I'd never thought I'd do this but I have :). First chapter's dedicated to the pwntastic Razer Athane 'coz she makes me blush whenever she tells me how much she loved this fic before it got taken down. Hopefully, this one's fated for a longer life than the original.
Guess where the hidden lyrics are and Ran shall glomp you with glee.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken. Namco does.
12 years ago
It was too bad that he didn't notice what a beautiful night it was. It was one of those eerie full moon nights in winter when the light reflected off the snow and made it glisten like diamonds beneath his feet. He could feel them crunch under the soles of his trainers as he ran through dark, gnarled old trees which looked like stooped haggard witches in the absence of sunlight strong enough to light his way. Not that he cared anyway. He was too busy trying to avoid being spotted by his tormentors in the highly possible event that they caught up to him. Nine years old and already on the run, dodging crooked branches which tried to ensnare him by the hair within their twisted nooks and crannies.
Hwoarang panted. His breath appeared before him in the form of wispy white clouds which he ran into on his path to escape. It wasn't his fault that he drew trouble to him like flies to honey and he already mused many a time on that. Now was not the time for thinking though... he'd let instinct take over and had chosen flight instead of fight.
The path ended abruptly. He skidded to a halt and brushed long strands of black hair from light brown eyes. He could have burst into tears at that very moment were it not for the lake which lay spread before him. It was covered with ice with tiny bubbles of oxygen suspended in animation inside. Master Baek had warned him about the lake in winter. It was unpredictable and he'd told him not to venture on it alone lest the ice should give way and the boy drowned.
As much as knew his master was right, he really had no other choice now...
He took one careful step onto the seemingly solid surface. It didn't yield. He took another.
Safe.
Treading lightly, he made his way through to the middle where they couldn't possibly get him. The wilderness turned quiet as the heavy ponding of his heart ceased to a steadier rhythm. It was just him alone on the lake and he felt like a king. He could now take note of how the moonlight painted the trees silvery white, how the whole world seemed to stand still in his wake. Slowing down, he dared to smile.
Unfortunately, nothing was ever permanent.
They'd found him. Leering like hyenas, they approached and soon surrounded their smaller defenseless prey. It was no use running anymore, he was trapped. The boy would have to force down his trembling fear and be a man heading to battle. The wolves drew nearer until he could make out the bone-white of their teeth.
"Aww, looky here! The baby's gonna cry!"
"Nowhere to go, huh?!"
They began shoving him violently. "Oi! Where's that karate bullshit of yours? How ya gonna take us down without it?"
His small size helped him to struggle free for a moment and take up his stance further away from them. Depending on only the training he'd undergone with Baek for the last six months, he mentally prepared himself for battle. In his mind's eye, he pictured himself swooping below their flimsy attacks, taking them by surprise with a swift uppercut and a series of lightning-fast kicks to the head. And then, one by one, they'd fall to his feet like weak pawns in a game of chess, begging him to spare their pathetic lives. It would all be over in a matter of minutes, before they even knew it... he would claim victory. He had to.
Suddenly, they backed away. Had he appeared that threatening? Heh, all the more reason to stand and gloat...
A cracking noise snapped him out of his delusions of grandeur. In an instant, he was plunged into frigid cold water, gasping and spluttering for air. The ice had given way beneath him and he now struggled to stay afloat. He soon found that grabbing onto the surrounding ice was useless as it slipped through his every grasp and his mouth filled with water everytime he opened it to cry for help. As each second passed, his shivering body grew number. A thought crossed his mind... what was the point? Who'd miss him if he wasn't around anymore? Definitely not his parents... they'd abandoned him long ago. He closed his eyes and contemplated...
Maybe it would be better if he... just... let... go...
"HEY!"
A girlish voice startled him awake... and it was a girl. Perhaps no older than he was, blue mittens and thick maroon jacket...
"Here, grab this!"
One end of a long branch reached the edge of the hole he was in, a few mere inches away from his numb fingers. Under the influence of a burst of hope-filled adrenalin rush, he grabbed it between the palms of his hands and held on as she struggled to pull him out from the other end. She almost slipped from the weight for a moment but quickly regained her footing. After a series of seemingly never-ending tugs, he found himself flat on the ice lying on his stomach and quivering so frightfully that he couldn't feel anything but relief... and cold... so cold...
A mittened hand descended upon his pale icy cheek and stroked it cautiously. "You're freezing."
He would have answered were it not for his chattering teeth.
"Wait here a bit, I'll go call my Mum."
"W-w-wha... who're you?" he managed.
"Me? I'm Julia."
The thunder woke her up.
She sat up and felt her forehead. Judging from its coolness, the fever had already broken. Still, she hadn't shaken off that feeling of having lost something... or someone. Yes, she'd lost someone... she'd let him fly away to a war on the streets. Stupid selfish little prick, she fumed as she wiped the fast-forming tears of anger and misery from her dark eyes. He'd gone and made her feel upset for no fault of hers all over again. And to think she'd once saved him from that watery grave in the lake... stupid Hwoarang. As if he really knew what was coming to him...
Julia stopped herself before she could go any further. Then promptly failed to do so.
His bed was empty... his boots were missing from the place he always dumped them on... no loud heavy metal blaring out from his room...
He was gone.
