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Princess of China

Xiaoyu is in the solitude of her bedroom. She is wearing a dark orange sleeveless qipao dress with black and golden edges, with black stockings and dark orange flat shoes. Her hair is tied up on the usual two high pigtails, and the black curly hair reaches her shoulders in length.

She's laying on her bed, facing the ceiling, as she thinks of random moments of her life. Eventually, her mind can't help but bring up Jin. She faintly smiles to herself in a sad manner, and just as quick as it came to her gentle face, it fades away.

She still remembers when he first met Jin, in the Mishima Estate, and their subsequent friendship. They would always spent some time together daily. He had never been one of speaking much, as he always seemed to be distant somehow, but he would always listen to her with the utmost attention whenever she was around. Not even once he seemed to be bothered by her presence nor her 'childlike' mannerisms, as many fake friends had already told her – if he had ever been, he never showed, at least. Actually, Xiaoyu is pretty sure that, sometimes, he even seemed to be amused by her behavior.

As the Third Tekken Tournament approached, Jin started to get more distant every day – now in a literal sense. She didn't know why exactly he looked forward to compete, but she respected it. Acceptance had always been the base of her relationship with Jin, and although still immature, she already understood it was her turn to show him some sort of loyalty, in return for his. But not as an exchange of favors, but rather because that's the concept of friendship, and she knew the one they had was genuine.

When the competition actually started, they didn't talk to each other, not even once. She had expected to reunite with Jin afterwards, but he didn't return to the Mishima Estate. Heihachi said he moved out. Regardless of Xiaoyu's thoughts at the time that told her it made no sense, he was still gone nonetheless.

And she couldn't help but to be devastated. He had been her first real friend, and still one of the best she had ever had. It was definitely a loss. And also, it was when he was gone that she realized that she liked him much more than she had thought at first. Both the friend and the secret admirer were missing him.

Once upon a time somebody ran
Somebody ran away saying 'fast as I can
I got to go, I got to go'
Once upon a time we fell apart
You're holding in your hands the two halves of my heart

She would only see Jin again two years later, in the Fourth Tekken Tournament, in which she entered exactly in the hopes of meeting him. Shortly before the announcement of the competition, she learned via an anonymous e-mail of evil intentions Heihachi supposedly had, although information was vague. She was dumbfounded at first, but after a second thought, she realized the message actually made some sense, and could also be the reason why Jin 'moved out', whatever that actually meant. However, even after replying the message, she received no further ones.

Inclined to investigate, she decide to participate in the tournament. She indeed met Jin, in one of the matches, only to be defeated by him. Nonetheless, they still talked, and she told him of her hopes of making everything right again. More than ever, he was distant, but still answered her. He didn't directly comment about Heihachi nor the e-mail message. He simply told her that if she has a dream that she wants to come true, she should make it happen herself.

Today, on a better analysis of the sentence, Xiaoyu knows that, indirectly, he meant that things wouldn't ever be the same again, and that they couldn't be together. That is something that, however, she failed to understand at the time.

Finding no further information about whatever 'evil intentions' Heihachi supposedly had, she was going to return to the Mishima Estate, only to be rescued by Yoshimitsu. Yes, 'rescued' – as he told her the story of the Mishimas and then everything made sense for the very first time.

With that in mind, and also learning of Heihachi's death, she met a scientist who said he could build a time machine… for a price. Determined to change things for the better, she entered the Fifth Tekken Tournament, aiming the prize money so she could fund the machine.

There, she was once again defeated by Jin, who told her not much besides that it was dangerous for her to stay in the tournament, and that she should leave. It seemed that all Xiaoyu and Jin, who were once close friends, could do was fight in tournament matches.

Once upon a time we burned bright
Now all we ever seem to do is fight
On and on
And on and on and on

Then when he won the tournament, he took over the Zaibatsu and did things of the exact horrible extent his other family members had done. As far as she knew, Xiaoyu and Jin 'were on the same side', striving the goodness. But he proved her wrong, as he declared a war in the name of the company.

Once upon a time on the same side
Once upon a time on the same side
In the same game

Although relieved that Heihachi was alive, she aimed to save Jin's soul from evil, so she entered the then recently announced Sixth Tekken Tournament, although she was eliminated before getting a chance to meet Jin again.

Xiaoyu couldn't understand then, and still can't understand now. Even though she knows of the Mishima history, she still can't fully understand. All the evilness, the hatred. Why do they keep hurting each other? Why do they distance themselves from the ones who want to help?

Why does Jin keep on distancing himself from her? He keeps on striving to diminish her hopes, trying to erase her will to help.

Now why did you have to go
Have to go and throw water on my flame?

Not only that, but just as Jin has a relationship (of hatred) with his family, he also has one (of liking) with Xiaoyu. Isn't it not equally important to him? It saddens her only to think about it, and she involuntarily closes her eyes as sadness occupies her mind.

Was she the one to blame then, for perhaps seeing them for much more than they actually were in the beginning? No, it just can't be. But nonetheless, if she is able to see him as something more than a friend, why can't him? Just as her, he had all these years. Doesn't he like her?

I could have been a princess, you'd be a king
Could have had a castle and worn a ring
But no, you let me go

He most likely doesn't even know, but he has stolen a great part of her shine. Of her electric happiness. Of her burning passion for life in general. She's still Xioayu… but in a smaller extent.

You stole my star
'Cause you really hurt me…