Fatal Fury Fan Fiction ❯ Fatal Fury: Terry and Sulia ❯ Whole Once More ( Chapter 3 )

Whole Once More

With Sulia's spirit leading the way it didn't take them that long to find her body. The mansion before them loomed hauntingly. It didn't surprise any of them that the man who owned that building would be taken with preserving a dead body.

They knocked on the door. When no one answered they considered sneaking into the mansion. They all took different routes, hoping that nothing they did would cause any kind of problem. The breaking in went surprisingly well. No alarms. No guards. No dogs. Everyone was surprised at these events, but none of them were foolish enough to comment on them. Perhaps the man who owned the mansion thought its appearance would be enough to scare away any intruders. That probably worked too, but these intruders had a purpose.

When they finally found each other in the huge parlor of the mansion, they separated into groups and began their search. They searched the entire mansion, unendingly. It led them nowhere. No trap doors, no displays; nothing to give them a clue of where Sulia's body could possibly be.

"Where the hell is it?" Joe asked frustrated as he sat on a chair in the library, where all of them had gathered after thoroughly searching the entire mansion. It had taken almost the entire day. During all of that time the owner had not returned and they had run into no problems, except not being able to find Sulia's body. Mai and Andy collapsed on a couch. Andy shook his head in frustration.

"Terry, how are we going to find her before the owner gets back? We searched the entire house already. And we've found nothing," Andy stated in frustration and exhaustion.

Terry was still searching the library along with Laela. "Don't worry, Andy. We'll find her. We have the medium that Sulia's guiding. Right, Laela?"

Laela nodded and murmured, "It has got to be around here somewhere." She paused and took a deep breath. "I can feel it."

"That helps." Terry and Laela shot Joe a disgusted and an irritated look. Terry shook his head and then returned to searching as Mai began to lecture Joe on his manners. Joe and Andy rolled their eyes as Laela gazed at the titles of books. Suddenly she saw one that made Sulia shimmer about her. Everyone saw the glimmer. Mai, Andy and Joe quickly stood up and Terry approached her. Laela reached for the book. When she removed it, the desk on the other side of the room began to slide across the floor. A staircase was revealed beneath it. No one questioned anything; they knew what had happened and they were all glad. All they did was follow Laela down the staircase, knowing that it was Sulia guiding her to her body and to her freedom from the spirit world.

When they reached the bottom of the steps, they entered a room filled with artifacts. They hung from the walls, were displayed everywhere. But other than the artifacts nothing decorated the walls. They were all barren but for the artifacts that hung on display and decorated the corners and the floor of the strange room.

Suddenly, their eyes fell upon a display that lay in the back of the large room. A display that was surrounded with the symbols of Godamus. As they all approached it, their hearts quickened. Surrounded by the Godamus hieroglyphics was a huge glass coffin. Inside the huge, coffin-like display case lay the body of Sulia. Her hair had been kept trim, as if someone wanted to preserve her just the way she was before. She was clothed in the garb of a female warrior from the time of Godamus. Her skin seemed to glow with health and life and…with something else. They didn't worry about it. It was enough with the extremely slow rise of her chest and the glistening of her living flesh that gave them hope. If she was dead, truly dead, she wouldn't look so healthy or alive nor be able to breathe...no matter how slow.

Laela wasted no time. She opened the case and held her arms wide. Everyone watched spellbound as she began to chant strange words that seemed to have no meaning. Her body slowly moved in a rocking motion from side to side. Wind appeared from nowhere and began to swirl about her from the ground, shinning lights also forming with each murmured word. But the group knew the words had meaning the moment they saw the sparks of light surrounding Sulia's body as well as Laela. Laela's words began to increase in speed and the glowing lights accelerated with the words. The lights shimmered with Sulia's essence, her sacrifice, her laughter, and her love. They circled her more and more rapidly with every word Laela uttered. Soon the words jumbled together, till they sounded like one huge, never ending word. Suddenly with a cry from Laela's throat, a blast of light surrounded Sulia. The blast eased away and the sparks seeped into Sulia's body with a quick blow, and she arched off the platform gasping for the breath of life that had been ruthlessly denied to her till now. Terry quickly rushed to her and took her into his arms, holding her tightly as she gasped for breath. Every breath being a whispered, "Terry…"

Laela had collapsed into Joe's arms, weak and on the verge of unconsciousness. "Did I do it?" she murmured harshly.

