Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Tekken.

Author's Note: Jelee wanted fluff. My instincts said angst. But the struggle between them was very real and I don't know what happened but here you go.

THE LONG ROAD

She doesn't know how long it's been since the King of Iron Fist Tournaments, but when Lili first sees Asuka again, she can't help but feel a pang in her chest.

From far away, of course, and through her specialised binoculars, but she sees her there. If anything, Lili doesn't remember Asuka being quite that tall, but she guesses some time has indeed passed and she's grown a little more. She will need to adjust how she sees her in her mind. She's walking home from school, back to her dojo to hide away from the world and watch it pass by. Just like she does.

Of course, that won't do, for Lili has a far greater task in mind.

There are secrets and stories she is hearing from within her Father's business – things about takeovers, other companies and an item that sounds too good to pass up, too good to simply ignore there at the bottom of the world. Too important to not be in her Father's hands for some semblance of control, for that is something that is slipping through his fingers faster than she cares to admit.

Wishes, hidden desires, and enhanced strength. Just the sort of thing that her Father needs to stop these offers and to bring the world to his feet. And she will be the one to deliver it.

She gracefully intercepts Asuka, who simply looks at her as though they've never met before. The expression is so see through that Lili is unnerved for a moment, even as the gears begin to slowly tick in the other girl's head. Lili introduces herself – the final piece falls then, but all it does is make Asuka's jaw tighten – and then she brushes down her dress.

"You, Asuka Kazama, will accompany me to Antarctica," she says, tilting her chin up as though to challenge Asuka to defy her.

Of course, Asuka laughs and waves her away with a hand, "As if I'd ever go anywhere outside of an arena with you."

"I'm sure you would find this a more enticing reason to do so," she counters, whipping out a cheque with a hefty sum of money on it.

It is no secret to her that her family dojo is on the way down, given the war and the way her Father had been hurt by that kempo fighter. It is no secret to her sources, anyhow, who rely the information back to her, that the dojo will probably close within a year without a newer influx of students, or the funds to fix up the place.

But Asuka doesn't falter. The money has no effect. She actually rips up the cheque, to Lili's horror, and simply repeats that she's not going anywhere with her and that she's going back home.

Lili follows with furrowed eyebrows, "But you must come with me. I will not have anyone else come with me on this journey! Your primitive, violent tendencies will be an excellent complement to my refined fighting prowess."

"What the hell kind of invitation was that? You wanna fight or something?"

It is of course a compliment, and the fact that Asuka sees it as anything else baffles her, but she doesn't mind. Lili tries again and again, quite literally until they are at her home and the door is slammed in her face.

So she says she will try again another day, and another and another until she says that yes, she will come with her, no matter how long it takes.

One time she brings flowers, and Asuka, who seems to be in an eternally bad mood, threw them back in her face. And those flowers weren't cheap either, they were expensive and painstakingly put together. By someone else, under her instructions.

It is on precisely the fourteenth day that Asuka relents.

"Fine, I'm coming, whatever. I wanna check out this box anyway."

Lili did not want to tell Asuka about the box – Pandora's Box, but it was the only thing left that she could think of that would sway the fighter in her favour. Money didn't work. Flowers didn't work. Chocolates didn't work. Nothing conventional and proper worked except for information, and even then she didn't know if it was Asuka's curiosity or the prize at the end that got her to say yes.

Asuka then roars, "But we're not partners and we're not friends. We're just two people going to the same place, got it?"

"I knew you'd come around," Lili beams, "Soon we will become the greatest fighting duo in the world!"

And Asuka is hissing something about listening and how the Frenchwoman is not doing any of it, but Lili is too happy to care, and she is all too happy to seize her by the wrist and drag her away to her ship.

Lili tries very hard to accommodate for Asuka's long journey, but Asuka's not having it. They are going to the other side of the world, after all.

Lili offers great food, new clothes and a warm bed for her on the ship. Instead Asuka sticks to her homework somewhere down in the workings of the ship, mumbling words at her crewmen instead of Lili herself. She even offers to do Asuka's homework for her until she realises it's all in Japanese.

So instead she trains and trains and trains instead of thinking about that girl, her rival, her partner in crime. She perfects her movements that already come so naturally. She puts more force into very kick against the punching bag, just to get Asuka's face out of her mind. Just to stop thinking about her.

Asuka is very invasive, she finds; not only in mind but here in the real world too.

"That was a nice kick," she says.

Lili curtseys – she can't tell if she's doing it truly in thanks or in mockery – and resumes her grudge against the inanimate hanging object.

Her skin crawls the longer Asuka watches her, until she finds that she cannot resist glancing at her. And when she does, she finds that she's in her training gear, watching and waiting for her to finish. And then she opens her mouth, "Wanna spar?"

