Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken
A/N: Just like the title says, this is an alternate ending to the story. This is not considered the true ending; it's just a different view that walked up and slapped me in the head while I was writing the ending. Also, I must warn you: there is a disturbing, graphic scene inside, so reader's discretion is advised. Anyway, I hope you like it, and that it moves you. While you ponder that, please enjoy.
The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6: Where Souls and Hearts Clash
Alternate Ending: Tragedy for Salvation
Shattered Hearts
Soon, Devil Jin stopped struggling, and Asuka slowly let him go, quickly backing up next to Xiaoyu. Devil Jin, with his back to the two young women, actually seemed relatively calm as he landed in silence. Suddenly, after a few moments, as he turned around to face them, Devil Jin let out a creepy, hysterical, manic, and high-pitched laugh. With that, he went into a frenzy and began to attack them both.
Though he'd already fought three times, Devil Jin fought fiercely, and, since Xiaoyu and Asuka had expended a lot of energy getting to Ground Zero, they didn't have much fight left. In spite of that however, Asuka retaliated with very little evident effect, but Xiaoyu, though she managed to dodge and help Asuka escape danger several times, didn't attack at all. She was still in shock over the situation she was in; this really wasn't what she'd expected her first meeting with Jin after so much time would be like. She never imagined he would actually attack her not to mention so fiercely. She was in utter, speechless disbelief at this possessed Jin.
Asuka, seeing Xiaoyu's apprehension, tried to snap her out of it saying, "Xiao-chan, I could use some help here."
Xiaoyu stammered in an almost petrified tone, "I … I can't."
Asuka could only reply, "Xiao …"
Before Asuka could say anything else, Devil Jin grabbed her by the jaw as he flew up into the air. Asuka barely had time to realize he was flying up before he began flying back to the ground. With Asuka at his mercy, Devil Jin slammed her to the ground with the added momentum and force of the descent, executing a 'Heaven's Door' and incapacitating her for the moment. He then slowly turned his attention to Xiaoyu.
Xiaoyu had no choice now; she was alone. Summoning some strength from the deepest parts of her soul, Xiaoyu reaffirmed herself; she hadn't come this far to give up on Jin now. She knew she couldn't fight him, but she knew she could reach him. This wasn't the real Jin, but he was still there somewhere; Xiaoyu could feel it. As Devil Jin slowly made his way to her, Xiaoyu began trying to reach the real Jin.
"I'm not going to fight, Jin-kun," Xiaoyu said sympathetically.
Like a pistol's bullet to the armor of a tank, the comment seemed to just bounced off of Devil Jin with no effect as he came charging at her. Devil Jin began to viciously attack, but, just as she'd done all tournament, Xiaoyu began to 'stance around' his offense, using her multiple stances and maneuvers to dodge everything he threw at her with agility and some effort.
As she continued to avoid his strikes, Xiaoyu continued in an equally sympathetic manner, "I know this isn't you; you're better this."
Unlike the first comment, this one seemed to get through. Devil Jin hesitated for a moment, and he slowed down considerably, but he still kept attacking. His decrease in speed however made it easier for Xiaoyu to dodge him, and thus allowing her to focus more attention of getting through to him.
Encouraging him, Xiaoyu appealed to Jin, "Jin-kun, you have to stop this. You have to fight it."
Devil Jin then stopped seemingly to size Xiaoyu up, but the look on his face was as if he were listening. Though she didn't know it was happening, Xiaoyu was succeeding; she was breaking through. The real Jin that the Devil inside had locked up months ago had begun to stir because of her words. Somehow, he heard her and began to struggle to break free. This caused Devil Jin to freeze up, clutched by a sudden case of indecision.
Xiaoyu continued, further reaching for him, "You can break this. I know you can defeat this; I know you can. I know you're still in there; I know you're still good inside. I'm right here with you, Jin-kun; I believe in you."
This one rang loud and clear, and, just like before, the chains around Jin loosened. As such, Jin had a reaction similar to a panic attack just as painful as before. Devil Jin began to hold his head in pain, gnash his teeth together, and his skin turned paler than usual. Not sure what was happening but knowing she caused something to occur, Xiaoyu slowly started to approach Devil Jin. For a brief second, the real Jin gained control long enough to wonder about something.
" … Xiao" Jin choked out as if wondering if it was really her.
