Chapter Nine: Poison Flower
"I don't believe this," Xiaoyu mumbled miserably, trying to pull her skirt down. It didn't work very well; the tiny uniform skirt rode up high, and she was sure that the moment a strong breeze blew the entire world would be subject to a first class view of her navy blue bloomers.
"Yeah, who would've thought you had legs," Hwoarang quipped, staring appreciatively.
"Just shut up," Xiaoyu growled, her face flushing. It was bad enough that modesty was preventing her from threatening him with her usual barricade of high kicks; she didn't want to give him any more of a view than he was already having. "I need to concentrate for the fight, so back off!" she growled as they entered the temple grounds. "This is supposed to be a closed match anyway. Why don't you just watch TV like everybody else?"
Hwoarang made a great show of yawning loudly before answering. "You know they always cut the best parts out of that version," he answered, sauntering through the large pillars after Xiaoyu.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Xiaoyu muttered. She stopped as they entered the temple grounds, and for a moment she forgot her malcontent as she took in their surroundings. The remote temple the fight was slated to take place in had long since fallen into disarray, but not even the broken, splintered wood of the building or the cracked stone of the courtyard could mask the beauty of the ancient hideaway. Small bursts of green growing through the crumbling stone only added to the wild, abandoned magical atmosphere of the temple.
"This is one of the more remote fight locations," Xiaoyu said absently, clasping her hands together and making a cursory bow in the direction of the dilapidated shrine. "I bet this place must have been beautiful once," she added softly.
"Well it's crap now," Hwoarang answered, kicking at the trunk of a massive ginkgo tree which had fallen in a corner of the yard. He scowled and shrugged his shoulders as Xiaoyu frowned at him.
"Don't be so disrespectful! This is a holy temple," she scolded him.
"Holy to the Japanese. In case you hadn't noticed, we're foreigners," Hwoarang answered with boredom. "Besides, you're not even religious!"
Xiaoyu sighed and rolled her eyes. "Just forget it. I don't need any additional stress before my match!" Reminded of her purpose, Xiaoyu took another more careful look around the courtyard, which remained as empty as it was when they had entered. "I wonder where he is anyway?" she mused nervously, biting her lip. "Maybe we got here a little too early."
"You're fighting that new guy, right? Bet he got lost trying to find this shithole," Hwoarang said, flopping down lazily on a moss covered stone. "Damn, this is boring. Wake me up when he gets here," he complained, before dropping onto his back and throwing an arm over his eyes.
"You know, I wish you'd stop dumping on this place," Xiaoyu began, pointing her finger at the tall Korean, who didn't bother to move. "It's bad luck, and I don't need you cursing me before…" She trailed off as a familiar sensation washed over her. Spine tingling, she swivelled her head around and peered into the dark, yawning entrance of the abandoned shrine.
"What?" Hwoarang said, lifting his arm briefly to peer in her direction before dropping his head back with annoyance. "Are you spacing out again?"
Xiaoyu ignored him and turned towards the shrine, taking one cautious step forward. The shrine entrance was shrouded by an almost impenetrable darkness, one that her eyes couldn't adjust for in the late afternoon sunlight. I can feel it. I know something's there, Xiaoyu thought to herself. She took another step forward and squinted into the darkness. "Wait out here for a second," she muttered softly. "I'm going to take a quick look inside."
"Knock yourself out," Hwoarang answered, yawning. "Just wake up in time to let this Feng Wei guy do it too."
Xiaoyu spared one last glance back at the Korean to scowl and stick her tongue out; a wasted effort, since he was still splayed over the stone courtyard, soaking up the afternoon sun like an indolent cat. She returned her attention to the yawning temple entrance, which seemed to beckon to her. "It's probably just my imagination," she whispered to herself as she climbed the stone steps. A gust of cool air made her shiver as she paused at the door; the darkness, however, would still not reveal its secrets. Taking a deep breath and gathering her courage, Xiaoyu plunged into the temple quickly, before her resolve could flee.
