It was very dark. It was so dark that he could feel its presence all the time. So  much time has passed, but he still couldn't get used to the fact that he had it inside him. He hated it. As much as he hated the person who passed it on him.

Jin Kazama didn'k know who he really was any longer. He didn't know if he was still a human and was afraid that the demon inside him would some day take full control of him. With all his strengh he didn't let it possess neither his body nor his mind. He couldn't afford to lose his identity. Not now, not ever.

            He had to be himself if he wanted his revenge.

It all had happened two years ago. That was the time when he learned about everything. Every day it came back to his mind making his life worse all the time. He had never suffered so much before. The awareness of what he was was sometimes impossibly hard to bear.

            He spent that time practising. Not only did he do the martial arts, trying to unlearn his old style, but he also tried to find out how to control the darkest side of his soul. The physical pain he felt every time it tried to possess him no longer mattered. One thing that mattered was the revenge upon the one who betrayed him in such a cruel way. This thought kept him alive during those hard and incredibly lonely moments. He hated it. He hated being alone when his only companion was his own dark side. He hated his grandfather for using him and trying to get rid of him. And he hated his father for giving him that curse.

            So he didn't hesitate when he found out that the Fourth Iron Fist Tournament had been announced. He knew that day would come and Jin was ready for everything. He didn't want to let this golden opportunity slip between his fingers.

But there was also her. The only person in this world he really cared for. He knew that she would enter the tournament. He couldn't let anything happen to her. The thought that during all that time she lived with Heihachi was driving him mad. He wanted to warn her of the tournament, of Heihachi, of the danger so he sent her an annonymous e-mail. He could have guessed she wouldn't listen even if she knew it was him who warned her. And she knew, of that he was certain. He saw her for the first time after two years at the opening ceremony. She was watching him when he entered the room. She must have recognized him despite the hood, because she was observing him during the whole event. Jin saw that she had changed very much. She didn't approach him with a happy smile on her face, she was just watching him from a distance as if she was trying to understand his motives. But he couldn't tell her anything. Not then. He wasn't ready yet. He couldn't also put her in danger. He had premonitions that something might happen to her if she was with him. He knew what Heihachi wanted and how desperate the old man was to get it. He could see it in his eyes. So the only reasonable way Jin could think of was to stay away from her. Even if that meant hurting her feelings. The price was to high.

During the whole tournament he didn't let her approach him. It was painful for him to see the suffering on her face when she was trying to understand why he was avoiding her. He wanted to explain everything to her, but knew he couldn't. He recalled the moments they had spent together all the time. It was his only consolation.

The tournament was about to end within three days when he felt the pain again. It happened when he had a close encounter with Heihachi. They have just past each other in a narrow corridor, not even looking at each other, but the hatred in Jin's heart echoed with doubled power. He left the building using the first door he saw and found himself in the mansion's garden. The water in a fountain nearby was rushing calmingly. He stopped for a while and tightened his hands. The heat in his body slowly faded and Jin thankfully welcomed the chilly blow on his face. He walked towards the fountain and leant over it to see his reflection in the water. He didn't like what he saw there, though, so he turned round and sat on the edge of the fence. Having buried his face in his hands, he started to think how beautiful his life could have been if he wasn't the one he was. He wanted everything to end and wished for the future to be better. Now he had just one aim and he was hoping that it would bring him peace.

He rose his head just to see someone's dark silhouette in the trees. Despite the distance and darkness he had no difficulties in recignizing it. He would recognize it everywhere. It was her. She had just turned around and started walking towards the mansion but he knew she must have been watching him.

Jin didn't know how to react. He watched her small figure disappear in  shadows and suddenly he realized how much he had hurt her. It wasn't the tournament, it wasn't Heihachi but it was him who had made her suffer so much. He regretted everything. He regretted every smile and every look he didn't give her. The image of her sad face came right before his eyes and it was too much for him to stand. How could he have done this? How could he have been so stupid?

            He had to explain everything to her. Not in three days, now. He was aware that this might be their last meeting. He couldn't leave her alone and let her think that she meant nothing to him. With that thought he hurried towards a place he knew she was heading for. A few minutes later he saw her. She was walking slowly with her head lowered. When he approached her, she stopped, astonished. He looked straight into her eyes. He had almost forgotten how beautiful they were. But their expression was diffrerent, more experienced and more mature. They had both changed. He was no longer the old Jin she used to know so well.

For a short moment they were looking into each others' eyes as if they were getting to know each other once again. None of them could tell what the other was feeling. Jin didn't know how to start, how to explain. So much time has passed since they last saw each other. The recent events had changed everything. Before he even had a chance to open his mouth she lowered her eyes. He was a litlle surprised by that reaction but knew he could only blame himself. There she was, standing before him, and he couldn't say a word. So he did the only thing that came to his mind. He came a little closer and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't move so he drew her closer, trying to be as delicate as he could, and kissed the top of her head. She gave up to his motions and cuddled into his arms. It felt so good to him to hold her again after all that time.

They were just standing there, in the light of a glowing moon, having forgotten about the entire world. Nothing else mattered for them any longer. They had everything. They had themselves.

The girl in his arms was all he wanted. He will not leave her alone. More to himself than to her he whispered her name. The name he had been longing to say for ages.

„Xiaoyu..."

Note: I'd like to thank all my reviewers for such nice words! It made me so happy! I  hope that you liked this chapter too, even if didn't portay Jin well. Anyway, this story is over and currently I'm working on something else ^_^.

A Stupid Question: Does 'POV' mean 'point of view'?