Twin fists collided in the center of a small field with such intensity that the ground shattered beneath the two fighters, who never registered the power of their strikes as they continued to strike at each other. One of the warriors was clad in darkness and death, with an aura of wrath that was so powerful that every pony in Ponyville felt the rage. The other warrior was cloaked in a white light that felt of nothing, practically masking his strength and emotions.
With a bellow of wrath Evil Ryu lunged at Ryu, striking and slashing at his foe with no emotion within his soul except to murder. Yet even in the face of such overwhelming murderous power, Ryu's face didn't fracture for a moment as he deflected or parried each of the attacks that would have torn a normal being asunder. Evil Ryu lashed out with his elbow and aimed it at Ryu's throat, but the white clad warrior caught the elbow with his hand.
"It ends today, Ryu," Evil Ryu snarled, straining against his most hated adversary with all of his strength. The dark power of the Satsui no Hado flowed through his veins, but to his increasing frustration he found that Ryu now matched him in power. "One of us will fall today. And I plan on it being YOU!"
Evil Ryu exploded with dark energy as he hurled a kick at Ryu's head. Ryu ducked underneath of the kick before striking out with a quick jab that struck his evil half in the side. Evil Ryu snarled and struck out with the back of his hand, catching Ryu off guard and striking him in the side of the skull. Ryu recovered quickly after the strike and retaliated with a hard blow to the sternum, before he followed up with a low sweep that knocked Evil Ryu's feet out from under him.
"Indeed, today it does end," Ryu agreed with a voice that shook with power, while his eyes were shining with a divine light. He hurled a kick into Evil Ryu's stomach, only for his foot to be caught by Evil Ryu's hands. Ryu then leapt up with his other foot and drove the top of it into the side of Evil Ryu's head, causing him to roar in pain as he dropped Ryu's foot and staggered back. "But today will be the day that I will finally defeat you. Today will finally be the day that I destroy you!"
Ryu struck out with a fist packed with power, yet with his speed enhanced by the darkness Evil Ryu ducked out of the way before driving a knee into Ryu's stomach. Ryu let out a grunt of pain as he doubled over slightly, leaving him open to a spin kick that sent Ryu tumbling backwards into the grass. Ryu kicked up to his feet just in time to dodged a right hook that would have taken his head off. Ryu grabbed the arm that had missed him and placed the elbow over his shoulder. With a roar Ryu snapped the arm down, but Evil Ryu's other arm grabbed hold of Ryu's arms to stop him from breaking his limb.
"Using your newfound power to destroy your greatest enemy? It seems that you have not abandoned the ways of the Dark Hado after all," Evil Ryu snickered with a smile that would haunt Ryu's nightmares. Ryu's eyes narrowed at his evil counterparts words before Evil Ryu kicked him in the chest and caused the two to return to neutral.
"Ryu..." Tiara whispered as the two launched themselves at each other once again.
"This is quite the battle," the hermit said to Diamond Tiara as he appeared next to her, causing the filly to yelp at his sudden appearance. "It seems that the both of them are physically equal to one another. I have rarely seen this kind of outcome."
"Y-yeah? Well Evil Ryu is going to lose! Because Ryu will never give in!" Tiara said with as much confidence she could muster. The hermit then turned his head to the filly, whose courage melted into fear and she backed away from him with terror.
"Perhaps you are right. But as the physical battle is a tie, this fight will come down to a mental battle. Which one of them has the drive to give it all," the hermit pondered before ducking to the right as a purple and black hadouken flew past his head. "But there is also the issue of destiny...and where it will take Ryu. That is what I cannot wait to see."
Ryu grunted as a palm strike slammed into his shoulder, sending him skidding backwards. Ryu dug his feet into the ground and ceased his momentum before lunging back into the battle. A quick left caught Evil Ryu under the chin and left him open to a follow up kick that went right into the side of Evil Ryu's knee. The dark Ryu collapsed to one knee with a growl, before he was silenced by an elbow to the face that drew blood. Evil Ryu bellowed before he leapt back, wiping it away with the back of his glove as he glared at Ryu.
A thin smile crossed Ryu's face as he brought his fists back up. Evil Ryu snarled as he marched back into the fray, deflecting Ryu's quick punch with the back of his hand before slamming the front of his skull into the face of Ryu. Ryu snarled as blood spurted from his nose and he leapt back to try and get some distance, only for Evil Ryu to be upon him once more. Ryu blocked an overhead chop before lashing out with a side kick that struck under the ribs. Evil Ryu tightened up to take the hit before his fist lashed out and planted itself into Ryu's chest, sending him hurtling backwards.
"Frustrating, isn't it?" Ryu asked Evil Ryu as he rose back up to his fighting stance, giving Evil Ryu a smile that infuriated the demon even further. "That you are no longer stronger than me? That after all this time you are finally free of me...and now you will be destroyed by the very one you've spent so long trying to kill. It's almost poetic."