Joe smiled at her. "Yeah. You saved her."

Laela smiled.

At that moment, the owner of the mansion appeared through another hidden doorway from one of the corners of the room.

"Who are all of you?! And what are you doing with my artifact!"

"She is not an artifact!" Mai cried out and positioned herself between the owner and Sulia. Andy stood beside her. Joe was holding the weak Laela, while Terry was slowly lifting Sulia in his arms.

"You can't remove her! She'll surely die! Leave her there!" cried the owner, when he saw her in Terry's arms.

Terry shook his head. "She lives. And we're taking her from here. Don't try to stop us."

The owner looked like he was about to burst a vein. "You can't! She belongs to me! I found her!"

"She's our friend!" Mai shouted back at the man. "Plus," she said more calmly. She pointed to Terry. "He's in love with her. You couldn't stop us any more than you could an oncoming train. So don't try."

Terry turned-his eyes cold and hard, full of determination-and began to walk toward the staircase, Joe following him carrying the unconscious Laela. Mai and Andy slowly followed making sure the owner tried nothing as they left.

He did. He quickly reached toward an unseen button of the side, sounding off an alarm that echoed throughout the room. The group quickly winced and covered their ears from the annoying siren. Terry's eyes blazed with fury as robotic men came from the ceiling, each one about twice the size of Terry.

There were about a hundred of them.

Mai and Andy prepared themselves and began to attack as Joe and Terry slowly put down the two weak women and went quickly to Mai and Andy's side. Mai quickly took out her sharp fans and began to slice away at the robotic men's limbs and wires. Andy and Terry tore the floor, sending the robots crashing down into pieces as Joe knocked off a few heads.

Not only were they destroying the robots, but they were destroying all of the owner's artifacts as well.

"NO!!! Not my artifacts!" he cried. But the group paid no heed to the man's cries. He had kept Sulia locked up like a piece of furniture, and now claimed her for his own. Terry tore through the robots like train did through a car. His eyes were locked on the owner. No one would stop him from taking Sulia out of here.

Mai and Andy tried to warn him. Terry could hear their cries sounding on his ears. But it was too late. In his single-minded fury, he had not seen the huge beast fall from the ceiling before him. Before he could react, the robotic beast-man knocked him across the head, sending him flying across the room and into a glass case that shattered instantly. Terry fell to the floor with a thud, glass showering on top of him. The breath knocked out of him, and a shard of glass imbedded in his shoulder, Terry's glazed eyes slowly shut, his only thought being, Sulia…

Sulia heard the whisper in her mind. Terry? Immediately she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, and her breath came into her painfully. Terry! She could feel his pain, could feel his mind sliding into unconsciousness. She had to help him… She had to help her friends… She had to heal him…

Sulia slowly rose from the place Terry had placed her. Laela still lay beside her unconscious. Sulia grabbed onto the table near her and hoisted herself up, her legs still weak and wobbly from the recent return to her body. She opened her eyes and looked about.

Joe, Mai and Andy were desperately fighting the remaining robots and beginning to deal with the gigantic beast-man machine that had slammed Terry across the huge room. Sulia, immediately taking in the enormity of the situation, began to gather energy. She controlled her breathing into slow rhythmic deep breaths each one gathering the energy she needed. Her legs steadied, her heart began to beat faster, her pulse began to race and her skin began to glow with the energy that pulsed through her. Her mind found Terry and she sent a soothing aura to surround him. Her eyes then settled on the robots before her and the energy growing within her pulsed to new heights. Power radiated from her in waves that affected everyone.

