A trio of unusual girls jogged down the streets of Hong Kong. One had long blue hair and had a pair of *bonbori* slung on her back, a second was clad in a japanese *Seifuku* (sailor suit) done in dark colours, and the third was in a tan *gi* and carrying a travel bag.

"It's a lucky thing you decided to stop off at your dojo before coming here, Ko-chan," the fuku'd girl - Sakura Yugure - said as they jogged. "Otherwise I'd have missed you and you might have gone on without me!"

The girl she addressed, who was wearing the *gi,* snorted derisively. "Sa-chan, I know you've fought Bison before, but I don't see why having one more fighter along is such a big deal," Makoto Rindou shot back.

The blue-haired girl jumped into the conversation. "Rin-rin no understand, Xian Pu - *why* we go back to you dojo? I think that big waste of time," Rin-rin of the Jokuzetsu Amazons commented. Makoto sighed.

"I told you, Rin - I had to pick up something so we could get some good use out of that amulet you saved from the attack on your village," she replied, a tad grouchily.

Just then a sudden wind whipped past the three girls from behind, blowing their clothes and hair out in front of them.

"Huh? Wha?" Makoto asked, Rin-rin echoing her in Chinese.

Sakura chuckled. "Over there," she said, pointing at the boy on rollerblades who had skidded into visible speeds before stopping at the door to a grocery. "Somebody's got some serious speed techniques hereabouts." {I saw him go by, but I don't think Ko-chan - Makoto - did, and I don't want to rub it in before I have to,} she thought.

Makoto looked at the boy as he slipped through the door into the bustling shop. "...Yang?" she asked, before dashing toward the shop.

Before she got there, the door opened again and another *whoosh* of wind went by. Heedlessly, Makoto yanked the door open and looked inside, but found no sign of the younger Lee brother. "Where...?" she asked plaintively.

Sakura pointed down the street. "He went thataway," she said offhandedly. "You know anywhere down there he might be going?"

Makoto snapped her fingers. "Of course! The Lee house! Come on!" she yelled, dashing off down the street.

"Give me your status report, Lieutenant Yang."

It was hard to tell if that was an anime-style sweatdrop going down Yang's head or ordinary beads of sweat. "With the exception of Te Lon screaming at the random customer over underpayment, the Lons are faring quite well... *ahem* Seargent Yun. They are hard workers eager to make their cut."

Yun grinned, scratching his head. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other as he leaned on the pane of the front door. "Do I know how to choose 'em or what, little bro'? Still, they're hopeless without me."

"Then... why did grandmother insist you stay home and out of mischief?"

Yun shoved his cap over his eyes. Instead of answering he tossed Yang a towel. The younger brother accepted graciously, slinging the towel around his neck and resting on a nearby bench with a sigh. How good sitting felt after being on his feet all day. His legs agreed on that matter.

'I still haven't quite perfected the Kaihou,' the younger brother thought, 'but it's still effective enough for practical usage.' He looked up at Yun who was staring at the sky with a big grin. 'Big brother hasn't been training in awhile, I can tell. I'm worried. He hasn't sensed that danger in the air? Or is he covering his fears with his smile again?'

His reverie was interrupted by a loud cry of, "YANG!!"

Makoto, the source of the yell, hurtled in and caught Yang by surprise with an odd about-the-middle hug.

Rin-rin smiled. "Aiyah! Xian have Level Two Amazon Glomp down pat."

Sakura grinned as well. "I guess that would be Yang Lee then," she commented. "Ko-chan said he'd been kidnapped - I guess she's glad he's OK."

Yang blushed intensely. "Rindou-san...?" he asked in surprise. Yun, meanwhile, suffered a surge of jealousy and hid it by pulling his cap down over his eyes.

Makoto wasn't paying attention. "You're OK! You're OK! I went to Jokuzetsu, and I passed you on the trail but didn't know and I'm sooooo sorry, and I was so afraid something awful was going to happen because I was such an idiot!" she babbled before breaking off into sobs. Finally realizing the position she was in, she backed off, still sniffling a bit.

Of course, just then Rin-rin realized *who* her fellow Amazon had been glomping, and with a glad cheer of "YANG-AIREN!" she leaped in to demonstrate the proper use of the Amazon Glomp Level *three.*

Sakura chuckled. "Well! Someone here's popular with the girls!" she commented. Waving at Yun, she continued, "Ohayo! Yugure Sakura desu. Yoroshiku!!" (Hi!! I'm Sakura Yugure. Glad to meet you!)

