Sachi Gosetsuke: yeah, I know I posted up the last chapter twice, I know. But I just had to edit several things that I missed while previewing it (don't you just hate it when that happens?) Also, I added some more stuff there too, particularly for Kenichi. So check it out.

Also…I owe you guys an apology. I've had major Writer's Block for the past three months (yikes), and even as I type, I am still slowly recovering. Plus there's the normal crap, drama, chorus, and school stuff happening right now. You know – all that good stuff.

Oh yes…how 'bout we all get over ourselves and start thinking up our own ideas on stories, hmm?

Disclaimer: The following works here are all property of an obsessed fan, and Tekken and its characters (except Kenichi) are all property of Namco. There. Go sue someone else.

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Ch. 9: Recovery

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About a week after Kenichi left, I left as well for the tournament.

I was distraught when Kenichi left. It showed me that he was really serious about his decision, and he might not come back until his mission was accomplished. And with this realization, I felt a literal stabbing pain upon my heart: a jumble of emotions that had been rambling on and on in my head unclearly, had finally made sense and all came rushing into me like a fist to my stomach. Confusion, fear, anger…and sorrow.

I wouldn't talk to anyone after he left. I felt numb and so alone, and the temple dojo had never felt so quiet. I wouldn't even ride my bike anymore, or even stop fights that erupted in the dojo. It was just one of those times that I desperately needed my father.

At times I found myself spacing out, and daydreaming about us together, alone; talking until dusk, sparring with each other, taking walks along the fishing shores. I would plague myself into training, perfecting my skills and strengthening my resolve: anything to keep from thinking about him. Yet I also did repeat his advice and his teachings over and over again in my head, reminding myself I had a task to complete.

It was when he had left, did I really realize exactly what I had, and exactly what I had lost: a friend.

I realized that I had been falling for him all along.

Though as sadden as I was about Kenichi's disappearance and his decision, I did not allow that to affect my training and determination. It only encouraged me to strengthen my resolve even more: to defeat Feng Wei, and to become a greater fighter. For my father, for Kenichi, and for myself.

I had to believe that Kenichi would come back and come to his senses. And I reminded myself yet another quote from my father: while one door closes, another one opens. And in my case, several doors opened for me…

The tournament came as a blur for me. I met so many people, learned so many things…when I came home, I felt like a whole new person.

Strange how this effect seems to occur to all participants of the Iron Fists.

I don't think I ever had a chance to think about Kenichi until after the tournament; so many things had been happening, and all I had time for was thinking about my father, thinking of Feng Wei, and training, training, training. I had no time to think about the man whose face was always hidden underneath his hood; and I had no time for Kazuya Mishima…

However, I didn't discover the truth until after the tournament…

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Asuka closed her eyes, letting the wind play with the dark tresses of her hair and laying in a familiar field of tall grass, her legs spread, and her hands behind her head. The cool breeze was welcomed against her skin, with such hot humid summer atmosphere surrounding her that evening.

She slowly opened them, a soft sigh of leisure escaping her lips, watching the sun setting out in the horizon. It was yet another hot and beautiful summer evening in July. Well, it was nearing the end of July and close to the beginning of August. Close to her eighteenth birthday…close to leaving Osaka.

Even to this day, about a month afterwards, she still could replay every moment of her participation in the Iron Fists clear as day. She still could remember the adrenaline rush as she greeted each of her opponents with a fist or a defensive motive…and she could still feel her heart thumping wildly as the crowd cheered on after she won her match.

For the first time in her life, she felt alive. For once (if not, ever), she truly felt as if she had finally sought the chance to spread her wings and escape her caged prison and eerily calm sanctuary…and she was soaring. If this was just the beginning of her soon early adult life, she was ready to hold her head high and face the rest of it.

Yet her journey had been just a bittersweet dream. When she came to Tokyo, she had never felt so alone. Though she was ecstatic and delightfully curious of the new world around her, and the millions of people weaving in and out about, she longed for her tight and familiar neighborhood, seeking out troublemakers, baby-sitting the children, riding her bike and running errands…yet she reminded herself that she would be coming home soon enough, and that she was here on a mission…but it was such a strange ironic state for Asuka; how could it be, that she had finally been to leave home for once and explore the world on her own, and yet she was homesick and it felt hard to enjoy herself?

Though she was missing her father and friends at home, she tossed her insecurity in the wind and simply held up her chin and made her way.

There were two sides to her little "trip" in Tokyo: one good and bad. And as for the good…well, it couldn't have made her trip any sweeter.

As much as she missed Megumi, and God knows how much she missed Kenichi, she sure was happy when she met the other fighters close to her age. And it would be a lie to disagree with the fact that although she had very confident when she left Osaka, and she made it clear for everyone on how ready she was, her self-assurance faded away to evanesce when she took a look at all the fighters surrounding her.

Every fighter here in the tournament…was a veteran. All of them, had either participated in the Iron Fists at least once and were all skilled fighters and older than her. It was bad enough that she was a little on the short size, and the youngest of the whole competition, but to have no experience whatsoever here was pretty tough…she was officially labeled, "rookie."