The gang needed him, he'd told her. "I'm sorry, Julia... but they need me." he'd said before leaving.
The emptiness started to ache. So much that it echoed in her ears. 'Complicated' was too simple a word to describe their relationship. Far too intense for friendship, too distant to grow into lovers, somewhere caught in the middle, status undefined. But she'd tried her best to be what she could... as perfect as can be. Then again, what could come of perfection through practice when nobody was perfect?
Her eyes stung so much that she wanted to cry, even bawl out her agony.
She failed again.
"Listen... it's the gang. They need me there."
If only she could hate him with no remorse. If only the phone hadn't started ringing...
She swallowed down her misery and forced a smile into her voice.
"Hello."
"Hey, how's it going?" Christie asked.
"Fine."
"Nice try, Chang. How 'bout the truth for now? Feelin' okay?"
"Better than before."
At least physically. Sort of.
"I didn't mean that... you know - "
"Yeah, I do. Don't worry, Chris. I'll be alright. Just... give it some time."
She heard the other woman sigh on the phone. "Okay then... you had me worried yesterday when Hwo left. I never expected it to affect you so much that you got that sick."
"Shock, I guess. I'm feeling a lot better now though."
"So she says," Christie countered with a hint of sarcasm. "And she stands there lying to my face because she thinks she can go it alone. But she fails due to blatant underestimation of her one and only bosom buddy."
Julia couldn't help smiling faintly for a while. "And perhaps she sheepishly admits you're right."
"Of course, aren't I always? Now just wait 'til our wandering vagabond shows up moaning on your doorstep. He'll be in for the beating of a lifetime."
"Woah there! You're the one who's going to be a mother in a few months. You just go and take care of yourself and the baby and let me handle the beating. He's my room-mate after all."
"Oooh, scary."
They both laughed.
"God, Christie. Just imagine... you guys will be parents soon... that's pretty big..."
"Yeah..."
Julia could literally feel the warm smile in her friend's voice and pictured her looking down at her pregnant belly, stroking it lovingly. Things had changed so much since those carefree, drama-filled years of high school. She could honestly say that she felt truly happy for the Brazilian woman. Christie had been through enough in the past to deserve all the happiness in the world. At least someone was content with what they had...
"So how're you doing?"
"Oh, fine. The little one's more friskier than usual today. I swear it's been spinning around and turning cartwheels in here all day."
"That's not surprising considering its parents are Capoeira masters."
"Haha, true."
"I'm feeling better already just thinking about it."
"No problem, hon. What are friends for? We're a lot like lovers, only with no strings attached."
The fury of the thunder had given way to gently falling rain. Likewise, the swelling tides of sorrow in her heart had trickled to a steady stream of quiet sadness. Now that he was gone, nothing else was left to do other than wait for morning to come from amidst the tears of the sky. When it rained, it poured and poured until every single emotion flowed out for her to see. The trouble came when you had to pick up the pieces and try to make sense out of them. Her problem lay in her fault of reading too deep into the water and over-analyzing everything which went wrong. Perhaps she should have majored in psychology...
Bit by bit, the emptiness leaked back inside.
Drip...
… Drop.
Drip...
… Drop.
Nothing lasts forever...
… Even if hearts can change.
The droplets streamed downwards, leaving clear tracks in the dirt-stained window. The city lights shone on whilst people rushed in to escape the downpour or wandered out to embrace it. How heavy your burdens seem when the rest are at joy. She remembered that he'd averted his eyes on saying goodbye.
Goodbye... such a cruel word.
"I'm sorry, Jules... I'll be leaving now."
She'd never even gotten to say anything to him. In solitude's company, she wondered if it would be entirely useless to write him a letter of sorts. Not that he'd ever read it but... she wondered anyway. The Letter He Never Read... heh, sounded like a title of a sad acoustic love song. Pity that she didn't know how to play a guitar like he did. But love songs weren't his thing, he didn't believe in love. So she didn't.
Sometimes, I wondered why you stayed if you were so restless. You could've left when you had the chance. Or was it because of me? Did I ever hold you back from something you desired? You know, if it weren't for you, I would have never cared. And who are you to me but a careless little boy I once saved from drowning? If it weren't for that lost look that forever haunted your eyes, I would have never bothered to remember you.
With a steadying hand, she traced the clear tracks in the glass, watching them fall and hit the concrete to scatter into fifty other tinier droplets.
Who am I to you but little more than an anchor to reality. Or am I a pale white butterfly flitting in and out as you see fit? Tell me, was I ever real to you? Don't illusions always leave the deepest scars. Just like the ones you left me without as much as granting me a strike to the face. You're better than that, I know. I'm one of the few that sees that, I suppose. I know you're not the thug you portray yourself as...
In spite of herself, she wished that he'd call.
So who are you anyway? Or do I already know that? Why won't you tell me so that we could finally stop going around in circles trying to guess each other's intentions? Anything to stop my head from spinning more than it already is. I'm sorry that I wasn't of any use. I'm sorry that I couldn't help you. Hurt feelings aside, I hope you're alright. If anything, I hope you stay that way for as long as you're 'needed'.
Why can't I be the one you need, Hwoarang?
Tell me so that I can finally be at peace in my rest.
She lay her head down and whispered quietly to the night.
"Lie low, stay safe. Goodbye... and good luck."