Yun tipped his hat. "Dozo yoroshiku. Ore wa...." (Pleased to meet you. I'm...)

Rin-Rin looked at the speaker (not releasing Yang) and interrupted in Cantonese. "[[ROSHON! What are you doing here? And what's with the stupid hat?]]"

Yun gave her a chuckle and an odd look. "[['Fraid you got the wrong guy, little lady. The name's Yun.]]" he explained. Switching back to Japanese, he called out to Makoto. "Long time no see, good lookin'. How've you been doin'?"

Noticing Yun, Makoto was mortified. "YUN! Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even see you!! I - I was so surprised to see Yang!" she apologized, shrinking back.

Rin-Rin, who was *still* hugging Yang, nodded in understanding. "Oh! You brother of Yang-Airen from tournament! I glad to meet you!" She made a deeper nod at the end - as close as she could come to a bow without releasing Yang.

Sakura sighed. "Um, Ko-chan -"

"'Ko-chan??" Yun commented.

Sakura only blinked at him. "Yeah. We've been friends since we were kids, so I'm Sa-chan and she's Ko-chan. Anyway, we're here for a *reason,* ne?" she prodded verbally.

Yun replied while gesturing to the benches around the front door. "We've got all day. Have a seat 'n' tell us what's goin' on." Yang simply stood there looking a bit uncomfortable in Rin-rin's grip. Sakura giggled.

"Yang-san looks like Ryu when I first said I had a crush on him," she commented.

"Sa-chan!!" Makoto chided her. "...Well, after I went to Jokuzetsu..." the Rindou daughter began, telling of her adventures in Jokuzetsu and of her departure for the United States. Rin-rin took up the thread of the story of the Shadoloo assault on her home, succinctly describing each group and attacker in Chinese between bouts of sobs for her lost friends and family. The blue-haired Amazon finished her account by telling of how she found Makoto as Kho-Om had asked her to, then Makoto picked up the story again. "...and so after I stopped by the dojo, where Sa-chan was waiting for me, I came here. I'm sorry to ask after being such a fool, Yang, but - can you two help me...?" she asked in a small voice.

"*Us,* Ko-chan. Help *us," Sakura corrected.

Yun hid his anger and resentment under a small grin. "Of course we'll help you all out. It's only natural for a gentleman to help pretty ladies in need. First, tho', we gotta tell gran where we're goin' so she doesn't have t'worry about us."

Yang only thought, {If we tell her, she will worry more.}

"Come on, Yang," Yun called.

"Coming," he replied, getting up and going inside with Rin-rin still clinging to him.

"Come on in," Yun invited, holding the door open for Makoto and Sakura. Sakura went right in, but Makoto, seeming diffident and almost frightened, stopped beside Yun.

In a very small voice, she murmured, "I'm sorry, Yun... After all that, I guess I didn't help at all... and now Rin-rin's depending on *me* to - to free Aunt Comb's village..." She paused to sniffle and wipe her eyes on her *gi* sleeve. "I'm just a martial artist! I don't know if I can *do* this!! I - If I believed in myself for real I wouldn't have come asking... I - I..." Finally too wrought up to continue, she broke down and sobbed on Yun's shoulder.

His anger and resentment evaporating in the face of the young woman's need for support, Yun hugged her close. "Don't cry 'cause you're human. We all are. Put it this way - you've made it as far as winning a tournament, defeating gramps and that hoo-bah in America, then this'd be a cakewalk for you. 'Sides... I'm here for ya anytime, good lookin'," he finished with a smile - a genuine smile and not the grin he so often hid behind. Putting an arm around her shoulder, he led her inside.

As they went, Makoto managed to wrangle her sobs down to sniffles again and said, "I'm sorry, Yun-kun... I always seem to either be bringing trouble or arriving right on its heels. I wish I'd been of more help."

Any reply Yun might have made was cut off as Sakura came back out looking for the tardy two. "Oi, Ko-chan, what's the problem?" she asked.

Makoto hurriedly straightened up. "Oh! Sa-chan! N-nandemo-nai... (Nothing really..) let's go," she stonewalled. She smiled a bit at Yun, though, as she tugged his arm, saying, "Come on!"