But it wouldn't have been like her at all if she had let that get to her…

Though as young and new as she was, she didn't let that bother her (much), and she learned to go with the flow, ignoring some of the remarks that some of the few arrogant fighters noted about her.

And so, she first befriended the one and only Ling Xiaoyu.

She was a pretty Chinese teenager who was just a year older than her, and pretty bubbly and friendly yet perhaps a little too enthusiasm and feminine for her age, along with Asuka's taste. Though Asuka was never one to judge, she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows a little at all the bright and vivid colors of pink and yellow she normally wore, and of course those annoying pigtails that made her much younger than her age.

Yet she was considerably kind and helpful, bringing out a mixture of innocence and maturity, and a cross between maternity and sisterly instinct. And not to mention Asuka admired her determination and was impressed on her own skills of Hakke Ken and various other Chinese martial arts. They had loads of fun together, nevertheless, and Xiaoyu became Asuka's close friend and the most trusted person out of all the people she knew in the tournament.

And then there was the sweet and helpful Julia Chang. A strange and unique heritage blend of Chinese Ancestry and Native American (Navajo to be exact), the 20-year-old college student was no other fighter Asuka has ever met before. Her wisdom and logical conduct was admirable. It was because of Julia's knowledge of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and her own mission against them that drew Asuka to her. The two quickly became friends and Asuka also admired and trusted her, always able to come to her for advice.

Asuka, Julia, and Xiaoyu could make up a pretty typical and eccentric high school clique together – with Xiaoyu's preppiness, and Julia's intellectual attitude and of course Asuka's feisty and tomboy persona.

But one fighter that had definitely set off a whirlwind of excitement and waves of torture and annoyance to Asuka was none other than a tae kwon do excelled fighter, with fiery orange-red hair and a hotheaded attitude and perverted role.

Former thug, ex-soldier, and not to mention as cocky and arrogant as he was a good fighter, Asuka stated that the mysterious and troublemaking Hwoarang could make any perverted bully in Osaka a gentleman. He was the biggest pet peeve to her…and yet she hardly knew him.

With his large female fan club and all the people complaining about him, already Asuka wanted to teach him a lesson before she even met him. It was instinctive of her of course; but no one could blame her, with all the trouble he got into with the other fighters and authorities, the "Little Punk." Though she only ran into him a few times, she could clearly remember his frequent profanity, his rude bluntness, and how he would always annoy her to the core, no matter what self control she could muster from the "training" she had with the bullies back in her neighborhood.

It was surprising how they both got pretty far in the tournament. She was reminded constantly (damn fan girls), how he had the body of a God and the strength and fighting physique of one too. And though she hated to admit it, she remembers how a couple of times she caught a mere glimpse of him training in the dojo…his graceful kicks, fast, swift, and strong…his fighting was like magic to her, since she was not used to the tae kwon do styles. She remembered how she secretly fantasized what it would be like if they fought together.

But before Asuka could meet the Redhead…and before she could even dream deeper of fighting with him…she was constantly reminding herself of the task at hand.

She had been catching up to Feng Wei. Each time. She, Hwoarang, and Feng had managed to make it into the final eight.

Asuka could almost taste the feel of victory…feel the adrenaline pumping within her as she finally made her way in completing her mission…the sweet success of sweet revenge.

She had been so close.

The force, like a pebble being dropped into a pond creating a ripple affect, of a fist slamming into your face – first nothing (just the first tap to the incessant bangs to a door), then sure was something, and finally a hell a lot of a something, with a blinding pain and the swirling sensation of passing out and feeling your numbed body hit the ground; like a dull thud to your brain, but the silent knock of defeat to your heart…it's all gone, it's all over, and the next pain your feeling is the bitter and coarse awareness of failure. With aching muscles and spinning, sharp headaches on the side.

Asuka had never before fully experienced such terrible loathing in her heart and soul, for a man, another fighter. It seemed that Feng Wei had changed her life forever, and had almost taken from her the one person she loved more than fighting, heights, and birds. She never realized that she had the ability to hate another fighter who truly brought out a challenge in her; she had no knowledge until that coming home that fateful day after school, that someone could make her harbor such incredible hatred for them.

But she was mostly angry at herself…for letting herself once again get cocky, once again not fighting hard enough, once again… She never lost a fight. Not in the tournament…not to anyone in Osaka…no one, but her father and Kenichi, where they only ended in draws.

But, as the viewers of the tournament say, it was an amazing and honorable fight: a mere 17-year-old rookie, lasting more than fifteen minutes against a veteran and experienced fighter such as Feng Wei. It truly was another memorable fight against two bitter rivals once more in the history of Tekken tournaments.

…She didn't even give a proper good-bye to Xiao and Julia when she left. All she left was an e-mail, filled with a short (yet "sweet") good-bye and her gratitude, leaving her home address and number.

It was a bittersweet welcome, coming back home. She was filled with the strange and carefree melancholy sensation, as she recalled the days of childhood innocence, and how ancient she felt now.

