Tekken:
The Royal Bloodline
Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Dynasty
As he stepped forward into the arena, he noticed his hand was trembling. Never had he felt such emotions inside of him...rage...fear...hatred...determination...worry. A drop of sweat falls from his brow as he saw a silhouette. Slowly arise before him...murderer.
***
It all started so long ago; well over twenty years. A priest was exploring the southern regions of the South American Rainforest on a missionary expedition, when he happened to hear the scream of a young child. Quickly he took off toward the direction in which he heard the cry, hacking away at the vegetation with his machete as best he could. Upon arrival, he saw a large jaguar growling ferociously at a young girl. It was crouching low, its muscles tensing in his back legs...the pounce position!!!
He had to act fast. He charged as fast as he could towards the animal and, upon mid pounce, tackled it to the ground, simultaneously piercing its ribcage and heart with his machete. He heard the big cat cry out in pain...one last exhale...and silence. Upon seeing this, the girl darts out into the forest. "You're welcome" he mumbles as she quickly vanishes into the fauna. It was just then that he realized that he had wandered off the trail.
He looked to the left, to the right, and behind. 'Now which way did I get here anyhow?' he wondered. As he pondered his next move rustle came from the left of his current position. He didn't like the looks of this. Then out of the forest came...the girl? "Well did you run off..." Other people came out of the trees behind her. "...to?"
They all gazed upon the fallen jaguar...then him. One of then stepped forward to him. 'What's all this about?' the priest wondered. The man then pulled him towards him and gave him a large hug. "Thank you sir" he said. The priest then felt silly about worrying over this confrontation. "It's alright" he replied.
"Come with us." the man beckoned. "We must reward you." "No, really it's alright. I'm just glad I got here before..." "Please, sir" he interrupted "your kindness must not go unrewarded." Out of politeness, he decided he should follow.
After walking for what seemed a bit over an hour, they finally reach their destination. It was a village with a very large and ancient looking temple. Two ferocious looking jaguar statues stood guard in front of the temple each with emerald colored eyes and curled up lips. They looked as though they meant business.
The priest could only look on in awe over beauty of this majestic temple. Upon entering the temple he saw jaguars in pouncing stance painted upon the walls. He hoped that he wasn't going to be punished for his earlier actions in the jungle seeing how sacred an animal they must have been to this tribe.
An elderly man was praying before an even larger jaguar statue inside. This statue had true emeralds for eyes, jade carved paws, and ivory fangs: an overwhelming creature indeed. The man turned toward the priest and smiled softly. "I've heard of your brave deed earlier today. I'm forever in debt to you, for my granddaughter is all the world itself to me."
'His granddaughter?' the priest thought. "It's fine. I love kids and just being there for her is enough to satisfy me." The old man reached out for his hand "But I insist. You sir have saved the life of the future leader of the Jagurandi." 'Wow, who knew" the priest thought to himself. "In that case sir I have the honor of being the one to have that title put upon my very character. There is no material possession that can make up for that." 'He is truly pure of heart.' Thought the elder 'He is worthy.' With that the old man pulled out a bag made of jaguar skin and hands it to the priest. "Take this" he insists "I know that it belongs with you." The priest couldn't turn him down. "Thank you" he says politely. "I trust your judgment."
"I do not!" growled a dark menacing voice. The priest turned to see a dark looming figure standing in the passageway. He stood about 6ft tall with a large, muscular build. He wore black chest armor, black pants, and a pair of black iron boots. His uniform resembled that of a dark, medieval knight... with one exception. A snarling, dark, gray jaguar mask covered his face. "Do you know what you're doing, or have you gone senile?"
"What gives you the right to speak that way to me? Get out of here, before I take yours instead." 'Mask?' the priest wondered. He then opened the fur bag to find a mask near identical to the one the stranger was wearing, with regular jaguar coloration. The stranger gripped his fist. "I hope you appreciate the gift you've been given infidel. You certainly don't deserve it." And with that he turned and walked out.