And so they do, for several hours. That night Lili finds that Asuka curiously trying on one of the many clothes that's been offered to her, but she pretends she was never there.

They're passing through Australian waters when Asuka sits Lili down for a proper talk about this mission. She wants to know what exactly they're looking for – is it a big box, is it a small box, how could she not have been paying attention to the news? – and why. Lili tells her everything except the why, which she's not sure Asuka notices.

"There is another business looking for it," Lili breathes, rubbing her temples.

"The Zaibatsu."

"No, another one. Shadaloo. I do not know what they do or who they are, but I know that they have deployed their full resources into acquiring it. I can't let that happen."

"I'm sure there are others," Asuka says, fiddling with the strings of her light blue hoodie, "If they've seen the signs, surely others have. Archaeologists would wanna investigate it for sure. What's the bet there's a bunch of people rushing there right now? It's gonna be survival of the fittest."

The thought of others wanting to take this box makes Lili sick.

Her Father needs her to succeed.

Up above, the metal creaks and groans. There are thuds, shouts. Asuka stands and pulls Lili up with her, pointing upward at the sounds. They rush up until they are on deck, and they find that they are surrounded by Tekken Force soldiers. Red ones, green ones, there are many, and they all want to stop the ship.

One of them approaches and speaks, a man with short, shabby black hair and scars. He tilts a red and black sword towards them, "We have orders to turn this ship around and to make port at Sydney. If you do that, then no one else is going to get hurt. Do you think you can do that?"

"I hardly think you and your men have the ability to take this ship," Lili scoffs. Asuka makes some sort of annoyed noise.

The man's eyebrows rise, "Really now?"

Beside her, Asuka steps forward and slams her fist into the opposite palm, "You wanna go, Scarface?"

The soldier to Lili's right raises a gun and aims it directly at Asuka. Without thinking, Lili takes two steps and slams her leg into the back of the soldier's neck, watching with a blank face as he falls to the ground in a heap.

It's all on, then. The fighting, the endless amount of orders, and the cooperation that Lili had hoped for.

Asuka is as brutish as she remembers, but there is some finesse in her technique. The way that her strikes are executed is a little different – it is not all about force, but where the elbow hits the man. Where the shoulder pops. Where the muscle is weakened. And in all honesty it impresses Lili.

There are a few moments where she is too distracted by watching Asuka that she cops a hit. A baton leaves her with a particularly bloodied nose, and it would've done more damage if it weren't for Asuka bounding by her and knocking the guy out with a solid strike to the stomach and then the back of the neck.

Lili is surprised, although woozy when she realises that they've made quick work of a lot of the man's soldiers. The man eventually orders them all to pull back and evacuate the ship, having grossly underestimated the Iron Fist fighters himself. That or Jin really wasn't putting his hired goons through the works anymore.

When they are gone, Lili goes around to try and help the crew, but Asuka forces her to sit down instead and hold an ice pack to her face. She's too tired to fight it and soon finds that Asuka's hands are very soft as they stroke through her hair and tend to her. She misses them when Asuka leaves to see to the others.

Yes, Asuka Kazama certainly made an impression on her way back in the fifth tournament, and it's an opinion that's never really gone away.

When they arrive in Antarctica, the first thing Lili does is complain about the temperature.

"But what were you expecting?" Asuka asks.

"Well certainly nothing this cold, that's for sure! I can barely feel my fingers," she huffs, folding her arms across her chest, "And I thought this box would be closer to the edge of this forsaken continent."

They've been trudging through the vicinity for about an hour, and they've noticed other people's footprints. Lili is on edge. Her teeth grind together, and she honestly wonders how many others have arrived. She wonders if they are people she knows, or fighters from other tournaments that she has only heard of, like the Wandering Warrior, or the Lee Twins.

Sometimes her heart climbs into her throat when she sees lights on the far side, but she forces herself to believe that it is her imagination. That there aren't that many people here who have come for the box. That she will get it to her Father, and that he will win.

Soon enough, Asuka bumps her shoulder with a friendly fist. When Lili turns to look, she is smirking and has produced a dark blue, cape-like piece from her backpack. Her hood is already propped up as she questions with an extended arm, "Are you cold?"

"No," she snits.

"Get in the damn cloak you annoying shit."

Lili does, and it is a war to keep the bright smile from her face.

They're much farther in when they indeed encounter other fighters. Lili almost feels as though she'll cry, simply because her worst fears have been confirmed.

They're familiar faces, at least. And she was having such a nice adventure with her not-friend.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Asuka blurts, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. It's not an attractive sight, but Lili supposes it is something that makes Asuka who she is.

"I could ask you the same question," the redhead replies.

