Disclaimer: I can't believe. I don't own Tekken!? I thought I did! Hehe.
Claimer: I do own the script of a song in this chapter. I made it up all on my own.
(a/n): As I have mentioned before this chapter will be the last chapter where the characters will be resting. The whole Tekken Gang will be introduced with new and old people. You already know most of the new characters such as Eden Kazama, Jennifer Chang, Cape girl, Gillis and Emma Williams. There is one more new character and others are old. You should be familiar with all of them. Well enough with the blabbering and let's get started. Enjoy ^_^
Chapter 8
The Great Concert
"Welcome to Mishima Zaibastu. Please sign up over here and get your concert tickets as well. Tomorrow schedules will be given out, do not forget to get yours before the tournament begins." A receptionist has said it for the 500th time. Eden, in a hood with Zion, came over and showed the ticket that he found within the note Julia once have read to him. The receptionist took it and nodded. "Please enter. Carry this with you all the time. The tournament starts officially today but the matches start in three days. Every match will take place at a certain stage within these grounds. Enjoy your stay." She stamped the ticket and made a copy of it to give another one to Zion before she continued. "We are also encouraging the contestants to come to a concert, Heihachi Mishima will be there to talk to all of you and a great show will be held. After that is a fine dinner with practically almost every food from any coast. Would you like to come?" Eden nodded in response and took two golden tickets, that said "27" and "28"on them, and walked towards the entrance of the large Zaibatsu.
The Zaibatsu had huge wide halls with candles, windows and knight's armors on either side. "This place is as creepy as the old man." Zion mumbled to himself but Eden overheard and nodded in response.
"God…how can he live in this place??" Eden asked particularly no one.
"I dunno." Zion responded
"I wasn't asking you."
"Than who?"
"No one."
"Man, how can you talk to no one? Come on, its crazy to talk to no one? You sure you didn't get a head injury or something when fighting that Gillis?" Zion looked at Eden and found him staring at him with an arced eyebrow. "Sorry, man. Didn't know that offended you. Wait…if you are not crazy…then why did it offend you?" Eden rolled his eyes asking himself quietly, why did he bring a long this jerk with him? "Aha! I get it! Because you are crazy! I'm right, right? Tell me I'm right." "You're wrong." Eden said smoothly and continued down the hall.
"Why you gotta burst my bubbles, Eden? Eden? Eden, wait up." Zion jugged up to Eden as they both entered through a large door into what looked like a theater. People were sitting there and talking to each other. There were so many contestants that Eden couldn't count them all at once. People talked in excited voices while others were just sitting in the seats waiting for something. Someone came up by Eden's side. Eden jerked, as he was spooked. He hated when people crept up on him, it sends chills down his spine. "It's you!" He said to the woman in the brown cape. "Wow, you recognized me. I thought you forgot." Eden frowned at her humor. Was he the only one taking this whole thing serious? "What are you doing here?" She looked at him as she lowered her hood more so he didn't see her face. "I'm here to compete." "Why?" He asked her in mystery. She looked towards the stage where no one was standing. "I have my reasons." She said softly.
"Come. Let's have a seat." The girl sat in the middle row where there are a lot of people. Probably so it was hard to notice her by whoever would be presenting at the stage. Eden looked over at Zion and saw him already planted his butt near another girl. Guess who it was. It was Jennifer; she's competing after all. He knew if something would happen to her it would be half of his fault because he could protect her. Eden sighed and sat next to the mysterious woman.
"Who are you?" He asked her again when he sat down next to her.
"Patience my friend, patience. How are your ribs?" He looked at her.
"My ribs? How did you know?" He saw a smile forming on her silhouetted face.
"Who do you think saved you?" Eden's eyes widened.
"My father." He said in response.
"He did…in one way. He got you out of there. I got rid of the devil." Eden saw her smile disappear.
"How did you…?"
"Put his wings to flames?" She said it more of like a statement than a question.
"Yes."
"I'll tell you, but not now. Tell me. How are your ribs? Can you compete?" She asked him in a voice he never heard her speak in before. She actually showed concern.
"Their fine." He said and leaned back in his seat. He saw her nod and look back at the stage.
"Good, than I'm hoping everything will turn out okay. But for now we have to wait and listen. And if you really want to know who I am." She looked at him again. "You must gain my trust." Eden looked at her awkwardly. "Your trust?" She smiled again and said. "Don't worry. We'll talk after the speech and a wonderful presentation." He looked at her confused. "What speech?" He asked her and saw her nod towards the stage and he looked. Heihachi and Gillis came up on the stage and Heihachi raised his hand for silence. People seemed to quite down and gave their full attention to him. Eden saw Zion quietly sit next to him. "What's the matter? She pushed you away?" Zion's eyes widened. "You saw?" Eden nodded and Zion began to blush. "No, just thought that I can sit next to you." Eden nodded and finally looked at Heihachi to see what he has to say.
