Chapter 17: In the face of Evil
"Evil comes within the hearts who have rejected themselves."
Disclaimer: I am not making any money off of this!
Kotou: And yet another chapter! WOW! I have A LOT of reviews!!! Thank you all so much!!! Ok, Hinotama and Angel are back! Let's get this show on the road!
Opside: Uh...Don't worry! Kuma and Panda will be back! I PROMISE! I have it all planned out and it helps the storyline!
Jupiter's moon Europa: Thank you very much for reviewing! I'm glad you like the storyline!
Lillian: Thanks! I appreciate your review! I am flattered that you think this is great. I didn't think most people would! ^__^
Razan was silent. She didn't know how to answer that question. Should she tell her, or should she just avoid it? This questioned played over and over in her mind. It was not her place to tell her about her special gene. That was something she would have to ask her parents about. Zenrei just stared at Razan with a curious expression.
"Well?" She asked. Razan still didn't answer. She was struggling to find the right words. But what were the right words? What would she tell her? How could she tell her? It was about five minutes later until she reacted.
"Sorry Zenni. I...I..." She was at a loss of words. She couldn't finish her sentence. Just looking at Zenrei's innocent face made her lose her composure. "I really don't know why she said that. Maybe it was because she needed an excuse." Razan had lied to Zenrei, but she hoped that the little girl bought it. It ached her to lie to Zenrei. She deserved to know the truth; no matter how horrible it may be.
"But why did she act like that? Why did her mama say that I was a devil? I don't look like one, do I?" Razan laughed.
"Of course you don't! You are a complete angel, just like the one that looks out for you." She said with a bright smile. Zenrei saw through that lie.
"Razan. You are like my big sister, and you are hiding something from me. I can feel it." She said with a whisper. Europa ran ahead of them and went to their training site.
"Zenrei, if you truly want to know, you must ask your parents yourself." Zenrei sighed and nodded her head. She was going to find out once and for all what JiEun meant.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
JiEun walked in the house and sat on Hworang's lap. He smiled and patted her on the head. Jin looked at how content Hworang was. He had never seen him that way.
"Looks like you've really lightened up since you settled down." Jin said, resting his back on the sofa. Hworang rolled his eyes.
"A lot you know. JiEun and I are superior fighters. There is no room for relaxation!" He stated. Julia walked in with a glass of orange juice for her daughter.
"It's true. Hworang and I trained JiEun to be very strong. I'd say that she's the strongest six-yearold that ever lived." Ling walked in and sat next to Jin.
"And Zenrei is the strongest five-yearold that anyone ever laid eyes on." Ling added. Miharu sighed and banged her head on the wall repeatedly.
"Not again!" She whined. "Look, it doesn't matter who's the strongest, can't we all just get along?" Julia and Ling both looked at Miharu.
"No!" They shouted. JiEun took a sip of her juice and tugged on her mother's shirt.
"But mama, Zenrei is strong! We were sparring and..." Julia's eyes widened. JiEun shrugged her shoulders and hunched back. By the way her mother stared at her, she could definitely tell that she was in some major trouble. JiEun was told many times not to spar against Zenrei, she knew better. But like her father, the fighting spirit came naturally.
"You fought against that Mishima?" She asked sternly, yet in a low whisper. What Julia had said, somehow traveled far and loud enough for Ling to hear.
"One, Zenrei is a Kazama. And two, what's wrong with her fighting against Zenrei? Is Zenni too strong?" She teased. Julia sat up and gasped. She didn't mean for anyone to hear her.
"Of course not. I just...didn't want JiEun to fight someone younger than her, that's all." Ling had a cocky smile come clear across her face.
"I'm so sure." She said.
"Mama, Zenrei IS really strong! And it's not just because she's a devil, like you and papa said." Julia and Hworang covered her mouth. Miharu hit herself hard on the head.
'Why? WHY!!?' She thought. Ling and Jin didn't do or say anything. The two acted like they never even heard it. JiEun hopped off her parent's lap and walked over to Miharu.
"Are you feeling ok?" She asked, putting her hand on Miharu's head. Miharu just laughed and smiled.
"Uh, yeah! Don't worry about a thing." Miharu said with a chuckle. JiEun walked back towards Jin and Ling.
"Listen, I'm sorry about what I said." She pouted her lips and gave them both an innocent and remorseful look. Ling smiled and bent over, eyelevel with JiEun.
"No need for an apology. You know she isn't, and we know she isn't." Julia called out to JiEun.
"JiEun darling, how about you go out and pick some flowers for tonight? Does that sound good?" She smiled.
"Yeah! I'll be back in a few!" She left the house and ran outside looking for wildflowers. Julia lowered her head and stared at Ling.
"I'm sorry Ling, but with all the weird experiments concerning G-corp., I just wanted to make sure that JiEun doesn't end up...you know, hurt or anything." Ling nodded.
"I understand. But you're wrong; you don't have to worry about Zenrei hurting anyone. She may have the Devil-gene, but she's as much of an angel as anyone I've ever seen. And like I said before, she may have Mishima blood in her, but she is definitely a Kazama!" Jin looked at Ling surprisingly. He didn't know how protective she would be over her daughter, then again, they were always over protective.
"You're absolutely right. I agree. But still, don't you guys worry?" Both Ling and Jin shook their heads. "Not even a little?"
"Nope! Not at all." Ling said proudly. "You see, Jin and I promised Zenrei that we would protect her with all our lives. There's nothing anyone should worry about." Julia smiled.
"I know. You aren't mad at me, are you?" Ling smiled and laughed.
"No! Of course not! You were just concerned, that's all." After a while, the tension settled down and they all began talking in a nice and friendly manner. Miharu was glad that they weren't arguing anymore. She reclined herself and listened to the peace that filled the room.
About an hour later, JiEun came back with a bouquet of beautiful wild flowers. They were arranged in assorted colors and they were the freshest of the fresh. Julia and Hworang both got up and met with their daughter.
"Well, it's about time we go. We'll see you guys later." Julia said as she walked out the door. Miharu. Jin and Ling waved goodbye.
"Whew! Glad that's over." Miharu said, leaning her back against the table. She sighed and looked up at Ling, who looked quite nervous. "Is something wrong?" Ling looked back at Miharu.
"Oh, no. I'm fine." She said with a bright and cheerful smile.
"Ling?" Jin asked. She just looked at him plainly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm tired!" Zenrei exclaimed as she fell flat on her face. She was breathing heavily and she couldn't get up. Europa fell on her back and looked up at the sky.
"We still have another ten minutes!" Razan explained. Zenrei and Europa looked at eachother, then nodded their heads.
"We wanna use that ten minutes to sleep." Europa said as she closed her eyes.
"Yeah, we worked hard enough." Zenrei added. Razan laughed and picked the two of them up.
"Ok." She said. They leaned on her shoulder and closed their eyes. Five minutes later, they reached the house. Razan opened the door and placed Zenrei on the couch. She walked over to Miharu and gave Europa back to her mother.
"How did she do?" Miharu asked. Razan smiled and answered,
"She was great. It surprises me how strong those two are." She looked at her watch and went out the door. "I'll be back soon. I have a date with my friends." She waved goodbye and left.
"Teenagers. I wish I could be seventeen again." Miharu said.
"Yeah. Those were some good times, weren't they?" Ling added. They laughed. Miharu got up with Europa still in her arms.
"I'm going to take this kiddo home. She looks real tired." She said. She left shortly after. Ling watched her friend leave. She gazed out the glass window and looked longingly into the sky.
"Jin. Tonight, I want to do something special." She said in a whisper. Let Zenrei sleep for a while. Meet me at our usual spot around 7:00 ok?" She asked. Jin had no idea what she was talking about, but he went along with her plans.
"Sure." He agreed. Ling smiled, kissed him goodbye and left. Jin carried Zenrei to her room, where the nursery once was, and placed her in her bed. She looked so angelic there, fast asleep; warn out from all the excitement. He walked back downstairs and went outside for a while; just to catch some fresh air.
A few hours passed by and Zenrei had finally awakened. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, looking around her bedside. She didn't remember going into her room. She saw Yuki sleeping on the floor next to her and scratched her ear. She looked out the window next to her bed. The sun was setting, but half of the sky was still a luscious blue. She hopped out of bed and ran down the stairs. She looked through the entire interior of the house, but she could not find Jin.