The cool, slightly damp air inside of the shrine smelled of moss and rotting wood; old, musty, but not particularly unpleasant. It took a few moments for Xiaoyu's eyes to adjust to the dark interior, but after a moment, she could make out the dim forms of her surroundings. Cracked statues lined the walls, frozen in their silent gestures. For some reason, seeing the sculptures left to decay in the temple made her feel sad; their bodies were crumbling, but still they held their positions faithfully, trying to impart their lessons on a lost audience. The sense of unease and foreboding faded as she wandered through the empty shrine, stopping at one of the larger statues embedded into the wall. It was slightly less damaged than the others, and the serene eyes of the carved figure caused her to relax. "It really was all in my head," she said, giggling as her voice bounced over the walls. The sound of stone crunching underfoot caused her to gasp and whirl around in shock, panic overtaking her as a darkened figure stepped forward.
"I always liked that one best," her quiet observer noted as he approached her and stopped at her side. "It reminds me of my mother."
"Jin?" Xiaoyu held herself very still, afraid that if she moved, he would suddenly disappear, like the phantom he seemed to be in the tournament. He turned to face her and pulled his hood back, and Xiaoyu felt a wave of relief and surprise as she took in his finely chiselled features. Even washed in the darkness of the temple, it was clear to see that Jin's face was unmarred by signs of any demonic possession. He looked, in fact, better than he had since the last two times she had seen him. "Is it really you?" she asked breathlessly. The barest twisting of his lips was the closest Jin ever came to smiling, only recognizable by those who spent their days studying his behaviour and mannerisms. It was as clear as the sunny day outside to her, though, and Xiaoyu tried to keep herself from ruining the magic by melting into the floor as the corners of his lips lifted in response to her question.
"Who else would come to your match?" he asked her. "Or could you really mistake me for your Panda?" he added with amusement. One thick eyebrow rose fractionally as he looked her over. "That's an… interesting choice of clothing," he added nonchalantly. "I didn't think you'd ever want to go back to wearing uniforms again."
Xiaoyu felt the colour rush to her cheeks as she tried to register his words. He's actually talking to me! He came to my match just to see me! She wanted to scream and run around the temple in joy, but some last vestige of common sense that had not yet fled from her brain held her in place. "I-I'm glad you're here," she managed to stutter, suddenly aware of the shortness of her skirt and glad that the temple was dark so he wouldn't see her embarrassment.
As if he could sense her discomfort, Jin spoke again. "I don't mean it in a bad way, Xiaoyu. You look good." He continued, oblivious to the look of bliss which crossed Xiaoyu's face as he spoke her name. "You always seemed like the sort of person who valued her freedom," he said softly. "Being forced to wear that uniform every day was like robbing a bird of its feathers."
"You think it makes me look like a plucked chicken?" Xiaoyu suddenly blurted out, then clapped her hands over her mouth in mortification. "I mean, sorry for interrupting!" she said, her face burning. "It's just that you never really talked to me before and I like the sound of your voice and all but I didn't really want to wear this today and I guess I don't mind if you think I look like a naked chicken but it really wasn't my decision because I lost this stupid bet and—" The sound of a soft chuckle ended her nervous babbling, and she felt an uneasy fluttering in her stomach of an entirely different sort than embarrassment as Jin answered.
"Shh," he said to her, his eyes dancing with mirth. "That's not what I meant." He paused, and an unusual note of hesitation filled his voice. "You always reminded me of a bird of paradise when we were in school," he explained haltingly. "So full of colour and energy and life. Being forced to conform with everyone else, wearing the same thing day in and out was like putting chains on, wasn't it? But things like that never seemed to bother you much," he continued, his eyes drifting away from Xiaoyu and losing their focus slightly. "You never stopped smiling, not once. Nothing ever seemed to bother you," he said distantly.
Xiaoyu smiled worriedly, the pleased glow at Jin's unusual compliment wearing off as she noticed his attention wandering down a darker, more personal path. She reached for his hand, smiling brightly and startling him out of his reverie. "Why don't we go into the light?" she whispered, taking a step towards the shrine entrance and pulling him after her.
"Into the light," Jin repeated slowly, his eyes regaining some of their focus. Noticing he was being led towards the door, he stopped and pulled back uncertainly. "I'm not sure this is a good idea," he told her.