A smile crossed Xiaoyu's face, but it quickly disappeared. Devil Jin quickly seized control again, but continued to feign as if still struggling. Xiaoyu, not aware of the ruse, continued to approach Devil Jin, and, when she got close, he sprung his trap. Devil Jin attacked unexpectedly with an uppercut that Xiaoyu barely dodged at the last second but still sent her stumbling backwards, and then shot a laser beam right at her feet, knocking her to the ground. As she tried to regain herself and her footing, Devil Jin began charging right at her.
Just as Xiaoyu turned back to Devil Jin, he was in range and attacked. At the last possible second, Asuka, who just recovered, jumped right between the two, taking the spinning kick, the first hit of his 'Hell Spiral'. Devil Jin followed through by attacking with the second hit, a backhanded strike that knocked Asuka aside, and completed the combination with a straight forward kick that hit home, finally connecting with Xiaoyu and knocking her to the ground. With her at his mercy now, Devil Jin slowly but firmly grasped Xiaoyu by the neck, and effortlessly lifted her to her feet. Not wasting time and with no desire to continue the encounter any further, Devil Jin prepared to strike her with a final blow, but he forgot about Asuka.
With her whole body now covered in a white aura, Asuka grabbed Devil Jin from behind, and tried to subdue him with a Kata Ha Jime, wrapping one arm around his neck, the other around his free arm, and locking her fingers. Though she succeeded in taking Devil Jin by surprise, Asuka quickly realized that she wouldn't be able to stop his next strike; despite her holding him with all her strength, his arm slowly but surely raised and aimed right at Xiaoyu, and his hand still straightened to the shape of a knife-edge especially dangerous considering his long, talon-like nails. The recognition then hit that since she couldn't stop Devil Jin, Xiaoyu was in all likelihood finished. A single tear formed in the corner of Asuka's eye, and slowly rolled down her cheek as she conceded that not only had she truly failed her family but she also let down her newest friend. Though she continued to hold on with all her power, Asuka closed her eyes, not willing to see Xiaoyu pay with her life.
Xiaoyu's mindset was even more distraught. As she looked at Devil Jin, there was very little doubt in her mind that she had lost. She had fought for the longest time to see Jin again, to help the real Jin she befriended long ago, and now that he was right in front of her, she concluded that she hadn't really aided him at all. This was still the same Jin that the world knew and hated. Above all else, this Jin felt cold, with no hint of compassion, decency, or good in sight, completely opposite of the Jin she knew. Even at that moment, Xiaoyu knew the real Jin, her Jin, was still there, but, after doing everything in her power to reach him, he was still nowhere in view. Crushed by this
turn of events, Xiaoyu could only close her eyes to escape this tragic sight, conceding to defeat and reserving herself to what was coming next.
In an unspoken apology, Xiaoyu pleaded for forgiveness, thinking, "I'm sorry; I'm so sorry, Jin-kun. I guess … I wasn't strong enough to save you. Please … forgive me."
Brokenhearted in the truest sense of the word, Xiaoyu couldn't help but break into tears as she accepted her impending death. Believing her life was about to end at his hands, she decided to confess herself. In her waning moments, Xiaoyu was going to reveal her one secret, the one thing she'd been harboring since she first met him years ago, her own personal 800-pound gorilla that hovered over her every time she was with him. She had held it in long enough, and she now lamented she hadn't said something earlier. Maybe if she did, then… Still, it was too late. Belatedly as it was, Xiaoyu believed it needed to be said, and thusly calmed herself enough to form words.
Speaking from her heart, Xiaoyu began to confess in a dejected whisper just loud enough to be heard, "I know I never got a chance to tell you, but I …"
Not waiting to hear the rest, Devil Jin began to strike; Asuka braced herself for what was sure to be a sick impact, and mustered every ounce of strength in her body to try to stop him, but to no avail. Like a hot knife through butter, Devil Jin's attack struck, entered, and passed through Xiaoyu's abdomen. As expected and feared, the blow brought an eruption of blood out of her lower back along with Devil Jin's arm. A spray of the thick, red liquid escaped Xiaoyu's mouth shortly thereafter with the force akin to water from a fire hose. Words could not describe how horrible the pain was; the hurt was so severe and quick that Xiaoyu couldn't even let out a cry in response. Asuka, feeling blood land on her arm and not willing to see, just kept holding on to Devil Jin. Finally, after a moment, Devil Jin withdrew his hand from his victim, causing her to slump forward. Rapidly dying and even after all that, Xiaoyu pushed through with the last of her confession, the final words she would ever speak.
"… I love you," Xiaoyu admitted with her dying breath.
