The Next Tournament

The Next Tournament

He looked down at the piece of paper, holding it although it was a valuable diamond. Maybe it was to some, probably especially to him knowing his life story, but something wasn't right, and he knew that. He knew that this time, his life may end, but if it meant that he would finally destroy his family line then so be it, but then again he had another reason for going…she might be there.

 It had been well over two years obviously, since he had last seen her, and he wanted nothing more than to see her again, even though they had both agreed that they should both get far away – her going back to her homeland, and he would go away into hiding, far away from his family.

 They both thought they could cope, well at least he certainly did, he was the strong, silent young man, that always had a cold wall around him that was impenetrable, or so those who knew him, and he himself thought, he never thought he would ever be able to love anyone. So now that he missed her so much, he knew that not only did he miss her; he loved her more than anything else in the whole world. But she was gone now, he hadn't seen her in all this time, she probably wouldn't even be at the tournament, she was probably married…no her didn't want to think that, even though he knew it was probably the truth – she would at least have a boyfriend, because he knew how beautiful she was, he knew because of the attention she always received.

 He looked back up form the piece of paper, and back to the computer screen in the Australian Cyber Café where he sat, the email sounded a but stupid he thought, but she was after all the only person he had known well at school…even though she could be a little, well annoying at times and she was younger than him, but she was a good friend – hey she put up with him! And he had promised her that theme park… he rolled his eyes as he thought back to the small Chinese girl, and went back to typing his mail:

To: ilikepandas@cybaworld.com

CC:

Message:

 

 Ling,

   I can't write much, and I can't give you my name. I am only writing this mail as a warning: be careful, the enemy could be anywhere. If you enter the tournament make sure you know your enemy . . .

"Whoa" The Chinese girl said, stuffing the last of what had been a Chinese steamed bun into her mouth. She sat at a computer desk in the middle of her bedroom, her legs crossed as she sat on her chair.

Jin, well that's who it had to be! Of course there couldn't be anyone else, not anyone who would write a mail like that anyway. She had missed Jin, and she wanted nothing more than to see him again, to be reunited with him, he owed her that theme park of course! He was like, one of her best friends, even if he could be a little, well moody at times.

"Hwoarang, Hwoarang, HWOARANG!!!!!!!!"

There was a load clatter of plates from the kitchen, and very annoyed sounding person stomped up the stairs.

"Ling, what the fuck is it? If you have any idea how much those plates cost then you will…"

He stopped, as he neared the screen peering down to see what she was pointing at.

"Well, what the hell is that supposed to mean? What kind loser would write a mail like that?" He said looked questionably at his girlfriend, who was trying to choke with excitement as she had just stuffed another bun into her face, "well?"

Ling jumped up and down; she couldn't really speak coz of all the food in her mouth.

"Jgin!"

"What the hell…?" Hwoarang trailed off, looking at her "Oh you gotta be kidding me! Jin? No way"

"Yeah! Who else could it be?" Ling replied, after finally stuffing the remains of the bun down her throat.

He had to agree, she had a point. Well she was probably correct even – a mail like that was just Kazumas style after all, well whatever.

"Know your enemy? Of course your going to know your enemy, its gonna be the fucking idiot you fight" Hwoarang said, with a tone of voice that suggested that anyone who would even say something as ridicules as that to a person who was entering the iron fist tournament, deserved to be beaten up.

"Hwoarang" Ling squealed as her boyfriend finished speaking, "You shouldn't be sooo rude about Jin! I thought you made up with him!"

"Yeah doesn't mean I have to like him does it?" He muttered under his breath

"What was that?"

"Nothing…" said Hwoarang, bending down to give her a kiss. "I guess it looks like we might be up against Jin then" He murmured.

"Maybe…" She replied, deepening their kiss "OH MY GOD!!!!" she shouted breaking the kiss, and making Hwoarang jump with shock.

"What the HELL?"

"I've just thought…I mean…I wonder if Julia knows…"

"Oh man" Hwoarang said running his hand through his red hair "why does everything have to be so complicated"

"I'm gonna ring her, its ages since I last spoke to her…you don't mind the phone bill do you? Its not like you haven't got your army wages after all" She asked, smiling sweetly.

Hwoarang rolled his eyes "Yeah whatever Ling, just don't be ages, I'm going back downstairs now, maybe I can finish what I was TRYING to do before…"

Ling sat on her chair, playing with her hair which was now really long – but still in pigtails, she had the phone to her ear and had just dialled Julia's home number.

Ring

            Ring

                        Ring                

                                    Ring

"Hello?" The American accent drifted down the phone and into Ling's ear.

"Oh, Hi! I was wondering if I could speak to Julia please?"

The phone line was silent, Ling wondered if the person on the line had hanged up.

"Err…hello?" She asked

"She's gone" said the voice on the other end of the phone, and with that the line went dead.

"Okay…" Ling mumbled, redialling the number.

*I'm sorry this number is not long in use* Came the operators voice from down the phone line.

"Weird…I swear I dialled the right number" she said to herself, rubbing her forehead.

  She tried again, and again, but every time she got the same answer – the number was not in use.