Yun strode into the Lee kitchen, Sakura just ahead of him and Makoto at his side. "Gran! Some cute ladies followed me home," he called.

Grandma Lee smiled. "I have noticed. An interesting young lady with blue hair was holding Yang quite fondly as he went to his bedroom," she commented. Bowing to the girls, she asked, "Please come in. Would you like some tea?"

Sakura said, "That's funny, he seemed too much like Ryu to just go to his room with a girl... and yes, Obasan, tea would be delightful," just as Makoto sweatdropped.

"Bedroom?" she said in a worried tone. Turning to Yun, she whispered, "Um, Yun, in Jokuzetsu, inviting a Warrior to your room, *especially* one you're engaged to, is an invitation to... *ahem!* You know?"

As Grandma Lee got up to fetch some tea and Yun gestured for the girls to sit at the kitchen table, voices echoed from upstairs.

"AIREN! Is this your kitten? She's so adorable!" Rin-rin cried out, followed by Yang's voice saying, "Tsuchin, come here." Yang came downstairs a moment later, Tsuchin in his arms and Rin-rin close behind him.

Makoto breathed a deep sigh of relief, causing Rin-rin to shoot her a hurt look. "What? Xian should know Rin-rin no have time for fun now! Is time to help village!" the blue-haired chinawoman protested.

"Yeah," Sakura added, before putting in an aside to the brothers. "So are you going to ask her, or not?"

Grandma Lee brought the tea back to the table. As Makoto and Sakura accepted it with small bows and began to sip, Yun spoke up. "Yo, gran. Yang 'n' I are gonna be gone for awhile. Tell the Lons to run the grocery for us."

"Oh? Where are you two going?" the older woman asked.

Yun looked at Makoto, at Rin-Rin, and then back at his grandmother. "Their village has been destroyed and taken over by some supreme being wannabes. Yang 'n' I are gonna help 'em out."

Grandma Lee's face grew very solemn. "I fear that you may lose your lives..."

Yun replied more seriously than he usually did. "Gran, we ain't kids anymore. We've been taught by gramps how to fend for ourselves and defend others, and right now, others need our help. Even if you say no, gran, we're still goin'."

Grandma Lee was silent, her head hung low in worry.

Finally, Yang asked, "Please..."

At this, Grandma Lee sighed. "I understand. Do take care. But please be careful."

Yun stood up. "Thank you grandmother," he said. Turning to Makoto, he continued, "Sorry 'bout that. Let's get goin'."

Makoto stood up as well. "I apologize, Obasan, for the distress I have brought you. It is a measure of my inadequacy that I could see no other options. I am sorry," she said in formal apology, bowing deeply.

Sakura joined in as she, too, stood. "I apologize as well. I give you my word, revered grandmother, that I shall do my utmost to allow no harm to come to your grandsons."

Rin-rin chimed in. "Hai! Rin-rin protect Airen and brother to death!" she stated, placing her hand over her heart.

With that, the troop set out, grabbing a few supplies from the house on the way and heading from Hong Kong to the mountain trails.

That night, the five young warriors were sitting around a campfire in the forested foothills, having just eaten dinner.

"... so what happened with Succubus?" Makoto asked the brothers. No one noticed how Sakura jumped at the mention of a succubus, which was probably just as well. Makoto went on, "I mean, you're back," with a nod to Yang, "and nothing seems wrong, so..."

"Well..." Yun replied, a bit diffidently, but Yang was the one who answered.

"I woke up on the outskirts of Amazon Town," he began, and told the tale of what had happened to him over the last few weeks. The mention of Roshon, the jealous Amazon boy, was briefly interrupted by Makoto's admission of her rather rude treatment of the lad. Yang picked the thread back up as he told of the odd behaviour of the pet seekers he had aided. All those listening winced as he told of the Tournament of the Gods and his killing of Sofine, the image of Yun's anima. Makoto and Sakura perked up as he told of perfecting his Kaihou dash. Finally, the tale came to a close as Yang related his meeting with the mysterious Remy, his journey home and his battles with his brother, which were finally ended by the defeat of Succubus. Finally, the serious Lee looked at his older brother. "How about you?" he asked.

Yun sweatdropped. "Nothing out of the ordinary happened. But to make a long story short, Succubus is gone for good more or less, right?"

