By. Indigo Siren
Disclaimer: Tekken is © to Namco. All characters, situations based on the games and such are not my property and are being used only for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made from this story. I do however own the idea for my story as well as any character of my own creation that doesn't appear in the Tekken games. All rights reserved.
A/N: Ever since I finished 'Life so Complicated', I vowed to leave my Jin/Miharu series well and truly alone. I'd had enough, done what I wanted with it and left it as that. I finished that last story in October 2004. When Tekken 5 came out, it began to inspire what is the makings of this story, but I put off on writing it since I lost interest in Tekken greatly. But now, 2006, I decided to go with it and now we have, technically, the 4th of my Jin/Miharu paired romance 'epic'. This story is an alternative to 'Life so Complicated', following on from 'Love Worth Fighting For', which took place in a different timeline with no Tekken 5 influence (being at the time the game was only in early stage development when I was writing that), but this takes its place, taking ideas from the Tekken 5 storyline. So anything that happens in 'Life so Complicated' are void - they haven't happened. Check back to 'Love Worth Fighting For' - if you follow Epilogue 1, you go to 'Life so Complicated', follow Epilogue 2, and you end up here. Hope you got that all and I haven't just been ranting. Probably have.
Anyway, to note, there are particular pairings that aren't exactly common place, but I have chosen because I have quite a liking for them. Please respect the choice of pairings - it's everyone to their own. Lastly, please, no flames. If you don't like, don't review. Simple as that. Anyway, on with the story.
Chapter 1
A month ago as the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 drew to a close, a showdown of the Mishima-Kazama feud came to a head at Hon-Maru after Heihachi instigated Jin's trap and tried to lure his son, Kazuya, together with his grandson to get his hands on the 'Devil-Gene'. But things didn't go quite according to plan and a fighting ensued between the three facing off with their own reasons to come out on top.
In the end, Jin was the victor. He could have easily ended Heihachi's life and rid himself of the pain. But the good will that his mother, Jun Kazama, instilled in him changed his mind and Jin, flew away with dark wings - a tainted angel only wanting redemption.
Following this. G-Corps showed their true light, sending in a wave of Jack-4 units to wipe out the remaining Mishima. Kazuya was bitterly betrayed by the company that had revived him. He fought along side his father until he used him as a scapegoat to escape what scheme G-Corps had planned with their gargantuan Jack-units.
An explosion tore Hon-Maru to pieces and on the wind the news spread in a tremendous shockwave.
Heihachi Mishima was dead.
Though, from beneath the burning rumble, a figure could be seen emerging. Something radiated from this unknown person - something that wasn't quite human.
A dark force was about to step out of the shadows and take hold of the reigns of domination.
A new challenge is slowly beginning to unfold…
"Miharu! Look out!"
There was barely time to react as the daydreaming girl snapped her head up just in time to intercept a volleyball straight to the face. She went down like a rock.
A screeching whistle echoed around the gym hall as supervisor Ms. Sanada stomped over to the lapsed out girl. "Hirano! What the hell was that? Hardly a team player are you?"
"Urgh… my face…"
Ms. Sanada grabbed the girl by the arm and effortlessly pulled her to her feet. "That's what you get for not paying attention!"
Miharu reeled slightly, almost falling over again, but was caught about the shoulders by her most trusted companion and best friend, Ling Xiaoyu.
The Chinese girl gave her a dopey smile. "I tried to warn you."
Miharu rubbed her reddened forehead, groaning. "That was you, huh?"
"Ling, take Hirano somewhere to sit down," Ms. Sanada instructed, before turning to another girl. "Fukuzai, get some ice from the office." The small girl quickly responded and rushed off. She blew her whistle again. "Alright, redistribute yourselves. Lets start again!"
In the locker room, Miharu slumped back against the locker, coming to rest cross-legged on the cold tiled floor. Xiaoyu offered her a bottle of water, in which the girl gratefully took, sipping at rather tentatively.
"I zoned out again, didn't I?"
Xiaoyu sat down next to her friend, leaning her arm on the girl's shoulder. "When are you ever paying attention?"
Miharu smirked, nursing the bottle in both hands. "Good question."
"You were thinking about Jin again, weren't you?" Miharu looked up, a little surprised. Xiaoyu snapped her fingers affirmed. "I knew it. That's all you think about when you're not studying or doing the drama club."