Devil Jin immediately released his hold on her, allowing her body to rest on his. Though forlorn and with no intent really behind it, Xiaoyu's revelation had worked better than any attempt before it. With those three sincere, heartfelt words, Xiaoyu had formed an instant connection, the one connection to another's spirit that bypasses all bonds and restraints, the connection to a person's heart. Xiaoyu had reached Jin with a link that the Devil inside couldn't even touch. Meanwhile, Asuka was still funneling her power into Jin, but now, using the direct link to him, the power began channeling into the part of his spirit that was the real Jin. Then, with these things as a catalyst, something very strange that was nothing short of miraculous happened…
--
In a moment, in a single instance, the laden, spiritual strength that had been lying dormant within Jin's soul awoke with a divine reverberation. The chains and restraints placed around it, keeping it from spreading, shattered and fell away, broken with ease. Unbridled, the now-present Angel burst from its prison, scattering its light, Jin's light, throughout Jin's spirit and dispersing the evil that had settled there over time. The Devil inside that grasped influence over Jin for so long still clung to its control, but, with the strength of three sources, three spirits, three hearts, the Angel decisively ended his reign. And the entity once known as Devil Jin drowned in an ocean of holy light until he was but a horrible but very distant memory. For what seemed like the longest time, Jin was haunted by a curse, one placed upon him by the sins of his fathers, but now, thanks to his most spiritually-strong family member and the one person able to connect to his heart unabated, he finally accessed his own power, tapping into the blessing placed upon him by the gift of his mother.
--
At that moment, every single sign of Devil Jin except for the wings disappeared, but the damage had been done; what should have been a joyous moment was now one utter tragedy. Just as she said she would, Xiaoyu had paid the ultimate price. Jin awoke to the traumatizing sight of Xiaoyu's cold, empty brown eyes staring off into nothing, her mouth and chin viciously defiled by crimson water staining them, her dead body resting on him, and himself covered in her blood including his arm which struck the coup de grace. As Asuka let go and backed away, Jin slowly fell to his knees with Xiaoyu in his arms, and his real anguish set instantly. Not trying to hold it back, tears began to flow freely from Jin's eyes, and, after one shallow breath, Jin let out a heartbroken, distraught, inconsolable scream of heartache that resonated throughout the whole island.
Just like they had during the whole tournament, the surroundings seemed to react to what was happening, and seemed to echo the sorrow of the moment. A slow, somber wind gently drifted through the area, as if emphasizing the coldness of that moment. The trees swayed slowly underneath the breeze, seemingly hanging low out of sadness. Finally, all the lightning above in the clouds ceased, but the storm clouds themselves remained, and even seemed to get darker. Then, there was one more lightning bolt, one deep and low in sound as if it were a rumble of grief, and, after teetering on the edge for so long, the storm clouds broke slightly, releasing a drizzle of rain.
Asuka, finally opened her eyes, and saw Jin holding Xiaoyu on the ground, his upper body hung over top of her, his shoulders slowly trembling. Knowing what had happened but still hoping inside that there was even a glimmer of a chance that it was all just a nightmare, she slowly approached the two, and stopped beside Jin. Immediately, Asuka witnessed the violent scene, the tragic point of impact, the catastrophic damage done, and, for really the first time in her life, she felt the tremendous force of life that was close to oneself lost. Unable to saying anything, Asuka fell to her knees, unable to take her eyes off her fallen friend, and immediately began to cry fervently, her sobs full of sorrow. At that moment, the clouds broke freely, and rain began heavily pouring down
upon them, drenching the three of them; just like the two cousins were doing, the world itself was even crying in mourning.
--
In Your Honor and Loving Memory
Silent and despondent, Jin was walking through a particular cemetery at twilight, carrying a large bouquet of different flowers. He had visited this particular memorial park an extreme number of times recently, and every time it came to do so, he didn't want to leave. Soon, he came upon the reason why. Jin finally stopped at specific gravestone, and, just as he did every time he came to it, he silently ran over in his mind the beautifully-chiseled name in elegant script with the two angels on either side: Ling Xiaoyu. As expected, the assortment of flowers he left the last time were dead now, so he removed the dry stems and placed the new collection in their place. Finally, Jin sat next to the stone memorial, facing where the coffin had been lowered into the ground. Also, like he had done on every visit, Jin began to speak to his departed friend, as if she were sitting right next to him, hoping that she could somehow hear him, and let it out with a diverse myriad of emotions; pain, guilt, remorse, sadness heartbreak, and almost every negative emotion connected to sorrow filled and drenched his every word:
"Hi, Xiao-chan. Everything in the business is going well. The merge with G Corporation went off without a hitch, and progress is already being made. Everything is going according to plan, and it looks like I'm actually starting to make things right. The business is looking good; I just wish things were going as well personally, but I know there is one thing I will never make right.