"Daddy!" She called. There was no response. "Daddy!" She opened the door and saw Jin lying on the ground. She walked up to him as he lay there looking at the clear sapphire colored sky. Zenrei sat on her father's hard muscular stomach. "Daddy, waccha thinkin' about?" Asked the small girl. "You look sad." Jin looked at his daughter's caring face. He couldn't help but laugh. He picked her up and threw her on his shoulders.
"Hold on tight!" Jin commanded. Zenrei held on to Jin's head.
"Where are we goin-?" Jin ran as fast as he could through the forest. "Whoa!" Zenrei shouted. Jin ran through the entire forest until he found the special spot. "Daddy. This place is...beautiful!" The scene was absolutely gorgeous. It was an endless field of flowers and the healthiest grass anyone could expect to ever find. Jin had lowered Zenrei onto the ground. The young girl wandered around aimlessly. She was amazed at the beauty that engulfed her emotions. She grabbed her father's hand. "Dad, what is this place?" Jin looked in the direction opposite of the sun.
"Just wait. Only a few more minutes." Zenrei looked at her dad, wondering what he meant. She stood patiently and waited to see what was going to happen. Jin stood silently with his eyes closed, the wind brushing gently against his hair. "Just wait. You can sense it come to you." Zenrei held her dad's hand closer to her. She closed her eyes and waited for something to happen. She could feel the wind suddenly change. She felt something brush up against her eyes, beckoning her to open them. They both opened their eyes and saw cherry blossom petals carpeting the ground. Zenrei looked up at the sky in awe. It was a radiant glow of red, orange, blue and purple. The ground before them seemed to glitter spontaneously.
"Wow! Dad, what is this feeling? My heart feels like it can fly!" Jin grabbed his daughter and placed her on his shoulders. She opened her arms and leaned back. "I'm flying. I'm a bird. My soul can touch the sky!" Jin spun around slowly.
"How does that feel?" He asked.
"Good. I like the way the cool breeze hits my face." She leaned herself back up and hugged her dad's neck. "Does mama know about this place?" Jin smiled and looked over to the spot where the two made love.
"Yes. She knows this spot quite well. Come on. I'm going to show you something." He walked into a towering wall of roses. It was a giant rose maze that leads to a beautiful sanctuary. Jin knew his way around, but just for fun, he asked Zenrei where to go. "Ok Zenni, which way should we go?" Zenrei pointed to the left.
"There!" She shouted. Jin walked left. He had seen one of Ling's bows.
'There's Ling's bow! I bet she put that there so she wouldn't get lost.' "Ok. Now where to?" Zenrei put her finger on her lips.
"Um.that way, I think." Jin saw another one of Ling's hair ties. How did Zenrei know where she was going?
'Probably luck.' Jin thought. In order to test his uneasiness, he had Zenrei guide him the entire way. Each step was precise. Zenrei lead them exactly to where Jin had planned.
"Look daddy! I found it!" Jin was amazed.
"How?" He questioned.
"I followed mama's memory!" Jin didn't quite understand.
"Finally! I was beginning to worry about you two!" Ling said. She was wearing an exquisite white dress with white high-heeled shoes. She walked down from the terrace that was white and covered with roses and vines. There were small lights on the outer edge giving it that romantic feeling. Jin stared in awe, as he had never actually seen Ling wear something so serene. Zenrei smiled at her beautiful mother. Ling had this whole thing set up, but he didn't know that she was going to be fancy about it.
"Sorry I'm not dressed for the occasion." Said Jin remorsefully. Ling smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"Oh, that's alright. You're just perfect the way you are." Zenrei stretched her hands out to her mom. She picked her up and sat on the chair in the veranda. Jin sat across from her. Ling had made an enormous dinner for them to eat under the stars. Zenrei felt something cold and wet touch her leg.
"AAAGGGHHH!" She screamed. She jumped out of her chair and into her mom's lap. "Something tried to eat me!" Ling looked under the table and saw the lonesome Yuki.
"Don't worry. Its just Yuki, that's all." With a sigh of relief, Zenrei hopped off her lap and patted Yuki on the nose.
"Sorry. You scared me girl." She said. She jumped back on her seat and finished eating. Their dinner was delicious. Jin smiled satisfied and walked out to look at the stars. Zenrei grabbed her mother's hand. "Come on mama! Let's look at the stars!" The stars always fascinated Zenrei ever since she was born. It had been her comforting obsession. She looked up at the great blue-black sky. "There are so many of them." Ling looked at her bright child and gave her a warm smile.
"There sure are." She responded. "All of them twinkling so bright." Her locket shone bright. She opened it again. Her eyes fixated on those words. 'Believe'. It had been the courage she needed to find Jin; it had been her guide to conquer her fear; it had been her only hope at times. Those words were very important to her. She looked up at the night sky. The word 'love' was displayed. Maybe all this time it was a sign.
"Mama.daddy once told me that the stars were teardrops from the angels. He also told me that they were watching us and telling us where to go." Jin held Ling's hand and brought her close to him. "If that's so, why are the angels always crying? If they are watching us, why can't I see them?" Zenrei walked a little farther from them. "Sometimes, I see an angel watching over me. He looks like daddy, but different. He never comes out to say hi, but I can tell he's there." Jin looked at Zenrei strangely again. Like she was speaking a totally different language that he couldn't understand.
"You've seen an angel that looks like me? How come you haven't told me?"
"I don't think he wants us to know." Said the young girl. Jin let go of Ling's hand for a second to sit next to his daughter. He placed Zenrei on his lap.
"Does he look a lot like me?" He asked.
"Yup! Just like you. He wears a black jacket and shoes. I see him when I look out of my window." Had Zenrei seen Kazuya, or maybe Heihachi? Ling sat beside the two of them, changing the subject.
"The stars are beautiful this time of night, aren't they?" Zenrei laid her head on her lap falling asleep. She looked at Jin with a caring expression on her face. "She's something else, isn't she?" Jin agreed.
"She sure is. Her soul is pure, her heart is warm, and she can see the goodness in everything." Jin stroked Zenrei's hair gently as he had done to Ling. "I love my child. I'm afraid for her though." Ling laid her head on Jin's chest.
"She said she had seen an angel. We know Zenrei. If she had seen a threat, she would have said something." Ling's words always had a way of getting Jin to relax.
"Maybe you're right. I trust her judgment." They stared at the sky for a while. Ling began to fall asleep. It was the first time in a long time that she had been to this special place with Jin.
".Jin." He pushed her head softly towards his chest. He lay on his back and drifted off into a deep sleep.
An hour later Jin awoke. Ling was still asleep on his chest; her hand on his heart while Zenrei lay on her mother's lap. Yuki had walked by and licked Jin's face.
"Yuki.take Zenni with you to the house. I want you to sleep with her tonight. Take extra good care of her. I'll meet you there soon." Yuki carried Zenrei on her back. Jin laughed as he saw that Zenrei was still asleep while she had been carried off. Yuki had walked slowly, so not to wake the young one. Satisfied that Zenrei was in good hands, Jin turned around to hold Ling. She yawned and moved her body closer to his. When she felt that her child was no longer there, she shot her eyes open.
"Jin! Where is she!?" She asked in a panic. Jin held her face in his hands.
"I had Yuki take her home. I wanted her to be safe." She smiled and buried her head against his chest.
"I want to go home with her...not now. Later. I want to spend this moment alone with you." She said kissing his neck. It had been a while since she had fired up his emotions like that.
When Yuki got to the house, she unlocked the door and walked up To Zenrei's room. She had thought she locked the door and set him on her bed. She walked over to the window and lay down there. A short amount of time passed when Zenrei was awakened by a noise. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a man dressed in black hovering over her. She went to scream, but the man covered her mouth with his hand. She struggled to move, but he was obviously stronger than she was.
"Hello my dear princess of Hell. Why don't you do uncle Hinotama a favor and show me that dark power of yours?" Zenrei kicked and screamed, but the man didn't let up. Yuki stood behind the man and growled. She swung her paw at him and slashed his left eye. Hinotama let go of Zenrei. She used this valuable time to get away. "You insolent beast!" He yelled as he swung his fist at Yuki. Yuki was thrown across the room and landed on her skull.
"Yuki!!!!" Zenrei yelled. She ran out from her hiding place and wrapped her arms around Yuki's neck. Hinotama grabbed her by her waist and pushed her back on the bed.
"You know that you want to change! Come on you Devil!" He tried provoking her in every way possible.
"I'm not a devil!" She cried out.
"Oh really? That's nice. Who told you that lie?"
"My friends and family!!" Hinotama laughed and began choking her to death.