Mai quickly moved aside and turned, seeing a standing, glowing Sulia, her eyes alight with the power that throbbed through her young body. Mai's eyes widened as she saw Sulia's skin glisten with power, almost as if she was wearing the Godamus armor herself. She shook her head and, grasping the magnitude of what Sulia was going to do, called to Joe and Andy. Both moved out of the way of the huge beast-machine's claws and to where Mai had positioned herself. Their eyes never left Sulia.

Sulia screamed with fury.

Her friends shivered. The remaining robots trembled and collapsed into rubble. The owner stared at Sulia in terror. Her hair floated about her face, her glowing eyes blazing, the power oscillating in her, growing as she stared intently at the beast-man machine. She floated in the air; her arms crossed before her as her skin glistened with gold and silver and a shimmering light came from her back…almost as if she had invisible wings. Her eyes flashed with the power of her love.

Her friends stared in amazement as Sulia suddenly gave another cry that echoed across the room like shrieking lighting. The energy she had gathered blasted out of her as she opened her arms, hurtling a huge beam of power directly at the machine, sending it crashing against the wall. A huge crash sounded through the room as the robot hit the wall, creating a hole in it the size of the wall he was imbedded in. Pieces of metal and stone flew from the crash, hurtling in all directions.

Within an instant of the robot crashing into the wall, Sulia had flown to Terry, grabbed him and Laela, and flew to the others, quickly putting up a shield to protect them from the flying debris. But immediately after the shower of rubble, Sulia dropped the shield protecting them and went to Terry.

"Terry?" she murmured.

Nothing.

Sulia, as quickly as possible, pulled the shard of glass from Terry shoulder, and placed her hands on him, healing. The wound began to close and Terry's eyes began to flutter open. Sulia stared into his eyes and warmed his soul and healed the head wound he had suffered. She smiled at him. But as soon as Terry was completely healed, Sulia toppled into his arms, unconscious.

Terry quickly grabbed the collapsing Sulia and held her close. But even as he did, the sound of moving metal sounded through the silence. Everyone's eyes turned to the machine in the wall and saw it struggling to escape. It was damaged beyond repair, yet it still continued to function.

Terry's eyes narrowed and he placed Sulia in Andy's arms. Terry Bogard slowly stood and turned to his friends. He motioned to the door and they ran directly to it, wasting no time, knowing what he was going to do. He strode to the huge robot. His hat had fallen off long ago, and his eyes were filled with rage. For the third time, Sulia had risked her life for him. Nothing and no one would get in his way of taking her with him. Not a foolish old man, and not one of his idiotic robots.

With a blaze of fury so great that it shook the walls, Terry Bogard blasted his most powerful move-his greatest power-his Power Geyser. A move so powerful that once his blazing fist hit the ground with his bellow of rage, the ground erupted, blowing everything touching the ground into million small pieces of nothing. Terry leapt from the room, the blast pushing him through a mirror-like window and sending him hurtling through the air and onto the soft grass bellow as the entire mansion exploded, causing a light show so great that it lit up the night.

As Terry watched the mansion explode and the flames consume it, he prayed that his friends had made it out safely. He prayed for Sulia. He prayed that he had not lost her again, not after just finding her.

At that moment, when he was lost deep in thought, he heard a cry from behind him. Terry turned and saw an enthusiastically waving Mai, Andy by her side, still carrying an unconscious Sulia. Joe stood beside them both, still holding Laela who smiled weakly at him. Terry smiled; relief and happiness rushing through him. Is this what you wanted for me, Lily?

A voice whispered in his mind. Yes. She is meant for you, Terry. Love her.

Terry smiled and walked over to his friends. I do. I will. I love you, Sulia.

* * *

Sulia smiled up at her friends. "I'm so glad to be alive again. Don't look so worried guys. I'll be up and about after a good night's sleep." Mai leaned down and kissed Sulia's forehead.

"It's good to have you back, Sulia. I have missed having a fellow Bogard brother lover to talk to." Sulia laughed as Andy smiled down at her.

"You really surprised me, Sulia, but do me a favor," Andy told her.

"What, Andy?"