"Such hatred dwells within his heart. I should have never given him the dark mask. All it has given him is anger and physical power." The old man shook his head. "He had so much potential."
That night as the priest left the village to return home he tried on the mask. Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him. "Take that off, you peasant!!!" It was the stranger. He spun around to face him. "TAKE IT OFF!!!" He charged toward the priest. Just then the mask fused with him. He and the mask became one and with the union came a surge of extreme power.
He grabbed the warrior and threw him over his shoulder. "It is a pity," the dark one growled, "such an exceptional mask has to be desecrated by your blood." "We shall see about that sir." He replied. Once again the dark one charged. The priest grabbed him by his neck and tossed him using his own weight against him. He fell face first into a pile of firewood.
That did it! He got up and quick as jungle cat he pounced on his back, trying to pull the mask off himself. In a frantic attempt to get him off the priest flailed his arms, only succeeding at making himself lose his balance. Falling forward on his chest, him and his adversary were momentarily knocked senseless. It was in this brief moment that the priest remembered his machete. He reached for it and as soon as he brought it out it was instantly slapped away from him. It was knocked away hard enough that it was flung into the branches of a nearby tree.
"Cowardice, mongrel!!!" the dark one roared "You dare bring your weapon into our fight? Have you no honor?" He grabbed him by his neck and, as if he had no weight to him pulled over top of him. Holding the priest over him, one hand on his neck and one on his back he tensed up his muscles and launched him forward. The priest flew for 7 feet and landed on his back roughly. He groaned slightly with pain.
"Get up! Face me! I wish to see the life fade from your eyes." The dark one walked towards him slowly. Quickly the priest struggled to his feet. He limped over toward the nearest tree to catch his breath. The warrior walked over to him and looked upon him. "You truly are as pathetic as I first thought you to be." He grabed his neck at a speed so fast the impact itself seemed it would break any normal persons' neck instantly.
Upon the impact the trees branches shook slightly jarring the machete loose from its sure hold. It slowly started to slide out.
"Now, priest, it seemed like the most opportune time for you pray to your god for a miracle." His grip slowly started to tighten. As the warriors grip tightened on the priest's neck, the priest slowly started blacking out. 'Oh God, please don't let it end this way. I promise to live my life in charity for another chance.'
As though it were an instantaneous answer to his prayer, the blade slipped from the branches of the tree and down towards the two below. The cold steel blade parted the air as it fell to make its mark parting a red trail down the dark one's face, slicing into his left eye.
With agony and rage the stranger released his grip from the priest, to fully tend to his bloodied eye. The strangled man collapsed to the ground oblivious to the situation at hand. All he knew was he was breathing... and that was a good thing. He then noticed his rival howling and cursing in terrifying howl of pain. "I only did what you told me to." The priest reminded him and with that he trudged out into the forest. He then heard a scream of anger at such an intensity he never heard before..."COWARD!!!!"
***
Two years had passed. The mask had turned into an invaluable asset to the priest. Since the night he fought with the dark one, he had hungered for the power he felt from the mask. He trained with it, day and night. He had to increase its power meaning that he himself had to become more powerful as well. Little did he know that little by little the power itself started to consume at his soul. He started to become the mask.
The priest eventually decided he would take a break from his mission of spirituality to put his new, found strength to use. And what better way to test out his strength than professional wrestling?
As the priest stepped into the ring for the first time, he felt his heart beat harder and his body charge. He had gained more then 20 pounds of pure muscle since his last fight with the mask The mask was ready for blood. His opponent stepped forward. He called himself the Beast. He stood 5' 10" at 220lbs. He was a large built man, with both muscle and a gut. "Yer outta yer league kid." He sneered a grin of self-assurance. "Don't be too sure of yourself sir. You don't want to be the one to jinx yourself." The rage within him built. He felt like an animal...a jaguar on the hunt.