"Well. How would you like to see your family and all your friends die?!" She remembered that voice. He breathing was rapid, just like her heart. It was the man from her nightmares. When he mentioned death, Zenrei thought about the way he had killed her father in her dreams.
"Mommy? Daddy?" She asked. Her voice was soft and quiet. "Please...don't kill them."
"I will! I will tear them apart, just like I'll do to you!" He taunted. His laugh was horse, he sounded like the Devil himself. Something evil inside Zenrei snapped. Her devil-gene was starting to react. Sweat dripped from her head as she could feel herself loosing control. "That a girl! This is what Akuma wants! Come little devil!!" He shouted.
"Stay away from my mommy and daddy!!" She yelled. Her wings were beginning to emerge from her back. She was moaning and groaning with pain. "Help.me." She pleaded. "Mommy! Daddy! Help me!" Tears were running down her cheek.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ling and Jin darted up simultaneously. They could both feel their daughter's pain in their hearts. Jin and Zenrei had a telepathic connection. There thoughts were intertwined with one another; while Ling could feel all of her feelings and emotions.
"She's scared!" Said Ling worriedly. "Is it a bad dream?" Jin closed his eyes and concentrated on Zenrei's thoughts.
"Oh no! She's experiencing the transformation!" Ling knew it deep in her heart. As much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn't just ignore her daughter's pleas for help.
Zenrei had pushed Hinotama away from her with a thrust. He flew across the room and hit the wall violently. Her eyes began to turn red.
"No.what's.happening to me?" She gave a loud scream. Kazuya had heard the scream from where he was standing.
'No. Not this again.' He thought. Kazuya had seen Jin and Ling run to the house. Hinotama had also heard them.
'I can't take both of them on just yet. Akuma said that he didn't want any harm to come to them.' He looked at Zenrei and gave her that same evil sinister smile. "I'll be back for you! You can count on that my precious jewel!!" He said as he jumped out of the window by her door. As Jin approached the door, Kazuya swooped from the other side of the door to face him. Jin's eyes narrowed.
" What's happened to her? Do you know who did this?" He asked scornfully. Kazuya was not responsible for this action. He stuck his head out high and answered
"No. I do not know who is the one responsible for this current transformation, but if we don't help her right now, she will lose her entire will to fight back."
"Jin, maybe he's right. Let's just go in there to help her." Ling said. Jin nodded. He wanted to protect Zenrei from this curse. They ran in and rushed up the stairs. Jin saw Yuki lay against the wall. "Yuki!" Shouted Ling. She ran over to the injured bear. She put her ear to her chest. "She's still got a pulse...She's knocked out cold." Jin was by Zenrei's bed. She was doing her best to keep her sanity.
"Daddy! Help me!" She cried. Jin grabbed Zenrei's arm, which was tearing at his own skin.
"I'm right here Zenni!" Jin shouted.
"I'm scared...I feel different...I....I..." Zenrei was beginning to loose all of that which held her together. Her hair grew longer and her nails grew sharper. Her back began to split open; making a new shape, the black wings. Ling rushed over by her bedside. She tried to touch her, but her eyes only grew redder. She was afraid. Afraid that she might loose her only child; afraid that Devil might come and take her daughter and Jin might leave and never return; afraid that her light angel powers may not be enough to save them. She then thought about the word love. Love and believing was what had got her this far. Maybe she would try it again. Kazuya and Jin tried holding her down so that she won't escape.
"Please, hang in there kid." Kazuya said. Jin had never seen his father express such emotion before. Tears welled up in Kazuya's eyes. "I want to save you. I want you to live." Jin put his hand on his father's shoulder and spoke gently,
"She will. We will help her get through this together." It made Kazuya happy that his son trusted him. Zenrei dug her fingernails into her bed.
"I'm scared daddy! I think I might hurt you and mommy. I don't want that." Jin could see the markings of devil appear on her whole body.
"Don't worry. I won't let you...I won't let anything..." Jin started to cry. It was painful for him to go through this kind of torture. He had never wanted his only child to experience this. Just looking into her painful eyes, into her tormented soul, it all hurt Jin too much to bear.
"Daddy...please...help me." She cried. Jin collapsed into tears on her tiny stomach.
"I will." He said. As she was still going through this transformation, she had seen her father crying on her. She slowly regained a little control to lift one hand and hug her father. Ling arose from the ground with light blue electricity shooting out of her body. She illuminated the room with her light. She too had wings, but hers were white. She tapped Jin on the shoulder. Jin arose to see the new beauty before him.
"Please, let me help him." She said in her angelic tone. Jin moved aside and Ling placed her hand on devil-Zenrei's heart. Devil-Zenrei grabbed her mother's wrist.
"I feel mommy's warm light...I want her light." She said pushing her hand towards her heart. Ling placed both hands on her heart and released the light within her. After that, she fell back and fainted from the loss of energy. Piece by piece, Zenrei was regaining control.
Kazuya tilted Ling's head towards him. "She's alright, there's nothing you need to worry about." Jin stared at Zenrei, full of sorrow embedded in his heart.
"Thank you." He said quietly. Zenrei's breathing slowed down back to normal. Jin rubbed his fingers against Zenrei's neck, trailing down to her chest.
"Ugh...daddy?" She managed. "What...happened to me? I feel so...sleepy." She wrapped her arms around her daddy's neck and fell asleep.
"Don't worry Zenni. I will stay with you all night." Jin looked at Kazuya earnestly. He saw how he was caring for Ling. Jin talked to his father. "Is this how you took care of mother?" He said taking Ling in his free hand.
"I was always...no." He stopped. He didn't move, nor say anything. Jin stood there wondering why Kazuya hadn't finished his sentence. "I wanted to be there for her. I was there when she needed me. Well, sort of. I was there when she told me about...you." He walked silently down the steps. Jin had really no idea of what his father was truly like. When he was little that was all he could think of.
"What did you say...when you found out about me?" He asked. Kazuya gave a slight grin.
"I told Jun that I loved her. I told her that I would live on to protect you and her. I was so happy that we were going to have a baby." Kazuya lowered his head. Jin was shocked at his father's reaction. Kazuya went on. "I decided to go visit Heihachi. I knew that if he found out that I was going to have a son, he would likely kill you. I didn't want to leave her. I hadn't planned on dying." Jin knew that his father was telling him the truth. He could see his truth in his eyes.
"I understand. I would have done the same to protect Ling and Zenrei. I thought that they wouldn't be put in any danger, but I can clearly see what has been done. Father, I need your help."
"I will help you. You are my son, my blood, my only family I have left. Jin lay on the couch and laid Ling on his lap. He kissed her cheek and tenderly licked her neck. He looked up at Kazuya who was looking right at him. Jin nervously cleared his throat.
"Um...father...if you don't mind..." "Oh! Right! Right." He picked up Zenrei. "I'll just take my granddaughter...to the...the uh...the...kitchen! Call me if you need anything!"
"Right." Jin answered.
"Yeah, like you'll need 'my' help" Kazuya smirked. He took Zenrei into the kitchen. Jin knelt his head on Ling's cheek. She was still slightly warm. He laid gentle hot kisses trailing down her neck. Ling gave a slight moan. She was awakening to the familiarity of Jin's warmth. Jin called out her name but she didn't respond. He licked her gentle soft lips, hoping she would wake up to his kisses. He heard her cry out again. He raised his hand to the side of her breast and made circular motions. Ling slowly opened her eyes. Feeling Jin's soft movement made her feel excited.
"Jin." She cried out. He locked his eyes with hers. Ling couldn't help feel aroused by him. He was so gentle with her. She lost her control and gave into her hot passionate feelings. She moved herself closer to him. Jin did not counter her emotions or movements. Instead, he consented with her. He loved the feeling that Ling gave him when they were close together. He traveled his tongue down her neck again, reaching her pinnacle. She gave a loud moan. So loud, Kazuya had to move to another room.
"Good God! Do they have to be so loud?!" Kazuya exclaimed.
Jin gave tender soft kisses on her breast, making her want him more. Ling arched her back as Jin went further down. He traveled his hands down her back. She stole his heart when she reached around his neck and kissed him passionately. She motioned him on his back. She reached down into his pants. This feeling made him feel good, but he was already having trouble with one child already. If they kept this up, Ling might get pregnant again.
'Another child that would suffer the Devil gene. I couldn't bear to do that to them.' He thought. Ling was ready for Jin to take action. Jin smiled meekly at her, kissed her cheek and got back up on his own two feet.
"What's wrong? Is it something I did? Don't you like me anymore?" She asked sorrowfully.