"Welcome to Iron Fist Tournament 5." Heihachi began. "This tournament tests your strength, agility, intelligence, stamina, and skills."
"I bet he has non of those." Zion whispered in Eden's ear and he nudged him in the shoulder for him to be quiet.
"The best and only the best are allowed to compete. Each contestant has a certain style and a way of fighting. Each person has their way of thinking out the battle and people have different amount of stamina. Only one person that has all of these traits will win."
Zion shot a look at Eden and asked him, "Then why does the old man keep winning?" Eden shrugged as his answers as Heihachi continued.
"Everyone will get a chance to compete and prove themselves. Schedules will be given out everyday and if you have lost, please stay a while longer and watch the other matches. But if you believe you must leave that is also not a problem. The winner at the end will compete my son, Gillis." Heihachi put his right hand on Gillis' shoulder. "The winner of that match" he continued "will fight at the final stage against me." Heihachi smiled. "The reward? The Mishima Zaibatsu." Eden heard people murmuring in this place. It is a high reward, Eden thought. But the girl in the cape once said that Heihachi always gets what he wants, one way or the other.
"Now, now don't get too excited. You all must train and warm-up to the highest potential. I will give this place to all of you for 2 weeks. You will live here, dine here and train her. You may use the dojos that are available. Rooms to sleep in, gardens for meditation and anything else you may find. This whole place is yours, but I have to warn you today, do not go beyond the Zaibatsu. You are not allowed to go into my private quarters unless you are summoned."
More mummers filled the place. People started to get too excited. Heihachi held up his hand for silence again. "Now, you all must be awfully tired from the long trip, so why not enjoy yourself? I will now give the attention to a lovely singer. She has talent, spirit and heart. Everyone please welcome, Emma Williams." People applauded and Eden spotted an evil smile on Heihachi's face. Fear hit Eden hard in his face for Heihachi was looking straight at him.
Their eye contact broke and Heihachi went behind the stage with Gillis. Eden let out a sharp breath. "What's the matter with you? You're going into labor?" Zion joked. Eden stared at him with such evil that Zion didn't say another word. "Sorry man." Eden hated when Zion joked like that because it just pissed him off.
The lights of the theater started to dim and people became quiet as Eden turned his face back towards the stage. Beautiful, classical music started to play and a beautiful young lady came out of the back of the stage wearing a red dress with dragons drawn on it. Her dress seemed to be silky and wavy. She had a cut on her right side that led up to her hip. She had blond hair (like Nina's) that went down to her shoulders. She had a thin earphone, which she will sing in, in a few minutes. Her lips were red and she was beautiful beyond words. Eden felt his mouth drop but closed it fast. After all he was sitting next to another woman that can help him. (Poor Eden!)
The lady started to move her hands under the slow rhythm and it seemed as she was like water. She closed her eyes every time she moved. She looked like a princess.
"Every morning that I wake up. I look at my left and I see you there. Sleeping and drowning, right in your sleep, dreaming of murals that I can teach." She started to curve her body beautifully and gallantly, he never saw anyone dance this beautiful. "Than I see you open your eyes, filling the room with bright lights and shine. Staring at me with big smile and eyes, telling me that. Paradise iiiissssss…" The flames burned around them as she continued singing. "Memories of life, ohhohhh. Nothing more beau…tiful. You take me in your arms…you bring me back to life." She started to dance so fast that the show was amazing. The oil from the flames burned and now you can see other women come out and dance by her side. Fabric and linen flew everywhere. Eden never saw a more perfect performance as this. "Memories of life, ohhohhh. How could I forget, ohhohhh, all these things we went through, just comes back to life! Memories of life ohhohhh, nothing more precious ohhohhh, if only you came back, to this world with me! To this world with me." She repeated in a whisper.
She continued on but the girl he was sitting next to him spoiled it. "We must go, now." Eden looked at her in confusion. "What's wrong?" She looked at him. "No time to explain. We must leave now." Eden frowned and noticed she was serious. "Should I take my friend?" She shook her head. "No. He will be safer this way." Eden nodded and both excused themselves as they went out of the row.
