’t wearing that at all. Grizzly’s don’t get to old by being stupid. Besides, it probably itched like hell.

Strolling around the bed, Dan rubbed one of his arms in a calculating manner. Yes, he felt much better with a weekends rest and about eight showers. Taking a few moments to flex his Incredible Saikyo-Power-Driven Muscles of Perfection (pat. pend.) In a full length antique mirror, Dan began to realize he’d seen many of the things in this house before. The mirror he stood before was seven feet tall, supported by small bars on the sides which let it be adjusted as needed. This mirror, for example...this was familiar....

We’re the strongest in the world!

Shaking his head, Dan began to wonder where that had come from. There was no one speaking aloud, he was sure of that....but what...

I guess I should warn everyone that Dan Hibiki’s in town!

Dan closed his eyes and shook his head again. What was going on!? He whipped his head from side to side, each part of the room burning into his mind within an instant, looking for a threat.

Quit playing, boys. It’s time for lunch!

Dan sat on the bed. Something was terribly wrong. Why was he hearing this now? Why were these bad memories coming back to him? Why wouldn’t they go away? Looking up, his eyes settled upon a bright red shape hanging from a side bar on the mirror. No...that couldn’t be...springing from the bed, Dan covered the distance in one stride and snatched up one of the objects. The brightness was some sort of trick, as the sunlight from the window had illuminated the red material for a moment. Round and shaped like a huge mitten, Dan quickly looked on the inside lining to confirm his suspicion.

“Hibiki, Go (1980)” he read off the faded words with little difficulty, nearly dropping the object. There was no mistaking what it was now. One of his fathers gloves. In fact, if memory served correctly, theses were the same ones he wore when...

Dan held the battered glove tightly to his chest. There was no mistaking it. 1980...though there was no month or day, he was quite sure his father had received these gloves when he, Dan, was born. A tear began to wander it’s way down Dan’s cheek. Why had Ran kept these? Or the mirror, for that matter? Well, the mirror he could understand....but the gloves....how did she get them back, anyway? Why were they here?

“DAN HIBIKI!” shouted an unknown voice. Dan whipped his head around to find the source of the voice. Unlike what he had heard before, there was no doubt someone was speaking aloud here. Taking another quick look around, he concluded no one appeared to be in the room. But how? That sounded like it was right behind him. The bed was still a bit messy, and a few of Ran’s stuffed animals were splayed around the pillows. A little black cat, a bunny, and for some reason, a fat little stuffed penguin. Dan turned around slowly. Maybe draw the person out again....

“DAN HIBIKI!”

Whipping around into a battle stance and dropping the glove, Dan met once again with an empty room. The bathroom door was still open, but it was so small no one could hide in there. Maybe in the hallway. Taking a cautious step forward, Dan hardly noted that the penguin seemed to have moved a few inches his way. As he passed the bed...

“DAN HIBIK !”

What the hell!? Behind him again!? But he was almost out of the room! He turned around again, and his gaze fell to the bed. The stuffed penguin had apparently stood on it’s own accord and was staring at him.

“ABOUT TIME YOU FIGURED OUT WHO IT WAS.” said the penguin. As Dan’s mouth dropped open, he made an unconscious mental note that the penguin had quite an odd voice. While someone trying to type it’s dialogue would undoubtably use all capital letters, the penguin wasn’t shouting. Dan would’ve thought that’s an odd way for a penguin to talk, but he was too preoccupied comprehending its ability to speak at all to really bother with technical things.

“IT TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH. WE HAVE MANY THINGS TO DO!” the penguin declared happily. Waddling to the side and hopping off the bed, Dan began to wonder just how bad his recent head injuries had been. As the penguin approached his feet and looked up at him, he also began to wonder what size straightjacket he wore.

“WELL, LET’S GET GOING.” said the penguin. Dan continued to stare, adding a ‘where?’ look of confusion to the already large list of confused looks fighting for power over his face. The penguin groaned, and pointed towards the mirror. “LOOK.” Dan, for lack of an alternative, did as he was told. Hey, where had fathers boxing glove gone? “NO, LOOK UP!” said the penguin. Dan caught a quick glance upward and saw a bright red shape heading for him for about a second.

BIFF!!

Dan groaned. Why, why, why did everything that hit him have to aim for his head!? Opening his eyes slowly, he gaped also began to wonder just where he was. It was...odd. He was standing on solid ground, at least he felt like it, but the sky was under his feet as well as over his head. Clouds idly drifted around him, making little cloud patterns and parting as they crashed into him. Looking down, Dan also found out that he was wearing his ‘normal’ black shirt and pink gi combo. However, looking down seemed to tickle wherever he was, because his surroundings shimmered to put him in a place that looked like an odd cross between the Arctic Circle and outer space. As he (very very slowly so as not to tickle any one, thing, or place) looked up, he saw the penguin grinning at him while floating in mid-air. Assuming one could guess where mid-air was.

“Where are we?” asked the confused Saikyo-Ryuu practitioner.

“WE ARE IN THE ASTRAL PLANE!” declared the pleased-as-punch penguin. Though Dan was an exceptionally far cry from being one of the mystically adept, even he had a basic grasp of what the Astral Plane was. It was someplace a person sent their consciousness too...or something?