"Of course! I love you! I'll always love you, but we can't go that far now."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"What I'm saying is we can't have sex now. If you get pregnant, that could cause us to lose another child to Devil." Ling frowned. She knew Jin was right. She nodded in agreement and went to get Zenrei from Kazuya.
"I see. The princess is finally awakened from her slumber. I already knew that though."
"How did you know?" She asked.
"Are you kidding me!?" I could hear your cries at least a mile away! I'm surprised Zenrei didn't wake up!" Ling bowed her head in embarrassment.
"Sorry. It's just that...it's been so long since I..."
"I understand." He said reasonably. He handed the sleeping child over to Ling. She walked over to the couch and the three of them laid together. Kazuya walked by the rocking chair and made himself comfortable.
"You're welcome to stay with us. If you like, you can stay as long as you want to reunite yourself with your lost family." Ling said. She closed her eyes and made herself comfortable in Jin's warmth. Kazuya nodded and drifted off to sleep. Ling still wanted to feel Jin touch her bare flesh, but instead, she held Zenrei next to the two of them as they drifted off into sleep.
*~*~*~* Ling's Dream*~*~*~*
Ling was falling in an abyss of fire. She fell endlessly and saw the face of Zenrei look at her. Zenrei was smiling and jumping around free- spiritedly. She reached her hand out to her, but Zenrei couldn't reach.
"Zenni!" Ling cried. Zenrei tried a little harder to reach, but she tripped and fell, falling into the same vortex as Ling. "No Zenni! I'm sorry!" She grabbed Zenrei and held her tight.
"It's ok mama. I'm ok." She let go of Ling and stood upright. Ling got up enough courage to stand on her two feet. She looked around and the fire had stopped. She looked back at Zenrei who now had grown older and had beautiful white wings.
"Zenni, is that you?" She asked. She went over to Zenrei and touched her glorious white wings. They were soft to the touch.
"Even during the roughest of times, you were there for me, just like you and daddy promised." Zenrei said with an angelic smile. "You were our angel, you were the chosen one." Ling felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looked back and saw Jin. He too had beautiful white wings. She was astonished. It suddenly began to rain and she didn't care. She looked down at the puddle beneath her feet and saw Angel in her reflection. She gasped and looked up. Above her, flying over her head was angel.
"You see Ling, you didn't need special powers to save anyone. All you need is your love. I am with you, and I will always be with you." She drew neared and nearer to Ling. She stood there, not quite sure what to do. Ling nodded her head.
"I know. And thank you, Angel." She whispered. She opened her arms out and let Angel back into her body.
~*~*~*~*End Of Dream*~*~*~*~
A few hours passed and it was morning. Zenrei was the first to awake. She opened her eyes to see her two loving parents holding her in their arms. She sat there, lost in thought. Ling and Jin awoke shortly after. They looked down at their sleep child.
"Good morning!" Ling said cheerfully.
"Morning mama." She answered. Her tone was quiet and disturbed. Kazuya heard the voice of his granddaughter and leaped out of the chair. He walked eagerly towards Zenrei.
"Hey." He said in a low tone. Zenrei's eyes grew ten times their normal size as she felt knives stabbing her heart.
"Who are you!?" She shouted. She was so frightened that she did not realize that she was choking her father.
"I'm your grandfather. My name is Kazuya Mishima." Zenrei let go of Jin's neck allowing him to breath. She looked up eagerly at her father.
"Daddy? What's a gram.gramfather?" Jin laughed to himself.
"He's your grandpa. That means that he is my dad." Zenrei's eyes widened again.
"Wow! You have a daddy too?" She looked at Ling. "Mama, where's your daddy?" Ling looked down at Zenrei sadly.
"I'm sorry. My daddy died when I was sixteen. Your grandpa and grandma both died." Zenrei's face was confused again.
"Grama? What's that? Is that grampa's mommy?" Ling shook her head, trying to smile.
"No, Grandma is my mommy. Your other grandma is Jin's mommy."
"I have two gramas and grampas?" Zenrei was totally lost.
"No. Not anymore. Now all you have is a mommy, a daddy, and a grandpa." Jin said. "What about aunt Miharu! I like her. She always brings me presents when she visits." Ling nodded.
"Oh yes! You'll always have aunt Miharu and Europa!" They all laughed. Zenrei looked at Kazuya carefully.
"I know you! You were always in the woods! Behind the trees is where I saw you. Ever since I was little I can remember a lonely man watching me. Don't you have anyone to play with? I have daddy and mommy to play with. We go deep in the woods by a lake and we play! I know I can beat daddy, I just need more time." Ling smiled.
"Maybe today, we can all go out together. Would you like that Zenni?" Ling asked. Zenrei's smile grew wider and her eyes sparkled.
"Yay! I'm going to play with mommy and daddy! Grampa, will you play too?" Zenrei had only officially met her grandfather for five minutes, and already she had grown to love him. Kazuya smiled at the young bright spirited girl. He had never actually experienced the feeling of being loved.
"Sure. I'll come too." Kazuya answered, petting Zenrei's soft dark brown hair.Jin looked over at his loving wife. "I will be spending my whole life with my family." Kazuya added. Kazuya had a relaxed feeling surge through his body. He could now rest easy knowing his son had moved on and was happy. Yet, he wanted to stay with his family. Family? Could he even call them that? He was away for so long, he never tried to love them, except, now was different. It must have been Devil that was keeping him from loving.
"Let's go!" Zenrei pleaded. She reached out her arms to her father. Jin picked her up and placed her on his shoulders.
"Ya know, you really have that kid spoiled Jin." Kazuya said while laughing. Jin just stared back trying to think of a good reply.
"Yeah well, how would you know what it's like to spoil someone?" Jin retorted Kazuya gave into defeat. Jin was right. He had no place to talk.
"Ok. I'll shut up now." Zenrei laughed heartily. She had never thought that her dad would make her grandpa shut up. Zenni looked at the beautiful rising sun. It made her feel warm inside. Jin, Ling, Zenrei, and Kazuya walked to their training place down by the stream. Zenrei hopped off her father's shoulders and began to stretch.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hinotama walked into the dark office and laid down some file folders. He opened a few of them up and placed them neatly on the desk. Akuma walked from behind the shadows and approached the desk. He skimmed threw a few headlines of the first page.
"The King Of Iron Fist Tournament. Oh how I recall those battles. The greatest fighters coming from all around the world to find out what life truly means." Akuma said as he remembered the past. "Yes, I remember that tournament oh too well. I believed that entering would help me find out some hidden secrets. And indeed it did. That is why I am here." Hinotama just gazed at Akuma, not quite understanding what he was saying.
"Uh, Sir, it says that Heihachi Mishima was the one who announced the last King Of Iron Fist Tournament. Also, it says that he gave his soul up to Devil, thus becoming fully under his control. He still seeks revenge on Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. I wonder, does he know about their child?" Akuma slicked back his hair with his three fingers.
"I'm assuming he does. If Jin Kazama still posses the devil gene, his daughter will too. And if all that information is correct about Heihachi being fully under Devil's control, Devil is out there looking for the girl."
"I see. But that girl could be a dangerous foe, or a valuable ally. Especially to us!" A wide grin appeared on Akuma's lips.
"Exactly." He said deviously. "We take the girl, let Heihachi have her; you know, get him to think that we are on his side. Then once he lets his guard down, we re-kidnap her and let them wonder. Heihachi will then call the next King Of Iron Fist and we will enter her to test out her powers! Just think about it, won't it be great to see her kill her parents! Her hands will be stained by her parents' blood!!" He laughed out loud and looked through some more papers. Hinotama smiled, just thinking about this cunning plan. He knew that everything would work out. Just then, a young woman walked through the door. She had long, wavy, black hair, and wore a black dress with high-heels. Hinotama's jaw dropped.
"I thought you were dead!!" He shouted. Akuma looked towards the lady and smiled.
"Hmmm...funny the way things seem." She said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Akuma told me to get the child. I agreed, since I have a strong hatred towards her mother. Yet her father, I don't want to do anything to hurt him. I'm still in love with him." Hinotama looked at the ring on her finger.
"Uh...uh...uh...It...Can't be!!!"
Kotou: Is this a cliffhanger? Does it leave you guessing? If so, then I've done my job! Ok, if any of you figure this out, you're probably going to hate me, but oh well! I hope you liked it! Sorry it was sooo long! Anyway, I better get going! See ya next chapter.