Not many people know, but those who do are still mourning. Asuka says she understands and that she forgives me but you can tell she still hasn't forgotten. I already told you that Miharu slapped me and spit in my face when she found out that you were dead because of me. Well, she still hasn't talked to me or even looked at me since then. I don't think she'll ever forgive me, and I don't blame her. Why should she forgive me? I definitely don't forgive myself.
Xiao-chan, sorry doesn't even begin to express how I feel. You were the only person who still believed me. You didn't give up on me even when everyone else did, even when you should have. You defended me even when there was no defense for me, even when I gave you no reason to. You were always by my side, no matter what and how do I repay you? I put you in this grave. It's my fault…"
Jin paused as he tried to hold back more tears, but, just like every other time, this attempt was all too futile. As he buried his face in his hands, he silently wept bitterly, feeling more alone than any other time in his life
except for one other time when he was 13. Like a torrent of rain or the rush of a flood, Jin was powerless to stop the flow of emotion, and so, simply let the surge run its course. After several minutes, Jin was able to compose himself, and slowly began to speak, this time with even more of the same emotions as the first time:
"They say that you never know what you have until you lose it, but, now that I have, I find out that I've … lost almost everything. I would give anything to have you back; even if it meant my life, I would not hesitate to do it. I know that doesn't mean much now, but I just needed to say that. I also regret not spending more time with you and not giving you the attention you deserved; I shouldn't have ignored you the way I did, but now I'll never get the chance to do either."
Jin, by chance, glanced at her name on the headstone another time, and noticed a red smudge next to it. He remembered placing the symbol there, but it had faded over the short time he was gone. Carefully to not kneel directly on top of the grave, Jin maneuvered closer to the stone, and positioned himself right in front of the mark. He then raised his hand, and tore off the bandage on the back of it. For a moment, he stared at the long horizontal scar sitting there; because of his increased power, his wounds healed much faster than normal, but this scar remained mostly because he had reopened this wound numerous times. In truth, he had inflicted the slash himself to serve a particular purpose in tribute to Xiaoyu; the pain was nothing compared to the one inside.
Jin slowly reopened the cut, the pain not even registering to him, and then quickly pulled out a small brush; he had to work quickly before it closed up again. He dipped the brush into the open gash, covering it in red, and began redrawing the symbol next to Xiaoyu's name. After several deft strokes, he dipped the brush into the wound again, gathering more of his 'paint', and started where he left off. The process went on several more times until Jin was finally done. He moved a back to see, and observed with slight satisfaction the perfectly-drawn red Kanji character 'Ai'. Jin continued to stare at it all, the grave, the stone, the character, her name when suddenly his phone began to vibrate. Annoyed by the disturbance, Jin angrily pulled out the device with a grunt, and saw that it was an alarm he had set: it was time for him to leave again.
"I'm sorry, Xiao-chan, but I must go; I wish I didn't have to though," Jin apologized.
Slowly, Jin lifted himself to his feet, and, as he again began to stare at her grave, his now white-feathered wings unfurled from his back. Finally, as night began to fall, Jin turned and started to walk away, but he stopped to say one last thing.
"I know it's too late to tell you this, but," Jin confessed as he took one last glance at Xiaoyu, "… I love you too."
With that, Jin turned back around, stretched out his wings, and took off into the night sky. Just then, the clouds parted, and a beam of moonlight slowly washed over the grave and the flowers placed beneath them. Among the arrangement was a single moonflower, one of Xiaoyu's favorites. As the light hit it, the closed bud gradually unfolded and opened up, revealing its nocturnal beauty. Just then, a single white feather, one of Jin's, floated gracefully to the ground where it landed gently next to the moonflower. As this physical metaphor signified, even though Jin had bodily left, his heart remained where that feather landed: right next to her.
The End
A/N: Well, that was the alternate ending. I hope it wasn't too sad, and that you liked it. Before I go, I have a couple of things to point out. Okay, that is all, and please refer to the 'Credits' chapter for further comments. I sincerely thank you again for reading, and again I hope you come to read more from me. Please R&R, as always, Rant, Rave, Review, and God Bless you.
Notes:
'Ai' means 'love' in Japanese.
This chapter was partially influenced by and written along to Breaking Point's 'Goodbye to You', and 3 Doors Down's 'Here Without You'.