"Don't die on Terry again. I don't want him becoming a loner again. He's a pain in the ass when he gets depressed." Sulia laughed and nodded, and with that answer Andy grinned and escorted Mai out.

Joe smiled at her and gave her a playful, harmless punch in the jaw. "I agree with Andy, don't die again. Terry was a pain in the ass when Lily died; I felt like killing the idiot. But when you died he became insufferable." He grinned and left to check on Laela who had given Sulia a weak hug. Laela already felt like one of the family of friends, and toward Sulia there was an unbreakable bond. But finally, Terry and Sulia had been left alone.

Sulia smiled up at the beautifully worried man above her. "Terry don't frown at me so. You should be ecstatic that I'm back and that I'm all right."

"I am."

Sulia laughed. "Then why do you look as if you expect me to disappear at any moment?"

"Because you might."

Sulia's smile faded. She looked up at him, her eyes glistening. "I'm not a dream Terry. I'm here to stay. If you want me."

He looked incredulously at her. "'If I want you'? What's that supposed to mean?"

Sulia turned her face away. "I know you still love your Lily deeply, Terry. I can never replace her in your heart. I thought once that we may have had a chance…but…" She shrugged her shoulders. "I know now that I can never replace that love you had. So if you want me, I'll stay. But, Terry, I don't know if my heart will be able to handle the knowledge that whenever you see me, you are remembering her and secretly hoping that she might come back too."

Silence. He was so quiet that Sulia was tempted to look back up at him. She saw laughter in his eyes. "What's so funny?" she asked curiously.

"You are." Terry grinned. "Let me tell you something. A few weeks ago, I had a dream about Lily." Sulia turned her gaze away. Terry took her face between his gentle fingers and big hands, turning her toward him. "Look at me, Sulia. She told me in my dream to let go of her. She said we were not meant for each other in this life. She said she had sent down another for me to love." Terry's eyes closed. When he opened them again, he gazed into her deep, glistening golden eyes. "Then I saw you. I told Lily that you were dead too. That any woman, who loves me, ends up dead. She only shook her head at me and said you weren't dead. She smiled and said to let her go, and to grab onto you with every bit of my soul and heart."

Tears dripped down Sulia's cheeks and Terry bent down to sip them away. His gentle, sipping kisses made shivers run through Sulia's body. He then lifted his head and gazed down at her with loving eyes and smile. "I've been expecting you, my love."

A cry of joy tore from Sulia's throat as she wrapped her arms around Terry and crushed him close. Their mouths sought each other and they kissed deeply and passionately, their love overwhelming them. "I love you, Terry," Sulia whispered against his lips, her voice choking on a sob of joy. She opened her eyes to gaze into his and saw his eyes smile as split second before his lips did. Her heart swelled.

"I love you, Sulia. Now and forever."

Their lips melded together once more, their love binding them together in a way nothing could break. And as Terry slid his arms around her, he knew that whatever the future held for them, he would continue to hope and he would hold onto to Sulia. She was his lifeline in a world full of death.

Mai leaned into Andy as they watched Terry and Sulia seal their love with the kiss.

"I'm finally getting a sister-in-law," Mai sighed.

Andy lifted an eyebrow, but said nothing. He looked at his brother and knew that he wasn't the only one who had found love. He smiled…but his heart twisted. Sulia came back for a reason. There was something really big going down and it probably had everything to do with her. He saw the power she had wielded in the mansion. No one just dies and then comes back…but she did. And she came back with an enormous amount of power. What could this possibly lead to? Andy shook his head and held Mai close. He just hoped whatever was out there wasn't going to destroy the happiness they had fought so earnestly to keep.

Andy sighed and walked with Mai. He remembered how Terry reacted when Sulia had died in his arms and how he single-handedly destroyed the so-called god of war. He had never seen his brother in so much pain or in such a fury. Their old master had picked Terry for the secret technique because he was cool-headed. Andy closed his eyes. At that moment in time Terry was nothing close to being in control. He had completely lost it. Andy just hoped that whatever lay ahead would not do any worse that what had already been done.