P.S. Merry Christmas to all of you!!!! ^_^
"Evil comes within the hearts who have rejected themselves."
Disclaimer: I am not making any money off of this!
Kotou: And yet another chapter! WOW! I have A LOT of reviews!!! Thank you all so much!!! Ok, Hinotama and Angel are back! Let's get this show on the road!
Opside: Uh...Don't worry! Kuma and Panda will be back! I PROMISE! I have it all planned out and it helps the storyline!
Jupiter's moon Europa: Thank you very much for reviewing! I'm glad you like the storyline!
Lillian: Thanks! I appreciate your review! I am flattered that you think this is great. I didn't think most people would! ^__^
Razan was silent. She didn't know how to answer that question. Should she tell her, or should she just avoid it? This questioned played over and over in her mind. It was not her place to tell her about her special gene. That was something she would have to ask her parents about. Zenrei just stared at Razan with a curious expression.
"Well?" She asked. Razan still didn't answer. She was struggling to find the right words. But what were the right words? What would she tell her? How could she tell her? It was about five minutes later until she reacted.
"Sorry Zenni. I...I..." She was at a loss of words. She couldn't finish her sentence. Just looking at Zenrei's innocent face made her lose her composure. "I really don't know why she said that. Maybe it was because she needed an excuse." Razan had lied to Zenrei, but she hoped that the little girl bought it. It ached her to lie to Zenrei. She deserved to know the truth; no matter how horrible it may be.
"But why did she act like that? Why did her mama say that I was a devil? I don't look like one, do I?" Razan laughed.
"Of course you don't! You are a complete angel, just like the one that looks out for you." She said with a bright smile. Zenrei saw through that lie.
"Razan. You are like my big sister, and you are hiding something from me. I can feel it." She said with a whisper. Europa ran ahead of them and went to their training site.
"Zenrei, if you truly want to know, you must ask your parents yourself." Zenrei sighed and nodded her head. She was going to find out once and for all what JiEun meant.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
JiEun walked in the house and sat on Hworang's lap. He smiled and patted her on the head. Jin looked at how content Hworang was. He had never seen him that way.
"Looks like you've really lightened up since you settled down." Jin said, resting his back on the sofa. Hworang rolled his eyes.
"A lot you know. JiEun and I are superior fighters. There is no room for relaxation!" He stated. Julia walked in with a glass of orange juice for her daughter.
"It's true. Hworang and I trained JiEun to be very strong. I'd say that she's the strongest six-yearold that ever lived." Ling walked in and sat next to Jin.
"And Zenrei is the strongest five-yearold that anyone ever laid eyes on." Ling added. Miharu sighed and banged her head on the wall repeatedly.
"Not again!" She whined. "Look, it doesn't matter who's the strongest, can't we all just get along?" Julia and Ling both looked at Miharu.
"No!" They shouted. JiEun took a sip of her juice and tugged on her mother's shirt.
"But mama, Zenrei is strong! We were sparring and..." Julia's eyes widened. JiEun shrugged her shoulders and hunched back. By the way her mother stared at her, she could definitely tell that she was in some major trouble. JiEun was told many times not to spar against Zenrei, she knew better. But like her father, the fighting spirit came naturally.
"You fought against that Mishima?" She asked sternly, yet in a low whisper. What Julia had said, somehow traveled far and loud enough for Ling to hear.
"One, Zenrei is a Kazama. And two, what's wrong with her fighting against Zenrei? Is Zenni too strong?" She teased. Julia sat up and gasped. She didn't mean for anyone to hear her.
"Of course not. I just...didn't want JiEun to fight someone younger than her, that's all." Ling had a cocky smile come clear across her face.
"I'm so sure." She said.
"Mama, Zenrei IS really strong! And it's not just because she's a devil, like you and papa said." Julia and Hworang covered her mouth. Miharu hit herself hard on the head.
'Why? WHY!!?' She thought. Ling and Jin didn't do or say anything. The two acted like they never even heard it. JiEun hopped off her parent's lap and walked over to Miharu.
"Are you feeling ok?" She asked, putting her hand on Miharu's head. Miharu just laughed and smiled.
"Uh, yeah! Don't worry about a thing." Miharu said with a chuckle. JiEun walked back towards Jin and Ling.
"Listen, I'm sorry about what I said." She pouted her lips and gave them both an innocent and remorseful look. Ling smiled and bent over, eyelevel with JiEun.
"No need for an apology. You know she isn't, and we know she isn't." Julia called out to JiEun.
"JiEun darling, how about you go out and pick some flowers for tonight? Does that sound good?" She smiled.
"Yeah! I'll be back in a few!" She left the house and ran outside looking for wildflowers. Julia lowered her head and stared at Ling.
"I'm sorry Ling, but with all the weird experiments concerning G-corp., I just wanted to make sure that JiEun doesn't end up...you know, hurt or anything." Ling nodded.
"I understand. But you're wrong; you don't have to worry about Zenrei hurting anyone. She may have the Devil-gene, but she's as much of an angel as anyone I've ever seen. And like I said before, she may have Mishima blood in her, but she is definitely a Kazama!" Jin looked at Ling surprisingly. He didn't know how protective she would be over her daughter, then again, they were always over protective.
"You're absolutely right. I agree. But still, don't you guys worry?" Both Ling and Jin shook their heads. "Not even a little?"
"Nope! Not at all." Ling said proudly. "You see, Jin and I promised Zenrei that we would protect her with all our lives. There's nothing anyone should worry about." Julia smiled.
"I know. You aren't mad at me, are you?" Ling smiled and laughed.
"No! Of course not! You were just concerned, that's all." After a while, the tension settled down and they all began talking in a nice and friendly manner. Miharu was glad that they weren't arguing anymore. She reclined herself and listened to the peace that filled the room.
About an hour later, JiEun came back with a bouquet of beautiful wild flowers. They were arranged in assorted colors and they were the freshest of the fresh. Julia and Hworang both got up and met with their daughter.
"Well, it's about time we go. We'll see you guys later." Julia said as she walked out the door. Miharu. Jin and Ling waved goodbye.
"Whew! Glad that's over." Miharu said, leaning her back against the table. She sighed and looked up at Ling, who looked quite nervous. "Is something wrong?" Ling looked back at Miharu.
"Oh, no. I'm fine." She said with a bright and cheerful smile.
"Ling?" Jin asked. She just looked at him plainly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm tired!" Zenrei exclaimed as she fell flat on her face. She was breathing heavily and she couldn't get up. Europa fell on her back and looked up at the sky.
"We still have another ten minutes!" Razan explained. Zenrei and Europa looked at eachother, then nodded their heads.
"We wanna use that ten minutes to sleep." Europa said as she closed her eyes.
"Yeah, we worked hard enough." Zenrei added. Razan laughed and picked the two of them up.
"Ok." She said. They leaned on her shoulder and closed their eyes. Five minutes later, they reached the house. Razan opened the door and placed Zenrei on the couch. She walked over to Miharu and gave Europa back to her mother.
"How did she do?" Miharu asked. Razan smiled and answered,
"She was great. It surprises me how strong those two are." She looked at her watch and went out the door. "I'll be back soon. I have a date with my friends." She waved goodbye and left.
"Teenagers. I wish I could be seventeen again." Miharu said.
"Yeah. Those were some good times, weren't they?" Ling added. They laughed. Miharu got up with Europa still in her arms.
"I'm going to take this kiddo home. She looks real tired." She said. She left shortly after. Ling watched her friend leave. She gazed out the glass window and looked longingly into the sky.
"Jin. Tonight, I want to do something special." She said in a whisper. Let Zenrei sleep for a while. Meet me at our usual spot around 7:00 ok?" She asked. Jin had no idea what she was talking about, but he went along with her plans.
"Sure." He agreed. Ling smiled, kissed him goodbye and left. Jin carried Zenrei to her room, where the nursery once was, and placed her in her bed. She looked so angelic there, fast asleep; warn out from all the excitement. He walked back downstairs and went outside for a while; just to catch some fresh air.
A few hours passed by and Zenrei had finally awakened. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, looking around her bedside. She didn't remember going into her room. She saw Yuki sleeping on the floor next to her and scratched her ear. She looked out the window next to her bed. The sun was setting, but half of the sky was still a luscious blue. She hopped out of bed and ran down the stairs. She looked through the entire interior of the house, but she could not find Jin.