The hummingbirds' songs didn't not fill the silence like they used to. The sun set hot and heavy, and blindingly bright in the horizon for once. The close and secured neighborhood of hers felt lonely, and alien to her. Not even the yells of juvenile bullies broke through her thoughts, as they fought with some other group of juvenile fighters. And she could not feel even the wind, soft as any lullaby and comforting as any song, penetrate through her shell.

Her wounds…of defeat and failure would eventually be healed by time. Time would let her live again, away from her hatred thoughts and fantasies of castrating Feng Wei, though her hate would still live on. Her friends, she knew, would always be there along with Mrs. Sanada. And she finally knew for certain, that her father would be healed soon enough.

But despite all these reassurances…she knew, that even time would not make everything the same again. The bird was out of her cage, and she was able to fly for once. Though she had fallen badly, she has gotten back up…but it will take her a while to get back home.

For home…was still missing one important element.

She found herself waiting for him. She waited, waited, and waited for him, and she was still waiting for him, when she found out the sad truth…that Kenichi still had not come home.

But she knew that she could not wait for him forever. Though it felt "forever," during the time she was in the tournament…and it felt "forever" since she left school…and the time it took for her to train felt "forever…" she knew, that it would take Kenichi more than forever to complete his mission. A mission, whom Asuka felt would end up like hers… Only this time, time would not heal him.

The day grew darker as dusk crept up on Asuka. The sun began to sink further into the horizon, shades of lavender cleaning up the messy splashes of orange and pink, with Night's own colors of midnight blue etching the purple horizon ever so softly, the sun beginning to surrender to the Night's cool embrace. Yet in the midst of the overtaking dark colors, there was left one last blemish of pink, standing clear yet subtle, proudly.

Asuka did not notice.

Maybe she would' have noticed before…but not now. Her whole world suddenly turned black white, only filled with the effects of day and night. Little things like dawn and dusk were meaningless. It was now, just now, that she felt at peace, finally…for the longest time. Yet she knew it wouldn't last.

Days were filled with the brutal abusive training she inflicted on herself, locked up inside the dojo; along with never ending education work that was needed for the 3WC Junior Division that she had regrettably procrastinated with, training for the Iron Fist. And night would creep up behind her back, and suddenly she slept at 4 am, exhausted, both physically and emotionally. She played the act for her friends, though, when they came to visit, pretending to be ok, using the "at least I tried," performance to them. Yet she found herself, becoming more distant from them, only going out mainly for Megumi. Yet this façade was obvious to Mrs. Sanada.

"You've got to move on, Asuka. You have your whole life ahead of you, and you only live once. Wasn't that what you wanted? To "live?" Well take a look at what you're doing now, sweetheart. What would your father think?"

Her father…he was doing a slightly speedy recovery, despite the fact that he was still in the hospital. He was furious when he found out she left for the tournament, and not for school. Yet he felt proud of her achievements, and didn't mind at all that she had lost to Feng Wei.

"Frankly, I'm quite appalled that you thought you could fight a man such as Feng Wei," her father scowled her. "He could have seriously brought damage to you! What were you thinking?" Then he sighed at the pained expression on her face. "But I can't say I'm not proud of how far you came through out the tournament. Why, Kenichi must have taught you pretty well…I can't wait to spar with you in battle myself…as well as watching the two of you! You see, I told you he was a strapping young lad after all."

Asuka didn't have the heart to tell his father that this "strapping young lad" and the very son he never had, had disappeared on a revenge mission himself. And that his father was dead, murdered rather, for she knew that he greatly respected the Masamunes. The truth would tear him.

It was getting darker. The Night's midnight blue colors had only just overpowered Day's warmness, making the air slightly chilly against her bare arms. Ebony fingers curled against the blue night sky, as several stars began to come out, twinkling in all its glory.

Reminiscing in the field of grass…brought a surge of emotions to Asuka. Her thoughts were a-scattered, from memories of the tournament to memories of Kenichi. Her new friends Xiao, and Julia, and even the annoying Red-head…to Kenichi's deep sapphire eyes, filled with quiet melancholy, and wisdom…

When she first met him, all she ever wanted to do was break through his shell to see what hid the behind his stoic wall.

To see the roots to his glum-filled eyes, and give him back the Kenichi she loved to be around…but it was too late. Even if he did come back, he would have been changed forever. And he had, the day they went to Kyoto.

He broke his promise.

The hate, and sorrow, and failure numbed Asuka. How she needed her father dearly.

Asuka stood up. The quarter moon glowed vividly against the dark skyline. The cool wind played at her hair once more, causing her to suppress shivers.

She made a vow. She will not turn into those drama-over-hormonal-depressed-attention-wanting-emo-freaks who thought they had real problems that no one could fix. Though the world she had grown to know and love was fading away, she will not let that get her down.

In a week she would be leaving for Tokyo once more. The little bird was all grown up. It was time to stretch her wings and start all over.

Time to fly, go out in the opening. Look at the world around you, girl; it's time to explore.

As she left her little sanctuary, she wiped her face with her sleeve.

Sachi: Oh yeah…you guys disappoint me. You actually thought I'd give up on Kenichi that easily? He may be pretty stubborn but he won't be away forever now.