Yang scowled. "Tsuchin is afraid of you now. What happened?"

Yun coughed and tried to change the subject. "Anyway," he asked Makoto and Sakura, "what's with this 'Ko-chan' and 'Sa-chan' business?"

Yang silently stared at his brother, who determinedly watched Makoto so as to keep his gaze away from Yang's.

Sakura grinned widely at Yun's question, while Makoto groaned "Oh, no..." and dropped her head into her hands.

Sakura began: "Well, it was back when I was training to go find Ryu."

Yun interrupted her. "*THE* Ryu? Ryu Hoshi?"

"Yup," Sakura nodded. "Anyway, I needed to learn some grappling, and I came to the Rindou Dojo. I was about 13, I guess, and Ko-chan there was maybe 11. We trained for a bit together, and we started using the nicknames then. I met Mrs. Rindou - Makoto's mom - then. She was the only mother I ever knew who approved of my training. My own mom never saw why I did it - she sort of just quit paying attention to me unless I was doing 'normal' stuff like school. Mrs. Rindou was different - she understood." Stopping and looking at Makoto, the girl apologized, "I'm sorry she's gone... if I'd known I'd have come to the ceremony..."

Makoto smiled. "You had no way of knowing. You were off on the second Alpha tourney then!" she said brightly, bringing a grin back to Sakura's face.

"Yeah, but I still feel bad about it," she explained before going on. "And then there was Kho-Om," she began.

Makoto recoiled in mock surprise. "You got the name right!" she joked.

"Urusai!!" retorted Sakura, headlocking Makoto. In a smooth twist, Makoto shrugged her off. "Whoop! Nice!" the elder girl noted, then went on. "...anyway, Comb was cool. She taught me the speed punch that makes my Sho-Oh-Ken so nasty. During all this, Ko-chan and I started acting like sisters... I never had a sister, by blood, I mean. So we used the nicknames."

Makoto still looked a bit puzzled. "But how'd you know..?"

"...about the village?" Sakura finished. "I... Um... well, I kind of went through a lot. Big powerup, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone else... and then I met Morri-neesan. We kind of adopted each other, and she knew this guy - she was sweet on him, but there was another, long story - and he was a friend of the Amazons but honorbound not to interfere, He told me about the village attack and I came to talk to Kho-Om..." Sakura trailed off.

Makoto finished for her. "..and she was gone."

"... I see..." said Yang, a serious expression on his face.

The only reply from Yun's position was a loud, 'GRRRR.... ZZZZZZZZ.'

Rin-rin smacked him, causing him to start half-awake. "Aiyah! ROSHON! Wake up!" she cried. "How rude of you!"

Yang *might* have smiled at that. A bit. A small bit. The possible smile vanished as he turned to Makoto, though. "...Rindou-san, may I ask you a favor?" he inquired.

Makoto blinked at him. "Eh? Like what?"

"Big brother hasn't been training for the past few days," Yang replied. "Please train with him tonight."

"Huh? OH! Sure!" Makoto agreed, then gave the still half-asleep Yun a sly grin. "Been slacking off? Better watch it, China boy!" she cried with a grin, striking an overdramatic martial-arts pose. "Or you might get run down by the Rindou Express!"

"Huh, wha...? Someone was overfeedin' the cat's laundry...?" Yun asked, still not awake.

"HAYATE!"

"Okay, okay, I'm up!" he said, rolling arse-over-teakettle from the Hayate's impact. Flipping to his feet, he leaned over onto one leg. (Note: it's his 2nd Impact opening.) "Let's get goin'." he said.

"Hyah!" cried Makoto, leaping at him with a jump-kick.

As Yun and Makoto got into it, Sakura stood up and looked over at Yang and Rin-rin. "Actually, Yang-san, I wouldn't mind getting a feel for what you and Rin-rin can do, either. Would a free-for-all spar be OK?" she asked.

Yang looked down at his legs and shook his head. "I need a rest tonight. Sorry," he replied.

"Then Rin-Rin become twice the force she is now!" the Amazon cried, drawing her bonbori.

"Okay!" Sakura answered, and the melee was on.

Yang, watching from the campfire, had a proverbial ringside seat to an astounding display of violence. It didn't take long for the two one-on-one fights to spill into each other and become a four-way free-for-all.