"Daddy!" She called. There was no response. "Daddy!" She opened the door and saw Jin lying on the ground. She walked up to him as he lay there looking at the clear sapphire colored sky. Zenrei sat on her father's hard muscular stomach. "Daddy, waccha thinkin' about?" Asked the small girl. "You look sad." Jin looked at his daughter's caring face. He couldn't help but laugh. He picked her up and threw her on his shoulders.
"Hold on tight!" Jin commanded. Zenrei held on to Jin's head.
"Where are we goin-?" Jin ran as fast as he could through the forest. "Whoa!" Zenrei shouted. Jin ran through the entire forest until he found the special spot. "Daddy. This place is...beautiful!" The scene was absolutely gorgeous. It was an endless field of flowers and the healthiest grass anyone could expect to ever find. Jin had lowered Zenrei onto the ground. The young girl wandered around aimlessly. She was amazed at the beauty that engulfed her emotions. She grabbed her father's hand. "Dad, what is this place?" Jin looked in the direction opposite of the sun.
"Just wait. Only a few more minutes." Zenrei looked at her dad, wondering what he meant. She stood patiently and waited to see what was going to happen. Jin stood silently with his eyes closed, the wind brushing gently against his hair. "Just wait. You can sense it come to you." Zenrei held her dad's hand closer to her. She closed her eyes and waited for something to happen. She could feel the wind suddenly change. She felt something brush up against her eyes, beckoning her to open them. They both opened their eyes and saw cherry blossom petals carpeting the ground. Zenrei looked up at the sky in awe. It was a radiant glow of red, orange, blue and purple. The ground before them seemed to glitter spontaneously.
"Wow! Dad, what is this feeling? My heart feels like it can fly!" Jin grabbed his daughter and placed her on his shoulders. She opened her arms and leaned back. "I'm flying. I'm a bird. My soul can touch the sky!" Jin spun around slowly.
"How does that feel?" He asked.
"Good. I like the way the cool breeze hits my face." She leaned herself back up and hugged her dad's neck. "Does mama know about this place?" Jin smiled and looked over to the spot where the two made love.
"Yes. She knows this spot quite well. Come on. I'm going to show you something." He walked into a towering wall of roses. It was a giant rose maze that leads to a beautiful sanctuary. Jin knew his way around, but just for fun, he asked Zenrei where to go. "Ok Zenni, which way should we go?" Zenrei pointed to the left.
"There!" She shouted. Jin walked left. He had seen one of Ling's bows.
'There's Ling's bow! I bet she put that there so she wouldn't get lost.' "Ok. Now where to?" Zenrei put her finger on her lips.
"Um.that way, I think." Jin saw another one of Ling's hair ties. How did Zenrei know where she was going?
'Probably luck.' Jin thought. In order to test his uneasiness, he had Zenrei guide him the entire way. Each step was precise. Zenrei lead them exactly to where Jin had planned.
"Look daddy! I found it!" Jin was amazed.
"How?" He questioned.
"I followed mama's memory!" Jin didn't quite understand.
"Finally! I was beginning to worry about you two!" Ling said. She was wearing an exquisite white dress with white high-heeled shoes. She walked down from the terrace that was white and covered with roses and vines. There were small lights on the outer edge giving it that romantic feeling. Jin stared in awe, as he had never actually seen Ling wear something so serene. Zenrei smiled at her beautiful mother. Ling had this whole thing set up, but he didn't know that she was going to be fancy about it.
"Sorry I'm not dressed for the occasion." Said Jin remorsefully. Ling smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"Oh, that's alright. You're just perfect the way you are." Zenrei stretched her hands out to her mom. She picked her up and sat on the chair in the veranda. Jin sat across from her. Ling had made an enormous dinner for them to eat under the stars. Zenrei felt something cold and wet touch her leg.
"AAAGGGHHH!" She screamed. She jumped out of her chair and into her mom's lap. "Something tried to eat me!" Ling looked under the table and saw the lonesome Yuki.
"Don't worry. Its just Yuki, that's all." With a sigh of relief, Zenrei hopped off her lap and patted Yuki on the nose.
"Sorry. You scared me girl." She said. She jumped back on her seat and finished eating. Their dinner was delicious. Jin smiled satisfied and walked out to look at the stars. Zenrei grabbed her mother's hand. "Come on mama! Let's look at the stars!" The stars always fascinated Zenrei ever since she was born. It had been her comforting obsession. She looked up at the great blue-black sky. "There are so many of them." Ling looked at her bright child and gave her a warm smile.
"There sure are." She responded. "All of them twinkling so bright." Her locket shone bright. She opened it again. Her eyes fixated on those words. 'Believe'. It had been the courage she needed to find Jin; it had been her guide to conquer her fear; it had been her only hope at times. Those words were very important to her. She looked up at the night sky. The word 'love' was displayed. Maybe all this time it was a sign.
"Mama.daddy once told me that the stars were teardrops from the angels. He also told me that they were watching us and telling us where to go." Jin held Ling's hand and brought her close to him. "If that's so, why are the angels always crying? If they are watching us, why can't I see them?" Zenrei walked a little farther from them. "Sometimes, I see an angel watching over me. He looks like daddy, but different. He never comes out to say hi, but I can tell he's there." Jin looked at Zenrei strangely again. Like she was speaking a totally different language that he couldn't understand.
"You've seen an angel that looks like me? How come you haven't told me?"
"I don't think he wants us to know." Said the young girl. Jin let go of Ling's hand for a second to sit next to his daughter. He placed Zenrei on his lap.
"Does he look a lot like me?" He asked.
"Yup! Just like you. He wears a black jacket and shoes. I see him when I look out of my window." Had Zenrei seen Kazuya, or maybe Heihachi? Ling sat beside the two of them, changing the subject.
"The stars are beautiful this time of night, aren't they?" Zenrei laid her head on her lap falling asleep. She looked at Jin with a caring expression on her face. "She's something else, isn't she?" Jin agreed.
"She sure is. Her soul is pure, her heart is warm, and she can see the goodness in everything." Jin stroked Zenrei's hair gently as he had done to Ling. "I love my child. I'm afraid for her though." Ling laid her head on Jin's chest.
"She said she had seen an angel. We know Zenrei. If she had seen a threat, she would have said something." Ling's words always had a way of getting Jin to relax.
"Maybe you're right. I trust her judgment." They stared at the sky for a while. Ling began to fall asleep. It was the first time in a long time that she had been to this special place with Jin.
".Jin." He pushed her head softly towards his chest. He lay on his back and drifted off into a deep sleep.
An hour later Jin awoke. Ling was still asleep on his chest; her hand on his heart while Zenrei lay on her mother's lap. Yuki had walked by and licked Jin's face.
"Yuki.take Zenni with you to the house. I want you to sleep with her tonight. Take extra good care of her. I'll meet you there soon." Yuki carried Zenrei on her back. Jin laughed as he saw that Zenrei was still asleep while she had been carried off. Yuki had walked slowly, so not to wake the young one. Satisfied that Zenrei was in good hands, Jin turned around to hold Ling. She yawned and moved her body closer to his. When she felt that her child was no longer there, she shot her eyes open.
"Jin! Where is she!?" She asked in a panic. Jin held her face in his hands.
"I had Yuki take her home. I wanted her to be safe." She smiled and buried her head against his chest.
"I want to go home with her...not now. Later. I want to spend this moment alone with you." She said kissing his neck. It had been a while since she had fired up his emotions like that.
When Yuki got to the house, she unlocked the door and walked up To Zenrei's room. She had thought she locked the door and set him on her bed. She walked over to the window and lay down there. A short amount of time passed when Zenrei was awakened by a noise. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a man dressed in black hovering over her. She went to scream, but the man covered her mouth with his hand. She struggled to move, but he was obviously stronger than she was.
"Hello my dear princess of Hell. Why don't you do uncle Hinotama a favor and show me that dark power of yours?" Zenrei kicked and screamed, but the man didn't let up. Yuki stood behind the man and growled. She swung her paw at him and slashed his left eye. Hinotama let go of Zenrei. She used this valuable time to get away. "You insolent beast!" He yelled as he swung his fist at Yuki. Yuki was thrown across the room and landed on her skull.
"Yuki!!!!" Zenrei yelled. She ran out from her hiding place and wrapped her arms around Yuki's neck. Hinotama grabbed her by her waist and pushed her back on the bed.
"You know that you want to change! Come on you Devil!" He tried provoking her in every way possible.
"I'm not a devil!" She cried out.
"Oh really? That's nice. Who told you that lie?"
"My friends and family!!" Hinotama laughed and began choking her to death.