"Can you blame me? He is suppose to be a part of my life and yet I hardly feel like he's around at all. He somehow feels like some kind of figment of my warped imagination." She took a long sip from the bottle, grumbling slightly to herself of a growing headache. "I haven't talked to him since last week. I'm not clingy at all, I just worry about him with his track record of a two year disappearing act."
"I can understand that," Xiaoyu consoled, "But don't let it bother you."
"We keep in close contact and all, but I can never seem to get hold of him, and he just hides so much from me. When we're together, he is sweet and does everything to make me happy, it's just outside of that, I feel like I'm being put inside a bubble. I don't know how much more I can take. I don't want to walk away, after everything. I love him so much, and I promised to look out for him."
"Come on, love is important, but don't let it take over your life." The way Xiaoyu said it was almost sad. It was just what Miharu noticed in the girl's eyes that made her heart sink with guilt.
"I've been neglecting you and the girl's. I'm sorry." She gave Xiaoyu a hug, in which the response was one of great warmth - and pretty much had Xiaoyu almost squeezing her to death.
"It's okay! You've been hanging out and all, like a friend does. Just half the time your heart isn't there."
Miharu flicked one of Xiaoyu's pigtails playfully, giving her a small smile before leaning back. "You know, I've ended up as what I didn't want to be. A love sap. I'm sure I'll figure a way around things."
"Go you!" Xiaoyu mock cheered. It earned a well deserve chuckle from her companion.
"What about you and Steve? I know you've been keeping good contact." Xiaoyu's fit of nervous laughter almost knocked over the poor girl. The British boxer had sure made a mark on the young woman. The reaction was enough to answer pretty much all of Miharu's questions, though, she'd still pry for the sake of it. "Well, spill!"
"Oh, well, it's nothing. Wait, no, it's not just nothing. Uh… it's complicated." Xiaoyu was flustered to say the least. Miharu merely smiled. Her girl was more lucky in love than she was.
"Miharu? Are you in here?" A small voice called out.
"Oh! Yeah! Come on in!"
Hiki Fukuzai, the girl who'd gone to get Miharu some ice, had returned with a nicely stuffed bag full for the intended. The small girl in all her meekness approached her and handed the bag carefully over.
"Thanks," Miharu gratefully responded, placing the ice bag to her head. She shuddered, letting out a soft groan.
"Are you alright now?" Hiki twiddled her thumbs nervously along with her inquiry. Miharu just gave her the thumbs up.
"She'll be fine," Xiaoyu responded for her verbally.
"That was a nasty shot you took," Hiki commented. "I hope you don't bruise too badly."
Miharu chuckled. "Would be most deserving of it if I did. Thanks for your concern."
They heard the whistle blow and realised it was the end of gym. Seconds later, girls were piling into the locker room in a disorganised rush.
Xiaoyu stood. "Lets hit the showers." She turned worried in regards to Miharu and the head shot she took. "You going to be okay?" She extended her hand in offering to help her up.
Miharu waved her off and stood with her own power. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be okay. I'm not too badly damaged." She jumped when turning as she encounter a ball bouncing right past her with heavy force.
The instigator, and the girl who'd actually hit the ball to smack Miharu in the face, was none other that newly crowned popular princess, Yoku Akekure. Overflowing with charisma and as much so with an almost unbearable ego, she was a figure worth recognising in the Mishima High School. All flaxen hair and perfect smiles, she was a picture of beauty and greatness. But really, she was snide, stuck up bitch who hide mostly behind a mask of innocence.
Hari had been one thing with her evil nature, but Yoku was something even more annoying. There wasn't enough dynamite in the world to get rid of this girl.
"It's just criminal how they let someone like you out on a volleyball court," Yoku purred acridly. "I can't be blamed for the incompetence that led to the injury."
"Oh, I'm sure we can," Xiaoyu tartly responded.
Miharu just shook her head. "Don't waste your breath on her, Xiao. I'm not."
Yoku strode towards Miharu, poking a dainty finger at her with disgust. "You're a very tragic girl, Miharu. A walking heap of misery and incontinence."
Miharu scoffed. "Incontinence… pfft… I hardly think so. You're only saying that to sound clever."
Yoku just laughed behind a hand, striding off. "I am clever, Miharu. Sounding is only for being like you with your head in the clouds. Do try to put more effort into living and don't waste everyone's time." She disappeared, laughing to herself, and earning a few snaky giggles from some of her little 'minions'.
"Poison…" Xiaoyu spat.
"Sticks and stones." Miharu shrugged and walked towards the showers. "Coming?"