The names finally come to her head – Hwoarang and Steve Fox, from the Iron Fist Tournaments. She doesn't remember if they are strong or weak, but they are her opponents and she will slaughter them. She will leave them in the snow and continue on her way, to her prize, until she is touching it. That box is hers, for her Father, and that's that.

"Aren't you cold?" Lili sneers at Steve.

He is indifferent to the comment and instead watches as she slides into her fighting stance, knowing what's coming. Steve then chooses to speak, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Can't we solve this any other way? Why don't we talk it out instead? It's not as though we want the device, we just want a look."

"Nonsense. You want Pandora's Box for yourself, just like everyone else. And you'll not see it with your own eyes. Your journey ends here."

Asuka's already thrown a punch at Hwoarang, who's evaded it knowingly. The fight between herself and Steve moves in such a way that she is able to keep an eye on the other two, and she grimly realises that Hwoarang is smarter than people give him credit for, as he is predicting a majority of Asuka's moves and countering accordingly. As though he knows her.

That thought irks Lili so much that she ends up smashing her knees squarely into Steve's jaw. He topples backwards into the snow.

She doesn't know how long the fight rages on, but just the fact that perhaps Asuka knows and is friends with some of these other fighters infuriates her, and makes her think that maybe she shouldn't have invited her along.

Maybe Asuka would knock her out and give the box to Hwoarang.

Maybe Asuka would take it for herself.

Maybe Asuka would hurt her in the end.

The thoughts terrify her as she screams in anger and fights.

They make camp a few hours later with the materials that Lili's brought along. Asuka says something long and absurd about the previous battle, and how she can't believe that she had to be rescued, "You can start with a simple 'thank you,' you know. But you helped me out too, so consider us even."

"Th-that's what I was about to say."

It's cold, she's tired, and frankly the bad thoughts have been swirling about in her mind ever since she landed here. The negativity weighs her down. She's beginning to think that leaving Asuka here would be the best idea.

"What is the matter with you?" she finally hisses, "You've been crabby ever since we got here. Isn't this what you wanted? Didn't you wanna get here, power through and find this stupid box and then do whatever with it? What do you want to do with it, and why are you only now looking like you have second thoughts?"

Second thoughts.

Yes, she supposes that's what it's called. Second thoughts about striking up an alliance with her rival, second thoughts about bringing her down to Antarctica, second thoughts about this entire scheme. Besides, what could her Father really do with this anyway? It's not as though anyone knows what it actually does.

She grunts and turns away, "Where did my friend go?"

And Lili stops, releasing a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding.

There's silence.

"And what ever happened to 'not friends?'"

Asuka's not facing her, so Lili grabs her by her shoulder and makes her look at her.

"I am just following what you have said since the very beginning. We are just two people who happen to be going to the same location," she can't help the tiny grin that tugs at her lips, "Are you offended by this, or would you prefer to procure a different arrangement?"

"Yeah, well, whether I wanted it to happen or not, I see you as a friend now. It was a long road to get to this point for us and I... don't want it to go to waste. So stop acting like I've killed someone you love and go back to being that annoying brat again, because that's what's keeping me going through this trip. A favour for a friend. And then I go home and train those kids again."

Lili can't help but brighten at the fact. Asuka sees her as a friend. They are friends. Friendly rivals, if only for now, because Asuka does have a life of her own one day to return to. She ducks her head in acknowledgement before facing the tent's entrance again, rubbing her arms up and down.

Asuka again throws the cloak over the two of them and huddles close. Her breath is visible, "So, what actually happens when we get to the box? How do we take it back?"

"I suppose you would carry it."

"I guess I should have expected that."

Lili realises they are comfortable together. She likes it.

Asuka surprises Lili on their way when she provides her with information that even she did not have.

"They say that two people are needed to open the box."

She thinks on it for the rest of the day, but she can't come up with a reason for it. She supposes at least Asuka is with her – they are two people, so they can see what is inside. Perhaps it's not Pandora's Box itself that holds power, but whatever is inside of it. Perhaps it is smaller and easier to take back to her Father.

She has heard of immense power coming from the box. Something about glowing, and a fierce, unparalleled rage. The ability to destroy. It's a thought that warms her a little, her Father with that ability to ruin his opponents.

Lili's soon thrown to the ground and haphazardly covered in snow. Asuka then drops beside her and shoots her a pleading look, one that says there's people around and that they should be quiet. Sure enough they hear the steady crunching of snow beneath heavy boots, a woman laughing – but it doesn't sound happy nor pleasant – and a gruff man covered in military red walking by them.

Lili thinks she recognises the man, but she cannot be certain. She doesn't know her Father's opponents – she just knows their names and symbols. The man's cap has the Shadaloo insignia on it, so she remains quiet until they both pass a great distance, because she is aware that Shadaloo is dangerous.