"Well. How would you like to see your family and all your friends die?!" She remembered that voice. He breathing was rapid, just like her heart. It was the man from her nightmares. When he mentioned death, Zenrei thought about the way he had killed her father in her dreams.
"Mommy? Daddy?" She asked. Her voice was soft and quiet. "Please...don't kill them."
"I will! I will tear them apart, just like I'll do to you!" He taunted. His laugh was horse, he sounded like the Devil himself. Something evil inside Zenrei snapped. Her devil-gene was starting to react. Sweat dripped from her head as she could feel herself loosing control. "That a girl! This is what Akuma wants! Come little devil!!" He shouted.
"Stay away from my mommy and daddy!!" She yelled. Her wings were beginning to emerge from her back. She was moaning and groaning with pain. "Help.me." She pleaded. "Mommy! Daddy! Help me!" Tears were running down her cheek.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ling and Jin darted up simultaneously. They could both feel their daughter's pain in their hearts. Jin and Zenrei had a telepathic connection. There thoughts were intertwined with one another; while Ling could feel all of her feelings and emotions.
"She's scared!" Said Ling worriedly. "Is it a bad dream?" Jin closed his eyes and concentrated on Zenrei's thoughts.
"Oh no! She's experiencing the transformation!" Ling knew it deep in her heart. As much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn't just ignore her daughter's pleas for help.
Zenrei had pushed Hinotama away from her with a thrust. He flew across the room and hit the wall violently. Her eyes began to turn red.
"No.what's.happening to me?" She gave a loud scream. Kazuya had heard the scream from where he was standing.
'No. Not this again.' He thought. Kazuya had seen Jin and Ling run to the house. Hinotama had also heard them.
'I can't take both of them on just yet. Akuma said that he didn't want any harm to come to them.' He looked at Zenrei and gave her that same evil sinister smile. "I'll be back for you! You can count on that my precious jewel!!" He said as he jumped out of the window by her door. As Jin approached the door, Kazuya swooped from the other side of the door to face him. Jin's eyes narrowed.
" What's happened to her? Do you know who did this?" He asked scornfully. Kazuya was not responsible for this action. He stuck his head out high and answered
"No. I do not know who is the one responsible for this current transformation, but if we don't help her right now, she will lose her entire will to fight back."
"Jin, maybe he's right. Let's just go in there to help her." Ling said. Jin nodded. He wanted to protect Zenrei from this curse. They ran in and rushed up the stairs. Jin saw Yuki lay against the wall. "Yuki!" Shouted Ling. She ran over to the injured bear. She put her ear to her chest. "She's still got a pulse...She's knocked out cold." Jin was by Zenrei's bed. She was doing her best to keep her sanity.
"Daddy! Help me!" She cried. Jin grabbed Zenrei's arm, which was tearing at his own skin.
"I'm right here Zenni!" Jin shouted.
"I'm scared...I feel different...I....I..." Zenrei was beginning to loose all of that which held her together. Her hair grew longer and her nails grew sharper. Her back began to split open; making a new shape, the black wings. Ling rushed over by her bedside. She tried to touch her, but her eyes only grew redder. She was afraid. Afraid that she might loose her only child; afraid that Devil might come and take her daughter and Jin might leave and never return; afraid that her light angel powers may not be enough to save them. She then thought about the word love. Love and believing was what had got her this far. Maybe she would try it again. Kazuya and Jin tried holding her down so that she won't escape.
"Please, hang in there kid." Kazuya said. Jin had never seen his father express such emotion before. Tears welled up in Kazuya's eyes. "I want to save you. I want you to live." Jin put his hand on his father's shoulder and spoke gently,
"She will. We will help her get through this together." It made Kazuya happy that his son trusted him. Zenrei dug her fingernails into her bed.
"I'm scared daddy! I think I might hurt you and mommy. I don't want that." Jin could see the markings of devil appear on her whole body.
"Don't worry. I won't let you...I won't let anything..." Jin started to cry. It was painful for him to go through this kind of torture. He had never wanted his only child to experience this. Just looking into her painful eyes, into her tormented soul, it all hurt Jin too much to bear.
"Daddy...please...help me." She cried. Jin collapsed into tears on her tiny stomach.
"I will." He said. As she was still going through this transformation, she had seen her father crying on her. She slowly regained a little control to lift one hand and hug her father. Ling arose from the ground with light blue electricity shooting out of her body. She illuminated the room with her light. She too had wings, but hers were white. She tapped Jin on the shoulder. Jin arose to see the new beauty before him.
"Please, let me help him." She said in her angelic tone. Jin moved aside and Ling placed her hand on devil-Zenrei's heart. Devil-Zenrei grabbed her mother's wrist.
"I feel mommy's warm light...I want her light." She said pushing her hand towards her heart. Ling placed both hands on her heart and released the light within her. After that, she fell back and fainted from the loss of energy. Piece by piece, Zenrei was regaining control.
Kazuya tilted Ling's head towards him. "She's alright, there's nothing you need to worry about." Jin stared at Zenrei, full of sorrow embedded in his heart.
"Thank you." He said quietly. Zenrei's breathing slowed down back to normal. Jin rubbed his fingers against Zenrei's neck, trailing down to her chest.
"Ugh...daddy?" She managed. "What...happened to me? I feel so...sleepy." She wrapped her arms around her daddy's neck and fell asleep.
"Don't worry Zenni. I will stay with you all night." Jin looked at Kazuya earnestly. He saw how he was caring for Ling. Jin talked to his father. "Is this how you took care of mother?" He said taking Ling in his free hand.
"I was always...no." He stopped. He didn't move, nor say anything. Jin stood there wondering why Kazuya hadn't finished his sentence. "I wanted to be there for her. I was there when she needed me. Well, sort of. I was there when she told me about...you." He walked silently down the steps. Jin had really no idea of what his father was truly like. When he was little that was all he could think of.
"What did you say...when you found out about me?" He asked. Kazuya gave a slight grin.
"I told Jun that I loved her. I told her that I would live on to protect you and her. I was so happy that we were going to have a baby." Kazuya lowered his head. Jin was shocked at his father's reaction. Kazuya went on. "I decided to go visit Heihachi. I knew that if he found out that I was going to have a son, he would likely kill you. I didn't want to leave her. I hadn't planned on dying." Jin knew that his father was telling him the truth. He could see his truth in his eyes.
"I understand. I would have done the same to protect Ling and Zenrei. I thought that they wouldn't be put in any danger, but I can clearly see what has been done. Father, I need your help."
"I will help you. You are my son, my blood, my only family I have left. Jin lay on the couch and laid Ling on his lap. He kissed her cheek and tenderly licked her neck. He looked up at Kazuya who was looking right at him. Jin nervously cleared his throat.
"Um...father...if you don't mind..." "Oh! Right! Right." He picked up Zenrei. "I'll just take my granddaughter...to the...the uh...the...kitchen! Call me if you need anything!"
"Right." Jin answered.
"Yeah, like you'll need 'my' help" Kazuya smirked. He took Zenrei into the kitchen. Jin knelt his head on Ling's cheek. She was still slightly warm. He laid gentle hot kisses trailing down her neck. Ling gave a slight moan. She was awakening to the familiarity of Jin's warmth. Jin called out her name but she didn't respond. He licked her gentle soft lips, hoping she would wake up to his kisses. He heard her cry out again. He raised his hand to the side of her breast and made circular motions. Ling slowly opened her eyes. Feeling Jin's soft movement made her feel excited.
"Jin." She cried out. He locked his eyes with hers. Ling couldn't help feel aroused by him. He was so gentle with her. She lost her control and gave into her hot passionate feelings. She moved herself closer to him. Jin did not counter her emotions or movements. Instead, he consented with her. He loved the feeling that Ling gave him when they were close together. He traveled his tongue down her neck again, reaching her pinnacle. She gave a loud moan. So loud, Kazuya had to move to another room.
"Good God! Do they have to be so loud?!" Kazuya exclaimed.
Jin gave tender soft kisses on her breast, making her want him more. Ling arched her back as Jin went further down. He traveled his hands down her back. She stole his heart when she reached around his neck and kissed him passionately. She motioned him on his back. She reached down into his pants. This feeling made him feel good, but he was already having trouble with one child already. If they kept this up, Ling might get pregnant again.
'Another child that would suffer the Devil gene. I couldn't bear to do that to them.' He thought. Ling was ready for Jin to take action. Jin smiled meekly at her, kissed her cheek and got back up on his own two feet.
"What's wrong? Is it something I did? Don't you like me anymore?" She asked sorrowfully.