Outside waiting for Miharu and Xiaoyu as they emerged from the locker rooms back in school dress were their close friends, Mika Hamono, Yumi Kougi and Rubi Akoguroi.
In the same old fashion, Mika would almost crush the two with a loud greeting and hug of unimaginable proportions. Sweet Yumi wasn't so drastic and gave her simple greetings, and finally Rubi clung behind Miharu in a not so physical sense, fussing extra over the girl's bump to her head.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Miharu assured, patting Rubi's shoulder for assurance, though it hardly seemed to work and she let the girl fuss on. That was until Hiki appeared and carefully butted in.
"Just wanted to make sure you were better now?" the small girl asked.
"A headache is coming but I am much better now, thanks. The shower helped a lot."
Hiki smiled the sweetest smile that could have melted ice cream in the deepest freeze. "I'm glad." Her attentions instantly turned when a certain boy came into view. "Yamaki!"
Her small excited cry turned the boy and him smiled as she bounded over to him, instantly taking his hand.
Yamaki Zuikou was one of the sweeter members of the popular faction and the school sports star. A lot of girl's swooned over him, but he had seemingly in these last few weeks picked out little Hiki, who always looked and acted like a 12 year old, as his girlfriend. It was an odd match as she always hide in the background while he was always noticed out in front. Miharu was happy for her, though, deep down, she couldn't but feel a tiny bit jealous.
Hiki waved goodbye to the group and she and Yamaki departed, though not before he cast a glance at Miharu, one that she couldn't really read, or maybe she just didn't want to interpret.
"He may be with Hiki, but he still has the hots for you," Rubi said to her.
Miharu sighed. "You know, sometimes, I wish I'd just gone out with Yamaki."
Xiaoyu instantly slapped a hand over her best friend's mouth. "DON'T EVER say that! You love Jin, you're dedicated to him! You made the right choice."
Miharu simply nodded in agreement, though her expression remained blank.
"Come on, guys!" Mika jumped in. "I'm starving! Can we go for lunch now?"
"Hurray for lunch!" Xiaoyu hooked both Miharu and Yumi's arms and tugged them along. "Lets go!"
Miharu grabbed onto Rubi's hand so she could keep up with the fast paced charge of Xiaoyu. The two girl's exchanged a brief, sad glance, having an understanding between them of Miharu's very fragile feelings.
Rubi didn't know all the secrets behind Miharu's relationship with Jin. There were things that would still be a private part of that sad smile.
A hospital in Osaka…
A girl sat rigid, hands clenching handfuls of her plaid skirt. She waited as patiently as she could for news of her father's condition.
Nurses passed the girl with pity in their eyes, wondering what could have been going through her mind. Her crop of light brown hair flopped lazily over her eyes, obscuring the burning orbs from plain sight.
The attack was been so out of the blue it had been Earth-shattering for her. Who could do such a heartless thing?
The students of her father's dojo where he was attacked could only fill in small blanks of what happened and who the man was who'd attacked him. A Chinese man, built like a solid oak, with eyes as sharp and deadly as a hawk. He was fierce like a dragon, and she could only shudder at the thought of him laying into her father.
He wouldn't get away with this. Not in a million years.
The girl stood, brushing down her the yellow tank top of her school uniform before clenching her fists tightly.
'In the name of the Kazama family, you shall be made to pay for this!'
The phone rang and rang, but nobody answered.
Miharu sighed and relented, hanging up and slipping her phone back into her bag.
'Jin…' She thought sadly. 'Why can't I get in touch with you? Where are you? What are you thinking? I just want to see you, hear you tell me it's okay…'
She continued the long walk home, feeling drained from the activities of the day. And the whole fact she'd allowed herself to linger so much in thought had taken so much out of her. She felt stupid, but she couldn't help herself.
'Hanii will be around entertaining Dad. Maybe they'll go out for dinner tonight and I can have some peace by myself.' She only thought well of her neighbour who had bonded a loving relationship with her father, but she didn't need all the lovey-dovey right in front of her when she was feeling rather neglected on that part. 'I should whinge and whine. He'll come around in his own time. I'm rushing him too soon after getting things back together. But I can't help wonder…'
She came to a stop, staring with a slack jaw at the large posters adorning the wall.
'Presenting: The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5.'
"You're kidding…"
With all that had happened with Heihachi dying after the 4th one, why were they suddenly hosting another one so soon? It was very curious indeed.
'Could this be a reason he's being distant? Because of this? What the heck is going on?'
A/N: And thus begins this twisty, turny tale. Chapter 2 coming soon...