"What's wrong? Is something happening?" She didn't answer his question instead she led him out of the theater into a garden. "Come on. Run!" They both started to run. Eden looked in the back and saw the same Tekken Force following him. "Shit! How'd they find us?" She didn't answer him again but kept running instead. "Over here." She rounded a corner and now they were running through the woods. Eden had hard time following her but ran anyway. He doesn't want to be near them again. "Are they always going to chase me like this?" Again she didn't answer and Eden decided to shut his mouth and ask questions later. They ran into a building were people meditate. "They are not allowed to go in here." She said as she closed the doors and took a couple of breaths. "Why?" He asked her and gasped himself. She looked at him. "You mean, you don't know? This place is sacred. This is where people come to relax and to meditate. This is Heihachi's wife meditation room. It only stands to serve as a memory monument." Eden nodded and relaxed as he sat down on the mat. "You sure they won't come in?" She nodded. "I don't think they will even find us here."
She came up to a little garden that led out of the meditation room. "It's so beautiful." He heard her say as she touched a red flower and when she did it turned blue. "How did you—?" "Shh." She picked up the flower and let it go. It was floating in the air and than it divided into dust. It looked like fairies flew above her. She pulled her head back and spread her arms as she twirled in the nature. "Home…it used to be like this." She said. "Beautiful, fragile and a life worth living." She put her hands by her side again and lowered her head. "But not anymore. It is ugly, cruel and only knows hatred." The fairy-like things burned down to ash and fell on the floor. "What would you do, to save it?" Eden shrugged not even sure what she was talking about. He saw her smile. "In other words, what would you do to save the devil?" He looked at her again, fully understanding her metaphor now. God, she needs to speak normal English. "Show him the good? Show him the other side?" He asked her. "Yes…" She said softly and turned around again. She came up to the wooden railing and leaned against it as she stared of into the sky.
"Who are you?" He asked her again. She didn't response again she just stood there. "I'm…I'm someone to come and save that devil." She finally said. Eden stood up and walked up besides her. "Is that devil, me?" She looked at him and he saw her lick her lips. "Depends on how strong your spirit is." She walked towards the middle of the room and folded her arms. "Why won't you show me your face? Why do you walk in the hood? Are you afraid of something?" She turned around to look at him. "Does it matter? Does it matter how I look?" She mystified Eden. How she always answered his questions with other questions or metaphors, he's tired of it. "No…but—" "You just said it yourself." She smiled and turned around again. He sighed, growing even more tired. "How do you know all these things. Like what's going to happen, who is chasing me, how…how you know all that?" "Because I just do." He frowned and walked up to her. "Look, you don't have to hide it from me, you know. If you want to help me, might as well start now. How am I supposed to trust you? What is your Heihachi's spy who is trying to gain my trust?" She turned around again but did not look into his eyes. "You must have trust. You surely can sense something, can't you? I mean, you started to trust me from the start. Something told you I'm on your side. Something told you, you can trust me, right?" He widened his eyes. "That's right." He said. "Do you know why something told you that?" He shook his head and she walked further away from him, saying "Because of your devil gene." He stared at her. "That means…" She nodded. "Yes Eden. I have something like the devil gene as well."
Her hands traveled up her head as she carefully took of the hood. Then she worked down untying the knot near her collarbone and the brown cape fell to the floor, revealing her beautiful body. She had long, wavy, golden, brownish hair like the sun that came down to her waist. Her eyes were as blue as the sky. Her skin was pale white and her lips were thin and pink. She was wearing beige bridges with a blue butterfly at the button of her left pant, a blue top with flowers and white sneakers. Her left hand had a golden bracelet and she stood there looking at him.
"Wow." He said quietly to himself but she heard him. "My name is Julie Faith, I was send to watch you." She said to him and made him wonder. Was she then bad or good? Was she his enemy or friend? "Watch me? By who?" He asked her getting frustrated. If she is his enemy, her pretty looks won't stop him from fighting her. "That I cannot say. But whoever it is, that person is not alive anymore. I'm here to fulfill that person's wish." "Which is?" He asked her getting ready to defend himself just in case if she really is a spy. "To free the devil from the hate." She said quietly and lowered her head. Eden eased of a little. "So why are you so sad?" He asked her. He saw tears come down her cheek. "I'm an angel, Eden. Not angels that people call whom they love, but the Angel. I'm what the Angel have created before she died. She sacrificed herself to make me, the Supreme Being to take over her job and protect the world from someone like you. I'm supposed to persuade you to the good side." She started to cry and she covered her face with her hands. "I never killed in my life before, because I'm supposed to heal people not hurt them. But, if you, your father, Gillis or Heihachi won't turn on the good side, I'm was ordered to kill you or them." She fell on her knees crying more and more.
Eden felt sorry for her because she did have a hard job. Watching someone die before your eyes was hard, he had experienced it but…killing someone yourself must be even harder, since you never wanted it too. Eden sat besides her and wanted to comfort her, but he was bad at this. "It's okay." He said putting his hands on her shoulder. She looked at him with her beautiful eyes. "Please don't let me turn onto the dark side. I don't want to know what it's like." She hugged him and cried on his shoulder. Eden sighed and caressed her hair. "Don't worry, I won't let you." He said softly as she cried and cried.