"Of course! I love you! I'll always love you, but we can't go that far now."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"What I'm saying is we can't have sex now. If you get pregnant, that could cause us to lose another child to Devil." Ling frowned. She knew Jin was right. She nodded in agreement and went to get Zenrei from Kazuya.
"I see. The princess is finally awakened from her slumber. I already knew that though."
"How did you know?" She asked.
"Are you kidding me!?" I could hear your cries at least a mile away! I'm surprised Zenrei didn't wake up!" Ling bowed her head in embarrassment.
"Sorry. It's just that...it's been so long since I..."
"I understand." He said reasonably. He handed the sleeping child over to Ling. She walked over to the couch and the three of them laid together. Kazuya walked by the rocking chair and made himself comfortable.
"You're welcome to stay with us. If you like, you can stay as long as you want to reunite yourself with your lost family." Ling said. She closed her eyes and made herself comfortable in Jin's warmth. Kazuya nodded and drifted off to sleep. Ling still wanted to feel Jin touch her bare flesh, but instead, she held Zenrei next to the two of them as they drifted off into sleep.
*~*~*~* Ling's Dream*~*~*~*
Ling was falling in an abyss of fire. She fell endlessly and saw the face of Zenrei look at her. Zenrei was smiling and jumping around free- spiritedly. She reached her hand out to her, but Zenrei couldn't reach.
"Zenni!" Ling cried. Zenrei tried a little harder to reach, but she tripped and fell, falling into the same vortex as Ling. "No Zenni! I'm sorry!" She grabbed Zenrei and held her tight.
"It's ok mama. I'm ok." She let go of Ling and stood upright. Ling got up enough courage to stand on her two feet. She looked around and the fire had stopped. She looked back at Zenrei who now had grown older and had beautiful white wings.
"Zenni, is that you?" She asked. She went over to Zenrei and touched her glorious white wings. They were soft to the touch.
"Even during the roughest of times, you were there for me, just like you and daddy promised." Zenrei said with an angelic smile. "You were our angel, you were the chosen one." Ling felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looked back and saw Jin. He too had beautiful white wings. She was astonished. It suddenly began to rain and she didn't care. She looked down at the puddle beneath her feet and saw Angel in her reflection. She gasped and looked up. Above her, flying over her head was angel.
"You see Ling, you didn't need special powers to save anyone. All you need is your love. I am with you, and I will always be with you." She drew neared and nearer to Ling. She stood there, not quite sure what to do. Ling nodded her head.
"I know. And thank you, Angel." She whispered. She opened her arms out and let Angel back into her body.
~*~*~*~*End Of Dream*~*~*~*~
A few hours passed and it was morning. Zenrei was the first to awake. She opened her eyes to see her two loving parents holding her in their arms. She sat there, lost in thought. Ling and Jin awoke shortly after. They looked down at their sleep child.
"Good morning!" Ling said cheerfully.
"Morning mama." She answered. Her tone was quiet and disturbed. Kazuya heard the voice of his granddaughter and leaped out of the chair. He walked eagerly towards Zenrei.
"Hey." He said in a low tone. Zenrei's eyes grew ten times their normal size as she felt knives stabbing her heart.
"Who are you!?" She shouted. She was so frightened that she did not realize that she was choking her father.
"I'm your grandfather. My name is Kazuya Mishima." Zenrei let go of Jin's neck allowing him to breath. She looked up eagerly at her father.
"Daddy? What's a gram.gramfather?" Jin laughed to himself.
"He's your grandpa. That means that he is my dad." Zenrei's eyes widened again.
"Wow! You have a daddy too?" She looked at Ling. "Mama, where's your daddy?" Ling looked down at Zenrei sadly.
"I'm sorry. My daddy died when I was sixteen. Your grandpa and grandma both died." Zenrei's face was confused again.
"Grama? What's that? Is that grampa's mommy?" Ling shook her head, trying to smile.
"No, Grandma is my mommy. Your other grandma is Jin's mommy."
"I have two gramas and grampas?" Zenrei was totally lost.
"No. Not anymore. Now all you have is a mommy, a daddy, and a grandpa." Jin said. "What about aunt Miharu! I like her. She always brings me presents when she visits." Ling nodded.
"Oh yes! You'll always have aunt Miharu and Europa!" They all laughed. Zenrei looked at Kazuya carefully.
"I know you! You were always in the woods! Behind the trees is where I saw you. Ever since I was little I can remember a lonely man watching me. Don't you have anyone to play with? I have daddy and mommy to play with. We go deep in the woods by a lake and we play! I know I can beat daddy, I just need more time." Ling smiled.
"Maybe today, we can all go out together. Would you like that Zenni?" Ling asked. Zenrei's smile grew wider and her eyes sparkled.
"Yay! I'm going to play with mommy and daddy! Grampa, will you play too?" Zenrei had only officially met her grandfather for five minutes, and already she had grown to love him. Kazuya smiled at the young bright spirited girl. He had never actually experienced the feeling of being loved.
"Sure. I'll come too." Kazuya answered, petting Zenrei's soft dark brown hair.Jin looked over at his loving wife. "I will be spending my whole life with my family." Kazuya added. Kazuya had a relaxed feeling surge through his body. He could now rest easy knowing his son had moved on and was happy. Yet, he wanted to stay with his family. Family? Could he even call them that? He was away for so long, he never tried to love them, except, now was different. It must have been Devil that was keeping him from loving.
"Let's go!" Zenrei pleaded. She reached out her arms to her father. Jin picked her up and placed her on his shoulders.
"Ya know, you really have that kid spoiled Jin." Kazuya said while laughing. Jin just stared back trying to think of a good reply.
"Yeah well, how would you know what it's like to spoil someone?" Jin retorted Kazuya gave into defeat. Jin was right. He had no place to talk.
"Ok. I'll shut up now." Zenrei laughed heartily. She had never thought that her dad would make her grandpa shut up. Zenni looked at the beautiful rising sun. It made her feel warm inside. Jin, Ling, Zenrei, and Kazuya walked to their training place down by the stream. Zenrei hopped off her father's shoulders and began to stretch.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hinotama walked into the dark office and laid down some file folders. He opened a few of them up and placed them neatly on the desk. Akuma walked from behind the shadows and approached the desk. He skimmed threw a few headlines of the first page.
"The King Of Iron Fist Tournament. Oh how I recall those battles. The greatest fighters coming from all around the world to find out what life truly means." Akuma said as he remembered the past. "Yes, I remember that tournament oh too well. I believed that entering would help me find out some hidden secrets. And indeed it did. That is why I am here." Hinotama just gazed at Akuma, not quite understanding what he was saying.
"Uh, Sir, it says that Heihachi Mishima was the one who announced the last King Of Iron Fist Tournament. Also, it says that he gave his soul up to Devil, thus becoming fully under his control. He still seeks revenge on Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. I wonder, does he know about their child?" Akuma slicked back his hair with his three fingers.
"I'm assuming he does. If Jin Kazama still posses the devil gene, his daughter will too. And if all that information is correct about Heihachi being fully under Devil's control, Devil is out there looking for the girl."
"I see. But that girl could be a dangerous foe, or a valuable ally. Especially to us!" A wide grin appeared on Akuma's lips.
"Exactly." He said deviously. "We take the girl, let Heihachi have her; you know, get him to think that we are on his side. Then once he lets his guard down, we re-kidnap her and let them wonder. Heihachi will then call the next King Of Iron Fist and we will enter her to test out her powers! Just think about it, won't it be great to see her kill her parents! Her hands will be stained by her parents' blood!!" He laughed out loud and looked through some more papers. Hinotama smiled, just thinking about this cunning plan. He knew that everything would work out. Just then, a young woman walked through the door. She had long, wavy, black hair, and wore a black dress with high-heels. Hinotama's jaw dropped.
"I thought you were dead!!" He shouted. Akuma looked towards the lady and smiled.
"Hmmm...funny the way things seem." She said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Akuma told me to get the child. I agreed, since I have a strong hatred towards her mother. Yet her father, I don't want to do anything to hurt him. I'm still in love with him." Hinotama looked at the ring on her finger.
"Uh...uh...uh...It...Can't be!!!"
Kotou: Is this a cliffhanger? Does it leave you guessing? If so, then I've done my job! Ok, if any of you figure this out, you're probably going to hate me, but oh well! I hope you liked it! Sorry it was sooo long! Anyway, I better get going! See ya next chapter.
P.S. Merry Christmas to all of you!!!! ^_^