The four traded opponents often, sometimes attacking more than one target in a quick sequence, then having to evade the irate victims. At one point, Sakura leapt back away from the other three and began hurling her Hadoken fireballs at all of them. Yun deliberately took the hit from his, hardly even blocking.

{Hmm,} Yang thought, {Big brother is trying to accustom himself to punishment by deliberately accepting blows. He has taken several more I believe he should have been able to block or counter.}

Makoto wound up, seemingly letting herself in for pain by taking a parry stance. Yang blinked as Makoto swung her hand out in a parry - and the fireball she struck was snuffed out with a 'whoomp!'

"YA TA! It *does* work in general, not just on weak stuff! Yun, you gather *chi* around your hand like the Fukiage or Kobukushi and you can parry fireballs, just snuff 'em out!" Makoto cried, and Yang took mental note of the move for future use.

The third Hadoken was headed for the more distant Rin-rin, and Yang tracked its progress, aware that the Amazon girl had no *chi* aura moves like the Fukiage or Kobukushi to parry the fireball with. The Chinese girl took one step to the side and aligned her two bonbori like a pair of croquet balls, then just before the fireball arrived, swung the rear one back and smashed it into the front one. Despite being made of wood, the front bonbori *gong*ed resoundingly, a small wave of energy appearing in front of the foremost weapon - and when the fireball struck that, it rebounded, shooting back toward Sakura.

The fuku'ed girl quickly countered it with a second Hadoken, then yelled, "*Where* did you pick *that* move up?? It's nothing like Rose's reflector..."

Rin-rin grinned before answering. "It gift to village from ancient Darkstalker ally, called Hsien-Ko! She chinese girl who become ghost with her sister to fight evil Darkstalkers years ago. When she pass though village, she realize our strength, teach Reflecting Gong to elder because many many Darkstalkers use fireball magic, ne? Rin-Rin may have bad memory but she no forget fighting technique."

Yang noticed Sakura jump at the mention of Darkstalkers, and wondered if the girl had been in a bad experience with one. {It seems a reasonable idea, given her reaction to hearing of Succubus earlier,} he noted.

Meanwhile, all the fighters had closed in on each other again. Rin-rin was doing her level best to hammer Sakura into paper-thinness, while Makoto and Yun both superjumped to avoid the two powerhouses and traded air strikes and parries all the way back down. Rin-rin launched into a spin with both bonbori extended, causing Sakura to leap back and yell something about the old World Warrior Zangief. As she charged back in with her Sho-Oh-Ken uppercut, Makoto and Yun hit the ground - and lifted off again almost at once, again trading blows, blocks and parries both rising and falling. As they landed, they were right in the midst of Sakura and Rin-rin, and another brawl ensued.

The dust cleared as Sakura tripped everyone else with a spinning foot-sweep, and blocked Rin-rin's nip-up bonbori smash. Both Yun and Makoto saw opportunity knocking and acted - Makoto hopping away and coming back in with a Hayate while Yun wound up for his dakai, the punch where anyone in front of his hands was sent flying, aiming to catch both schoolgirl and Amazon.

Unfortunately Sakura superjumped a second before the moves could connect, and Makoto found herself skidding wide-eyed right into the dakai. "EEP!" she managed, just before the *chi* punch sent both her and Rin-rin into separate trees.

"Good-lookin'!" Yun cried, then glared up at the airborne Sakura. "HEY!" he yelled, superjumping up after her.

Yang winced as he saw Sakura set herself: sure enough, a kick pre-empted Yun's flying punch, and Sakura hit him no less than six times in quick succession with different punches and kicks, closing off the combination with a Sho-Oh-Ken that was actually preceded (and pulled along by) a wave of *chi* nearly eight feet high. Yun was further pummelled by this and crashed to the ground.

Yang sighed. "... And that's what happens when big brother slacks on training," he murmured with a flat expression.

Sakura's hearing seemed unusually sharp, because she heard him even though she was still airborne. "You're one to talk, watching the whole thing!" she chided, launching a midair Hadoken at him.

Makoto, who pried herself off her tree just in time to see that, yelled "*Hey!* Sa-chan!!!" and gave the girl a Hayate to welcome her back to the ground. Sakura went flying.

Yun kippuped as Sakura was slammed his way and saw the fireball heading for Yang. "Don't touch my brother!" he cried out, performing a Zessho Hohou and slamming her back the other way into a small tree, which broke.