When the bell sounded he leapt forward. The two circled one another, sizing one another up for their first move. Only one may be victorious. The first to attack was the Beast. He charged forward towards the masked newcomer. At the last moment the priest dodged the attack and let him hit the ropes. Upon hitting them he was launched back to him right into a clothesline. The Beast fell back on the mat holding his neck in agony. The priest walked forward and pulled up the collapsed man to his feet. Then using his shoulder and the man's girth, he turned around and picked him upon his shoulder. He then flipped his body in front of him and performed a piledriver (Holding his body towards him head pointed downward, then dropping to the ground in the sitting position while the opponents head is practically absorbing the fall), knocking the Beast unconscious. The referee came in to count out. "One...two...three!" The priest had won.
The priest stood with his foot upon the fallen wrestler. "I AM THE KING...OF ALL BEASTS." He roared with triumph, " I AM THE KING!!!" The crowd roared back with cheers and boos alike. They loved him. They hated him. He never felt so powerful. He loved it. He truly was...King.
After a while and many winning matches Kings income started to boom. Never had he ever imagined what kind of wealth and power the mask would bring. It became his new face. He never went anywhere without it. Nothing mattered to him any longer all he wanted now was to become stronger. He had completely forgotten his faith and was looking out for only one person...himself.
It was that way until the night after his winning championship match. He had emerged victorious and after the crowd had all went home. He was leaving the locker rooms only to find a small boy and his sister searching though the stands. The boy looked around 12 years old and the girl possibly 8. Both were terribly thin and dressed in dirty, ragged clothing. 'What the devil are they up to?' King asked himself. He walked over to them quietly to remain unnoticed. The boy beamed "Hey, I found half a hot dog. And some popcorn." His sister jumped up "I've found more than half a soda" she cheered.
It broke Kings heart to see these kids live this way. He walked over to them "What are you kids doing here." The kids jumped with startle then coward with fear. "Please Mr. King sir" the boy pleaded "we didn't mean any harm." "Do not fear me kids I'm here to help you." "How? Will you place me in an orphanage? I'd rather live on the street." The boy's words shocked him. "So long as we have each other and keep our faith I know the God is on our side. No matter what obstacles cross our path."
King was moved boy the boys faith. It finally dawned upon him how selfishly he had been living his life. He had broken the promise he made in the forest. It was then and there that he had decided his path in life. "Kids come with me, I'm taking you to a place where you will never be neglected again." Three of them went home together that night; the boy, the girl, and the priest. King didn't die...he regained his soul.
***
With his wealth from fighting King established his own orphanage. Within a year he had over 30 kids living comfortably within it. He also tried his best to keep the children in it happy and visited them as often as he had time for them. He loved the kids and loved making them happy. Though he tried not to play favorites, he couldn't help but care most for the boy who changed his life forever.
On one of his visits to the orphanage the kids asked him if they could see him fight. "You know I don't want you kids influenced by what I do. I never want any of you to follow my choice of career. It's too dangerous." "But King, just one time, pleeeeaaase." "No and that's final." The kids were disappointed, but most understood. Not including King's boy. He was determined to see him fight.
That night he didn't know whom it was that he was supposed to fight. His agent said it was an anonymous wrestler...one no one ever seen before. "Well whoever this guy is I'm sure I can take him. I have more than 30 little voices cheering me on at home." He didn't admit it, but he was nervous. He had a bad feeling about this match and couldn't help but sense that something evil was near.
As he stepped into the ring he realized that the feeling was getting stronger. The crowd started to yell and boo as his opponent entered the arena. He lurched forward towards the ring giving the crowd a thumb down. His metal boots clanked as he marched on. That was when King saw the face of terror itself. It was gray tinted with black spots. King knew this face well, but it was different this time. It had a deep gash across its left eye. The Dark Warrior!
Authors Note: King and Armor King have always been my favorite Tekken characters. I was truly disappointed to learn that they were hardly even in the Anime. The story of King, King 2, and Armor King has always interested me, but I never got to know the true full story. This is just my adaptation to the vague storyline behind the bond of these characters.