“YOU MAY BE RIGHT!” said the penguin. Huh? Did Dan say that or just think it? “YOU THOUGHT IT! I CAN SENSE WHAT YOU THINK!” said the now deceptively Yoda-like penguin.

“Well...shouldn’t there be more people here? Some sort of psychic wise person out for a mental stroll?”asked the pink wonder.

“YOU MEAN LIKE AN AGED OLD HERMIT OR PERHAPS A WOMAN WITH GRAVITY-DEFYING HAIR WHO CAN THROW SPARKS FROM HER VARIOUS ARTICLES OF CLOTHING?” asked the penguin.

“Uh...sure?”

“WE ARE ALONE FOR NOW.” said the penguin. Dan wasn’t sure whether he should be relieved or scared. “YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY!” this was getting irritating “WHY IS IT IRRITATING?”

“Can we stop with the mind-reading, please?” asked the forlorn Dan. The penguin shook it’s head.

“I AM PART OF YOU. I KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.” explained the bizarre waterfowl “I AM YOUR INNER SPIRIT!”

“My inner spirit....is a penguin!?” shouted the now highly-frustrated Dan. Aside from the now startling revelation of inner spiritdom, the Voice was also getting on his nerves. The penguin nodded happily. To his credit though, he stopped doing the Voice.

“I am only one! You have more!” announced the penguin.

More? But isn’t a person only supposed to have....Isn’t there...

“You mean, there can be only one?” asked the penguin, in much the same way a schoolteacher wearing flippers would talk to a child who happens to be eight times their size. “No no, young man, there are several for your different aspects. I am simply here as the overall representative!”

Just peachy. The penguin, in addition to being the most intimate representation of his innermost thoughts, desires, and persona, was also a politician. Yep, gonna be one of those days.

“Perhaps...some music would make you feel better about this?” with a swift flipper motion, a vague tune made it’s way into Dan’s ears along with a strange lyrical translation.

Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting! Hyah!”

It was at this point Dan could be used as a human analogy for a very large volcano being pissed at a very small island full of topless hula dancers and kings with names that exceeded the ten syllable mark.

“Why the hell am I in the Arctic Circle with a damn penguin who keeps playing American disco!?” shouted the irate Saikyo-Ryuu practitioner.

“Because there is a great disturbance in the Force.” remarked the now-solemn penguin. Dan slapped his forehead. He wondered if it was too late to label the situation officially weird.

“Now now, don’t be so uptight. I was just trying to loosen you up with the Force bit.” chuckled the bemused waterfowl. Dan was not amused, and if the penguin had possessed a neck, it might have been worried about the murderous look flashing in Dan’s eyes. “Okay, seriously now. You will soon be faced with several challenges, and I’m here to make sure you can handle them.”

“What’s in it for you?” asked Dan.

“Self-preservation. Don’t forget, I’m you.”

“Then you should know if I’m ready.”

“That’s why I need to warn you, you’re not ready!”

“Oh I see, it’s me and you if I’m not ready, but it’s us that pass the challenges?”

“Don’t insult us. You don’t like that.”

“Now your just being snooty on purpose.”

“SHUT UP!!!” said the penguin before coming out of the Voice. “Now, like I was saying. First off, challenge number one. Someone is after you.”

“You mean us?”

“SILENCE!!!” commanded the power-mad penguin. Dan complied. “I cannot reveal to you who is after you, as we already know and thus telling you who is after us and at the same time, you, would be redundant.”

“....wha?” replied the boggling Dan. The penguin slapped it’s forehead. Time to move on.

“Second, you will have to make a choice. Your fate can move in several directions depending if you follow one or both paths, and when you do what.” Dan did the smart thing and just nodded. As he did so, an image shimmered into existence to his left. It was morning, and the scene was of the early sun gently rising over the horizon. Closer in the foreground, Dan realized that it was the front porch of Ran’s house. The instant recognition clicked into place, the scene changed again. This one showed a scene in the deep wilds of Japan, focusing on a small cave. Along the top of the caves entrance, a rope had been strung and several small wards made of paper swayed gently in the breeze.

“Each of these places will bring you a challenge,” the penguin began as the image faded completely, “and you must be prepared to face at least one, if not both. Lastly, there is one decision that will effect everything before you decide where to go!”

“Well if that decision came before I pick a destination, why didn’t you tell me about it sooner!?” demanded the still irritable Dan.

“Because I will not tell you what it is!” the penguin happily announced. Just as Dan was about to ignore the penguins absence of a neck and try to strangle him anyway, his vision was filled with the color red again. “Good luck, Dan!” Oh no...

BIFF!!

ColdcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldCOLD!!!

Dan shivered as sub-zero temperatures rivaling that of the Arctic Circle enveloped his body. Flinging his eyes open, he came upon the slightly disturbed face of Ran peering down at him.

“Big brother...is it normal for you to bathe fully clothed like this? And why is only the cold tap on?” she asked. Dan climbed out and stared past the bedroom to the inky blackness of the night sky. Though he was grinning outwardly as he grabbed Ran and threw her in the freezing tub, he was angrily vowing to rip that penguin doll to shreds the next time he saw it.