Yang quickly attempted the *chi* parry Makoto had described earlier and was gratified to see it worked. "Hmm..?" he answered absently.

Rin-rin, who had been rushing to his aid yelling 'Airen' the whole way, stopped and stared.

Yang wasn't watching her. {All in all, big brother and I are just human with no true special abilities compared to the rest of them. I wonder if big brother is thinking the same...} he thought.

Sakura pulled herself out of the pile of broken tree limbs with a set of ugly cracking noises. {Good thing I can heal or I'd be in a world of hurt after those two punches. Boy they hit hard!} she mused, then felt... something... and looked over at Yang. "Ow," she commented to no one in particular before asking, "Yang-san, are you feeling uneasy? I just sort of... sensed somethng.."

Makoto winced at the noise Sakura made getting up, and Rin-rin was now staring at the schoolgirl and not her potential husband.

"Sa-chan, are you OK!!??" Makoto asked, while Rin-rin muttered, "Aiyah... I no hear noise like that since I listen to Khu Luong do morning stretch..." with a fair degree of awe.

Yang ignored the side comments. "...It's nothing," he assured Sakura. He might have said more, but Yun came back to the group.

"You ladies done already?" he asked.

"Hmm," Sakura replied. "Well, I have a good idea of what you all can do now..." she paused to stretch her back, her spine making more crackling noise. "...and that poor tree left me a bit stiff. Rin-rin, you still want to spar with them?" she inquired.

Rin-rin blinked with a dismayed look. "Aiyah... I no want fight Airen's brother who look like Roshon."

Sakura shrugged. "Then come talk to me. I want to hear more about this bunch of Shadoloo fighters." The two moved to sit by the fire with Yang, and Rin-Rin began to explain about the powerful warriors who had turned the tide against her village - the oblivious Ice Spirit, the cybernetic Bruticus, Sibilant the serpent-woman, the oddly sorrowful powerhouse Akiko Tendo, and the force leader, Shidoshi Himura, who had proclaimed her heritage as leading back to the famous swordsman Kenshin Himura.

Makoto's face became a tight scowl as she heard that last fact, and her hand crept up under her *gi* to clasp the amulet Rin-Rin had given her - and the two small swords, Kodachi, that were her grandfather's legacy. {I won't let this woman get away with sullying the Himura name that way,} she vowed silently.

Yun, in an odd echo of her thoughts, stated, "They'll be extra dirt once we're done with 'em."

Nodding to herself, Makoto slipped up behind Yun as the others talked about the enemy fighters. "Hey, still want to practice..?" she whispered, tapping him on the shoulder and, when he looked back at her, jerking her head toward the darkening forest.

"Sure, good lookin'," he replied just as quietly.

Unaware of this exchange, Sakura began to make plans. "Okay, now how do we plan to take them on...? And let's not forget those troops, either," she noted aloud.

The last thing Makoto and Yun heard from the fire was Rin-rin saying, "Sakura have teleport ability, yes? You teleport away from Rin-rin in fight. Sakura surprise with air attack. Rin-Rin can enter and warn children to flee while rest of us attack guards."

The noise from the campfire faded into the background as the boy and girl moved further away. Makoto turned to the elder Lee and sighed. "I'm a bit worried, Yun-kun... oh hell, I'm scared. These fighters are dangerous! We really need to improve, especially our speed. You ready?" she asked, setting her stance and preparing for a high-speed exchange of strikes and parries.

Yun nodded and grinned. "You come at me with everything you got. I ain't holdin' back," he warned, moving into a stance of his own.

"Right!" Makoto answered, and the punches and kicks flew at an ever-faster pace.

For hours.

Finally, Makoto backed away from Yun after they traded punches that were a bit limp-wristed on both sides. "Okay... maybe... a break... would be... a good... idea..." she panted. "Okay?"

"*whew* Yeah... good idea..." Yun answered, breaking off to gasp for breath, "..good lookin'... You ... wanna call it a night? You can only do so much in a day, or night, or whatever," he pointed out.

"Okay," Makoto replied, and the two began to stagger back to camp. As they went, Makoto murmured to Yun, "...Yun, I'm kind of intimidated here. Sure, the enemies are tough. But Sa-chan... she's done some things I didn't think were possible... and she's not quite the same as she was. I mean, she said she's been through a lot, but..." Unable to sort it out, she trailed off in frustration. "Oh I don't know what I mean!" she said.