Evil Ryu snarled with rage, but then the rage faded away as the dark warrior began to laugh. Ryu's eyes narrowed as the wielder of the dark hado threw back his head and cackled at the sky, before he raised his hand into the air. Dark thunderclouds that crackled with lightning began to circle around the battlefield, while little droplets of rain started to fall upon the combatants.
"It is frustrating that I cannot kill you so easily. But this battle? It is mine. And no amount of power that you believe you can possess with change that outcome." Evil Ryu then hurled himself forward even faster than before, catching Ryu off guard and leaving him open to a kick to the stomach that cracked bone. Ryu spat out blood before he went crashing into the ground, kicking up dirt and grass as he tumbled. His white aura burned brightly as he shot back up to his feet, leaping into the air and kicking Evil Ryu right in the center of his face.
The moment he landed Ryu sent out a punch right into the chest of evil Ryu, before crouching down and driving a close punch into the gut of Evil Ryu. Ryu then spun around and extended his foot, snapping Evil Ryu in the side of the head with a spin kick of his own. It was Evil Ryu's turn to take a tumble through the grass, but when he pushed himself back up he still wore a smile upon his face.
"This is the ultimate power of my master. The power that I sought for so long. A power that is beyond that of the Satsui no Hado," Ryu informed Evil Ryu as he concentrated all of his power into his hands, his eyes shining with the light of the stars as he glared up at his evil counterpart. "This is the power of my destiny. This is the power that shall defeat you! Shinku..."
"HADOUKEN!"
A colossal blast of energy erupted from Ryu's hands and tore across the ground as it hurtled towards Evil Ryu, who bellowed as his dark aura burned with even more power before he extended both of his hands towards the attack. A massive explosion of energy consumed the evil warrior, creating a cloud of dust and debris that washed over both fighters and spectators alike. Only Ryu was still visible in the dust cloud due to his white aura, but neither Ryu nor Tiara could see any trace of the dark aura. The dust eventually died down and revealed the fate of the evil warrior...and all that was left of him, which was a red headband that was torn apart.
"And with that...it is finished," Ryu said with confidence as he closed his eyes and let out a sigh, a smile crossing his face as he felt the joy of victory begin to wash over him. His eyes then snapped open as he felt a surge of murderous intent blaze behind him and he lashed out with his elbow, only for it to be caught be Evil Ryu's hand. "So, you didn't die from that attack? Then it seems I can no longer go easy on you!"
"If you have been holding back against me, then you have dug your own grave!" Evil Ryu bellowed as he slammed his palm into Ryu's stomach, causing him to cough up more blood. Ryu gritted his teeth before striking up with his knee, catching Evil Ryu between the legs with such force that even the spectators heard something pop. Evil Ryu roared with pain before he slashed across Ryu's chest with his hand, drawing blood as his fingers sliced through flesh.
"Still think he's going to win?" the hermit asked Tiara as he glanced down at the filly, who was watching the battle with terror in her eyes.
"Of course he's going to win. He's Ryu. He'll overcome his dark side...he has to," she whispered, but her expression alone drew a smile across the hermit's face.
The warriors clashed once more before they both leapt back, both of them breathing heavily as they stared the other down. The rain had come to a stop and the sky above was still, the dark clouds devoid of sound as they awaited the victory of the battle. Evil Ryu and Ryu glared down each other one last time before they both lunged forward, each of them tucking their arms down to their sides as they reached each other.
"Shin..."
"Go..."
"SHORYUKEN!"
The two fighters fists clashed in the air, striking each other with such strength and ferocity that the a hole was torn in the clouds above the both of them. The two sailed passed each other with fists held high, before a moment later they both came crashing back down to the earth below. Both Ryu and Evil Ryu landed on one knee, each of them taking in a moment to register what had happened. The both of them simultaneously rose to their feet...before a geyser of blood erupted from Ryu's chest.
"RYU!" Tiara screamed as Ryu's white aura faded away and the blood rained down upon him. Ryu fell to his knees, barely registering the pain as his body began to go numb. Ryu then slowly moved a hand to his chest, feeling the warm and sticky blood that was pouring from his chest. He raised his hand to see it was drenched in blood, but also that the white aura, the power of nothingness, was gone.
"How...?" he croaked out weakly as he slowly turned his head towards Evil Ryu, who was walking up beside him. "The power...of nothingness was my masters...my fathers greatest technique. It could...defeat...even a master of the Dark Hado. How...?"
"How?!" Evil Ryu roared before he slammed a fist into the side of Ryu's face, knocking the warrior flat. Evil Ryu grabbed Ryu by the front of his gi and hoisted him up so that Ryu was looking right into the dark eyes of the evil warrior. "Because as you said, the power of nothingness is achieved by surrendering yourself to destiny. But what you failed to grasp Ryu, is that your destiny...ends with me!"
Evil Ryu then slammed a foot into the side of Ryu's stomach, lifting him off of the ground and hurling him across the clearing. Ryu let out a weak cough after he crashed into the grass, which had become painted red with the blood he was losing. Ryu placed a hand on the ground and tried to push himself back up, but his strength had abandoned him.