Once they are a safe distance ahead, they resurface, shaking. But coming up behind them are two more Iron Fist fighters that they both recognise, but not as well as Hwoarang and Steve. One is thin, and the other is large and round. With a smirk, Lili straightens up and turns to Asuka, who gives her a knowing grin in return, "Let's pummel them."

"Why did you ask me to come with you?"

It is the question Lili's been dreading, but one that she's surprised didn't come sooner.

"I told you before – you complement my own fighting abilities. We are an immense fighting duo, and we will get this box," she runs her fingers through her glossy gold hair, "There's no one else I'd rather be here with. You at least don't try to get in my way."

Asuka regards her carefully. She doesn't accept the answer.

So Lili tries again with something else, but she realises that she doesn't accept that either. She swallows thickly and pulls the cloak tighter around herself. She tugs the hood further down until her eyes are obscured from her partner's vision.

"Why? You pursued me for days –"

"A fortnight to be precise."

"- and you begged and begged. All I ever remember of you in the arena was... hatred for me, for taking something away. Pride, I guess. But I never, ever would've thought that you'd come after me for some bumbling adventure," she runs her tongue over her teeth, "Why, Lili?"

"I needed your help..." Lili replies honestly, stumbling over her own words, "because I know I am not strong enough to do this on my own. Without you I'm... I'm..."

"Okay."

Lili glances at her from the corner of her eyes.

"I said 'okay.'"

That was enough. It was fine. She didn't need to go on. Stop.

Lili needs her. That was all there is to it.

Lili needs her for motivation. To keep going, to pit herself against. Her beautiful, brutish challenge. Lili never saw herself as a needy person until Asuka wormed her way into her life, but dammit, she needs her.

She needs her so she's not alone.

She almost forgets to breathe when Asuka's knuckles gently drag down her cheek, lightly tugging at it from the forced friction. They are cold, but not as cold as her skin. It's a simple gesture, but it's enough.

She inwardly mourns the loss of contact when Asuka takes her hand back, and to hide her enjoyment, Lili tugs at the cloak again openly and scoffs in what she hopes is a stable voice, "I can't believe you wear this thing."

When they arrive after their long journey, the box is nothing like they expect, nothing like her reports had shown.

It is very large, coming up to their waists. In the files it looked much smaller. She couldn't remember anything about measurements, but Lili was sure that it wasn't this big... and yet here it was. At this size.

"So how do you suppose we open it?" Asuka asks, tapping the top with a fist.

"Yes perhaps if we attack the device, it will open. Use your head please, Asuka."

The Japanese youth sneers playfully before circling Pandora's Box again. She points out the footprints in the snow – ones that don't match either of their shoes – and notes how they vanish into the far distance. The cold bites at their arms and hides their predecessor's trails.

Lili wonders who else has been here. Surely that Shadaloo man and his associate. Surely not Julia and Bob from before.

Soon enough, voices echo in the area and above the increasing wind. There are two distinct ones she can identify. One is speaking complete gibberish, and the other is speaking about being the master of the fist. They get louder and louder until Lili feels like her eardrums are going to burst.

"What is that?!" Asuka screeches, pointing off in the distance. Lili cannot see anything.

The sound begins to reverberate in her skull, and it is so overbearing that she drops to her knees, squeezes her eyes shut and screams.

But when she opens her eyes, she realises the voices have stopped. When she turns, she sees a man with pitch black wings in the air, holding Asuka by her neck. Lili screams again.

"Asuka! Asuka!"

Her voice is desperate for a response, a sign of anything, but it never comes. But she does recognise the face – the man's face, the face of the Zaibatsu and of ruin to her Father. She doesn't know what's happened to Jin Kazama, but that is most certainly him.

His demonic self tosses Asuka to the ground, just inches away from Lili. The snow doesn't stop her from crawling across to her, shaking her by the shoulders, placing her in her lap and asking for her to come back. But Asuka's bleeding everywhere too much, from the nose and the mouth. The marks around her neck are not promising.

Asuka's eyes dart over to meet Lili's, and then that's it. There's nothing else. Not a breath or a twitch. Her road stops here.

They say it takes two people to open the box.

She won't be going home to train her students anymore, or changing her opinion of the fighter.

Lili's teeth push together, and her fingers dig into Asuka's lifeless form. She finds herself trembling, and something else stirring deep inside of her. The dark thoughts that she never dared to voice, the murky wishes that she would never admit. She swallows thickly and reigns in a sob for her fallen friend – for what could've been more.

Suddenly the world is shifting. There is no more sound, no nothing. Not the laugh that looks to be coming from Jin, nor the hissing from behind her own teeth.

When she looks down again, she finds that her skin – her skin has turned black and there are lines, marks of sorts that are blue and glowing.

And power!

What immense power.

"Stand," Jin commands.

And Lili does. And when she does, she roars and runs to meet him head on.