Yun grinned at her. "Don't worry 'bout it. My instincts tell me that you'll be able to do somethin' she'll never be able to do in a million years."

Makoto reached under her *gi* to touch the amulet again. "Yeah, maybe. I still wish I knew..." She broke off as the campfire came into view, the three others slumped around it asleep. She finished in a whisper, "...knew what happened to her."

"'Her?'" Yun asked.

Then both Yun and Makoto jumped as Sakura answered, without raising her head from where she seemed to be asleep. "I think she means me, Yun." She rolled over to look at the two. "I was kind of waiting for you. Wasn't sure if you were OK - shadoloo patrols might have been ranging around." She sighed, obviously worried. "I know it's going to be odd, Ko-chan..." she said, sitting up and placing her hands in her lap like a contrite child, "...but I'm not quite the Sakura you think I am. I wanted to explain to just you, but I guess this'll do," she began, and proceeded to explain how she had come to exist as a separate being from Sakura Kasugano, from going to meet Ryu at his dojo to the fight with Apocalypse and going home to find herself already there. "...and that's why I changed my name. I'm sorry..." she finished.

"Intense..." Yun said, but made no other comment.

"So there are two of you now? I mean..." Makoto began, but fell silent, her mind still trying to grasp the concept.

Sakura nodded. "Yup. Ryu and Rose helped me understand what happened, and... someone else... showed me I have a life of my own, and I don't need or want to kick my sister-self out of hers," she finished. Seeing Makoto's face lose most of its concern and worry, Sakura decided to change the subject. "What puzzles me is who's leading Shadoloo. I *Saw* Bison die after Ryu Shin-Shoryukened him..." she said, her face growing dark.

Yun grinned. "You cute girls worry over the smallest things. What's done is done. Who cares about how you came about to be? You're here now an' you have a whole life in front of ya. Don't go wastin' it all on worryin' what happened." Pausing, he stretched, his joints popping. "See y'all in the mornin'," he said, laid down, pushed his cap over his eyes, and promptly fell asleep.

Makoto began to wobble on her feet. "I didn't realize how tired I was 'till he did that..." she said sleepily, finishing, "Yun-kun no baka..."

Sakura shrugged and laid back down herself. "Oyasumi nasai (Good night), Ko-chan." In moments, her breathing deepened into sleep as well.

"Oyasumi, Sa-chan the Second," Makoto replied before yawning hugely. "Big... help... *YAWN* you... were..." she murmured, sinking down to the ground and snuggling against something warm before going out like a light.

The rays of morning sunlight shone down upon Yun's face, forcing his eyelids open. Grunting, he shook himself awake and would have sat up if it were not for the fact a certain warm presence was stuck upon his torso.

He raised his head - and one hand to maintain his balance - to see Makoto sleeping peacefully on his chest, holding his shirt as she would a comfortable pillow. Yun was naturally surprised, but even moreso as he found his *other* arm held her closer to him. His first reaction was to move away. But instead, he resisted.

Her sleeping face was so peaceful - cute even. Her body was so warm, and she softly muttered names of people close to her.

'Not like anyone else is awake.' Yun thought with relief, deciding to keep his arm around Makoto until anyone else awakened. He liked this.

The peace of the scene was marred when Sakura stretched with a similar snap-crackle-pop to the noise she made last night. The noise was rather loud, and Makoto (among others) snapped awake at the sudden sound.

Makoto's eyes got rather wide as she took note of the arm snugged around her waist - then got even wider as her motion brought the arm in contact with her upper torso.

The clearing resounded to the sound of a *THUD* and the battlecry (a bit too familiar to Yun) of "YUN NO BAKA!"

Rin-rin winced. "Aiyah! I think Xian take out anger at Roshon on brother of Airen."

Yang calmly replied, "No, this has happened before she went to your village, by my brother's account. It must be love," he said with an admirably straight face.

Sakura stared at him. "Yang, did you just make a joke??"

Yang gazed at her evenly, and she decided the idea was just too silly and looked away. "Now I hope you two can get along better than this when we free the village," Sakura joked to Makoto and Yun, who were staring in shock at Yang.

That snapped them out of it, and as the five broke camp the spirited argument over love (or the lack thereof) gradually became a discussion of plans to free the village just a few mountain passes away.