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Emma Williams finished with one last 'Ah'. Everybody was applauding and whistling. She new she was good in opera so she bowed and people cheered. "Thank you." Her soft voice said, sounding like the nightingales. "Thank you all." She looked in the back of the stage and saw the one and only man she loved. She smiled and said to the people. "I will see you at the dinner then. Thank you." She took off her earphone and waved to everybody as she ran in the backstage. "That was beautiful." He said to her and she smiled. "You really like it?" He smiled at her and kissed her passionately and then hugged her and said against her ears. "Absolutely. Now. Let's go and have dinner. I heard Heihachi had every type of food." She smiled and bit his lower lip softly. "Yes sir." She teased him and they went away.
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Jennifer came in the dinner room and her eyes widened. "Mmm! Food! Yummy!" She said in excitement. "Come on. Let's sit over there!" She pulled Zion towards one of the chairs and they sat together. "You must be starving." He said and started to laugh. "Of course I am! Oh so much food. I don't know where to start from." Her eyes scattered over the food and she looked so playful.
Many people that watched the show showed up here. Jennifer was scanning the room for Eden but couldn't find him. Where did he go? She wondered. He saw her with another woman but she would expect him to show up anyway. She hopes he's okay because she heard from Zion that he was attacked on the fairy. "Where's Eden?" She asked Zion and found him scanning the room himself. "I don't know. I don't see him."
There was silence all of a sudden and she turned her attention to the man that was standing. It was the guy that told the speech. What was his name again? Ehachi? Machi? Hachi? Heihachi? Yeah that was his name, she thinks… "Well…" He said with a big smile on his face. "That was breathtaking wouldn't you all agree." She nodded with the rest. That woman sang beautifully and Jennifer was kind of jealous of her. "Now why don't we feast? After this you will be shown to all of your rooms. Just come up to the receptionist and she will give you your key. Now…" He put his hands together and looked around. "Looks like most of you came back. Wonderful. Why don't I introduce you to everybody so people will know who is traveling with them."
"We have Marshall Law and Paul Phoenix in the left corner. Welcome back to the tournament. It's been a long time hasn't it?" A Chinese guy stood up and said. "It's Forest Law." He said and Heihachi smiled again. "Of course. I apologize." Forest sat back down and didn't say another word. "We have Hwoarang again, I see, welcome." A handsome Korean with red hair saluted and looked at her but than looked away. (Ugh! Hwoarang is not so young anymore! How old is he? Let's see 21 plus 18 is…39!!!!!!! Oh my god!!!!!!) Heihachi continued, "I see we have King, Yoshimitsu and Bryan Fury. Welcome once again. And ah, Christie Montiero, Miharu Hirano and Steve Fox welcome, once again. Ah. Of course our performer, Emma Williams is here, welcome. I see we also have Barry Brightore." A man a very muscular man was sitting next to Emma. He had a business suit and he looked very friendly.
Heihachi looked around and than said, "I see we have more contestants. We have…what are your names, if you would, please." Jennifer saw some people nod. "Would you please introduce yourselves?" Heihachi asked looking her way and Zion's. "Oh!" Jennifer said, not realizing he was talking to her all this time. "My name is Jennifer Chang." "And my name is Zion Malacon." Zion said after her. She saw Heihachi smile and nod.
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Jennifer Chang? Why does it sound so familiar? Chang, Chang, Chang. Julia Chang!? Heihachi thought to himself when he sat down. He looked at youth but she was talking to Zion Malacon and seemed to be entertained much. He wondered…did Julia send her? Or did she come on her own free will? Interesting… Heihachi looked around for the girl in the cape and Eden but found neither one of them. He wondered, where are they? He heard that the Tekken Force lost them somewhere in the woods. Oh well. He will meet him during the tournament anyway. He will find both of them. Since Jin is dead and he has Xiaoyu, no one can help the boy.
An evil smile painted his face. Once he will get rid of the last devil that is in his way, he's going to use the girl to train his powers and then people would bow at his feet. He will be unstoppable and rule the world and there won't be anyone to stop him. Hahahahahaha.
(a/n): So…what'd you all think? Was it good? God I'm so tired. I've been writing so fast. Now I got to look for typos so you had fun reading it and not asking this common question "Wha???" Sigh. Well I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. I really tried to do my best to entertain all of you. Please oh please review this story. I beg you! Now, now you might be saying, never beg Lacrease. Sigh…oh well. Well review if you want more! ^_^