Steve sighed as he stepped into the little alter, his eyes focusing to the
dim light. The scent of sandalwood incense and dried roses filled the room. 2
Candles were kept lighted there, and in-between them, was a picture of Ling.
Placing the bouquet of roses down, he kneeled down and fingered the
picture.
Ling smiled weakly as she watched Jin hold their daughter in his arms. The 2 year old giggled gleefully and held her arms out for her father. "Ling..." Steve said, starting the woman. She turned to see Steve there, dressed in black jeans and a blue button down shirt. "Steve. It's been so long!" She said, smiling. It was as if all the energy was sapped from her. She was pale, small, and sickly looking, like a flower left in the bitter fall.
"How have you been doing?" She asked.
"Fine I guess. I was just wondering how you were doing." Steve replied. The silence grew when he finally said, "I heard you were sick. How long?"
"The Doctors said I only have at least 2 months left. Maybe a year at most." She said softly, staring at her daughter and Jin, who were now walking towards the gardens. "Oh Steve!" She sobbed into his chest. He hugged the little girl.
"She won't remember! She won't remember!" She repeated.
"She won't remember what?" Steve asked, confused.
"She won't remember me!" Ling sobbed. Steve hugged tighter.
"She'll remember. Who could forget someone like you?"
"Steve..." Ling frowned before she reached for her necklace. Taking it off, she held it to him.
"I want you to have this." She said, the small gold rose twinkling at him.
"I couldn't. Wasn't it your mother's?" Steve asked, not moving for the offered pendent.
"I want you to have it, as a keep sake. So you'll remember me." She said.
"How could I ever forget you?" Steve asked, but he took the necklace anyway. putting around his neck, he felt the cold metal against his skin and then he hugged the girl he grew to love.
A shadow alerted him to another presence. Turning, he saw Kazama and the near perfect replica of Ling in a picture he saw of her. The only difference was that the girl had Black hair, not the rich, dark chocolate brown of Ling.
"Jin."
"Steve." They greeted each other coldly and stood there before the girl piped in.
"Daddy? Who's he?" She girl asked. Steve looked at the little girl, a soft smile appearing on his face.
The pyre was built in preparation as Steve passed it by. He was dressed in all black, but his heart was even blacker. Ling was dead, she was dead! He looked up to see Jin standing there, the 2 year old girl in his arms. Jin's eyes were puffy, he had been crying?
"I'm sorry." Steve said, standing beside him. Jin barely nodded. Steve then turned to the coffin. Within it, the girl, once known as Ling Xiaoyu lay there, as beautiful as death could be. It even seemed as if the girl would just wake up and smile at them. He placed the single, expensive, black rose down beside her, whispering to the air.
"Goodbye... Ling Kazama..." and with that, he admitted defeat.
Steve looked at the little girl.
"I'm a friend of your mother's." He said.
"can you..." She paused.
"Can I what?" Steve asked.
"Can you tell me what my mother was like?" She asked, her eyes staring at her shoes.
"Your mother was a beautiful lady. She was that and more..."
Ling smiled weakly as she watched Jin hold their daughter in his arms. The 2 year old giggled gleefully and held her arms out for her father. "Ling..." Steve said, starting the woman. She turned to see Steve there, dressed in black jeans and a blue button down shirt. "Steve. It's been so long!" She said, smiling. It was as if all the energy was sapped from her. She was pale, small, and sickly looking, like a flower left in the bitter fall.
"How have you been doing?" She asked.
"Fine I guess. I was just wondering how you were doing." Steve replied. The silence grew when he finally said, "I heard you were sick. How long?"
"The Doctors said I only have at least 2 months left. Maybe a year at most." She said softly, staring at her daughter and Jin, who were now walking towards the gardens. "Oh Steve!" She sobbed into his chest. He hugged the little girl.
"She won't remember! She won't remember!" She repeated.
"She won't remember what?" Steve asked, confused.
"She won't remember me!" Ling sobbed. Steve hugged tighter.
"She'll remember. Who could forget someone like you?"
"Steve..." Ling frowned before she reached for her necklace. Taking it off, she held it to him.
"I want you to have this." She said, the small gold rose twinkling at him.
"I couldn't. Wasn't it your mother's?" Steve asked, not moving for the offered pendent.
"I want you to have it, as a keep sake. So you'll remember me." She said.
"How could I ever forget you?" Steve asked, but he took the necklace anyway. putting around his neck, he felt the cold metal against his skin and then he hugged the girl he grew to love.
A shadow alerted him to another presence. Turning, he saw Kazama and the near perfect replica of Ling in a picture he saw of her. The only difference was that the girl had Black hair, not the rich, dark chocolate brown of Ling.
"Jin."
"Steve." They greeted each other coldly and stood there before the girl piped in.
"Daddy? Who's he?" She girl asked. Steve looked at the little girl, a soft smile appearing on his face.
The pyre was built in preparation as Steve passed it by. He was dressed in all black, but his heart was even blacker. Ling was dead, she was dead! He looked up to see Jin standing there, the 2 year old girl in his arms. Jin's eyes were puffy, he had been crying?
"I'm sorry." Steve said, standing beside him. Jin barely nodded. Steve then turned to the coffin. Within it, the girl, once known as Ling Xiaoyu lay there, as beautiful as death could be. It even seemed as if the girl would just wake up and smile at them. He placed the single, expensive, black rose down beside her, whispering to the air.
"Goodbye... Ling Kazama..." and with that, he admitted defeat.
Steve looked at the little girl.
"I'm a friend of your mother's." He said.
"can you..." She paused.
"Can I what?" Steve asked.
"Can you tell me what my mother was like?" She asked, her eyes staring at her shoes.
"Your mother was a beautiful lady. She was that and more..."