"I am your destiny, Ryu! I am what you will become, no matter how hard you fight against me!" Evil Ryu bellowed as he landed on top of Ryu knee first, causing Ryu to scream in pain as his ribs shattered under the blow. Evil Ryu began to unload rights and lefts into the face of Ryu, who was too weak to lift his arms to defends himself. Evil Ryu then grabbed Ryu by the back of his head and rose up, lifting Ryu by his head while the warrior dangled helplessly.
"Your will has failed you. Your masters teachings have failed you. And your strength has failed you," Evil Ryu said to Ryu, who was too weak to even utter a reply. "All that you once had is gone and now you are alone. Alone with the true you. I want you to remember how it feels Ryu," Evil Ryu began as he brought his arm back, taking aim at where Ryu's heart was. "As I send you to hell!"
"Hadouken!"
Evil Ryu's hand stopped mere inches away from Ryu's back as he felt a small burst of energy strike him in the back of the head. Evil Ryu then slowly turned his head to see Diamond Tiara standing a good twenty feet away from him, forehooves outstretched as she stood in the hadouken stance. Her whole body shook with terror and her lips quivered in fear, but within her eyes Evil Ryu saw a will that infuriated him.
"No...you cannot die yet," Evil Ryu whispered before he dropped Ryu to the ground, before he turned and began to march towards Tiara. "Not until I have taken everything from you...like your student."
'Tiara...' Ryu weakly thought as the filly began to back away from Evil Ryu, who walked towards her as if he had all the time in the world. 'I am so sorry. I do not have the strength to beat him. Even the Satsui no Hado, even the dark power that I have held within me all of this time, has abandoned me at the end. I am so weak. I could not stop him. This is where my journey ends. This where all the training and fighting has led me. If only I were stronger. If only I had-'
'Selfish.'
Ryu's eyes widened slightly as the word echoed across his mind once more and for a moment the pain and the suffering that he was going through subsided for a brief moment. And in that moment Ryu saw his entire time in Equestria. How he had arrived for his own goals. How he had agreed to go with Filthy and his family for his own goals. How every battle, every action...every time he ignored Tiara to train by himself had been for his own personal goals. And in that moment did Filthy's words finally make sense to him.
'...I am a fool. All this time, I have been so concerned with myself. Every action I have taken has been solely for my sake, even at the risk or expense of others. I was so concerned on finding the strength to defeat the darkness myself...that I forgot about those who stood beside me,' Ryu realized, both guilt and hatred towards himself boiling within. 'I am selfish. I am a warrior that fights only for himself. A warrior that fights alone. So it is only fitting that I die alone.'
The Ryu shifted his bleary eyes towards Tiara, who was still running from Evil Ryu. But the warrior of darkness was too fast for her and Ryu knew that she couldn't escape him forever. 'But she...she has so much courage in her. She stayed by me when I was selfish. She put me above her own needs, a stranger in her land who sought to be alone. And even now, even after I've lost, she has the courage to stand by me, to battle my demon when I could not...she speaks about how she wishes to be better, but she is far beyond me. And all this time, she has been sharing that strength with me.'
Ryu then clenched his fist as he felt the faintest traces of his power course through his body. 'And yet she will die, die because of my weakness. Die believing that the darkness within one self cannot be overcome. Cannot be bested. All because I could not be as strong as she was! And even if she lives, she will carry that with her the rest of her life! She will always fear her other side!'
Ryu then slammed his fist into the ground as he forced his body to move, forced himself to push past the pain and the agony to slowly rise back up. Tears poured from his eyes from the pain, but he forced himself to keep going, not stopping until he placed one foot under him...and then he pushed himself even further.
'Master...if you can hear me, know that I have failed you. I could not become the student that you wanted me to be. I cannot defeat my darkness in battle,' Ryu said as he placed another foot under himself, feeling his muscles screaming at him to stop. 'But though I have failed you, I cannot fail her. I cannot let her live the rest of her life believing that the darkness within ones heart cannot be bested! Even if it kills me, even if my soul is damned for eternity, I will show her that you can never surrender to the darkness!'
'I will fight,' Ryu promised as he rose back to his feet one last time, swaying on unsteady feet as he slowly raised his arms. He couldn't hear when Tiara called out his name and he could barely see Evil Ryu turn to look at him because of the pain. But as he took up his fighting stance once more, as he prepared for his final battle, he was not afraid. 'I will fight. Not for my sake, for I am a lost cause. All my life I have fought for me. But now, against my greatest foe, I no longer fight for me. I fight for her.'
Evil Ryu let out a roar that shook the planet as he lunged at Ryu, taking aim at the warriors chest as he lashed out with his fist.
"Today I stop fighting for solely myself," Ryu whispered in a cracked voice before he summoned what little strength he had left before he brought his fist back, taking aim at the dark warrior. "Today I leave that part of me behind! Today I fight for more than just the battle! To save her I will go...beyond the battle!"