"Don't be silly," Xiaoyu answered quickly, pulling him forward once more. "You have to come out sometime. Don't worry, I'll protect you!" she added brightly.
"You'll protect me?" Jin said, his lips twisting upwards slightly once more. They dropped into their usual serious frown as he paused again before the door. "Xiaoyu, I'm serious. You've seen… you know what I've become."
He closed his eyes as he spoke and swayed unsteadily, and Xiaoyu rushed to his side. It was meant to be more of a symbolic gesture of support than anything else, but she braced herself and managed to not topple over when she found herself unexpectedly supporting his weight. Another stab of concern filled her, and Xiaoyu wanted more than ever to push Jin outside, certain that the sunlight could burn away the darkness within him. "You're still fighting it," she managed to gasp, struggling towards the door. "I know you'll win against it. You're strong, and I'm here to help you, too," she added. Jin didn't respond, his breathing growing laboured and a sheen of sweat beading on his forehead. She almost cried with relief as they managed to pass through the doorframe and into the bright daylight, stopping and leaning against the building to catch her breath. "Come on, Jin, open your eyes. We made it!" she said, smiling and looking up at him. Her stomach fell as she noticed his eyes were already open, and not directed at her. He was looking across the courtyard, his face a brief mixture of surprise and displeasure before quickly falling under an expressionless mask. "Jin?" she asked nervously. "What's wrong?"
"What is he doing here?" Jin's voice was thick with tension and his eyes were dark and burning, focused entirely on Hwoarang. The Korean had yet to notice his audience, still sprawled carelessly over the temple courtyard and napping in the afternoon sun. The arm Jin had slung around her shoulder tightened almost painfully.
Xiaoyu sucked in her breath, sensing danger on the horizon. "It's not what you think," she said quickly. "He's the one I lost the bet to. That's why I'm wearing the uniform right now!"
"Why did you bring him?" Jin growled, pulling Xiaoyu closer. "I wanted to see you alone."
"Alone?" Xiaoyu choked out, momentarily forgetting the lancing pain that his fingers were causing in her arm. "You wanted to see me?" Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, and the world seemed to freeze around them. Maybe… maybe I wasn't wrong after all. Maybe he does care about me too… "Just… me?" she asked breathlessly.
"Well shit…" Hwoarang's curse managed to rudely interrupt Xiaoyu's magic moment. They both turned, Xiaoyu with consternation and Jin with dull anger. Hwoarang raised himself up on his elbows and regarded the pair with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Is that you, Kazama?" he called out. "What the fuck happened to you, man? I've had to baby-sit your girlfriend for the last two days!"
Xiaoyu whimpered slightly, her arm screaming from Jin's painfully tight grasp. She didn't want to cry out, though, and set him off; already she could tell he was teetering on a fine edge of control over the dark possession. "Hwoarang, just shut up!" she yelled quickly. Turning to her companion, she twisted herself in front of him and looked into his eyes. "Jin, please, let go," she began gently, trying to extract herself from his grasp. "We need to talk…"
"No more talking!" Jin answered, pulling Xiaoyu in even closer and sending a baleful glare towards Hwoarang. "You came with him," Jin growled again, his eyes flickering with fitful bursts of red, eerily reminding her of Kazuya. He bent his head down and pressed his lips towards Xiaoyu's cheek, and she shivered involuntarily as they brushed against her ear. "You lied to me," he said, his voice soft and dangerous. "You said you cared about me, but look at you now." His voice rose as he released Xiaoyu's arm and twisted her around suddenly, locking his forearm around her throat. "Dressed like a whore, just another bitch in heat chasing after the first dog that looks her way," he growled.
Surprise flickered across his face, and then Hwoarang sprung to his feet quickly, all vestiges of humour dropping from his body. "Hey now," he began dangerously. "What the hell are you doing?"
"You heard me, dog," Jin answered, a full, cold smile stretching across his lips. It looked more as though he was baring his teeth than grinning, however.
Hwoarang's scowl deepened, but he slowed his approach to a cautious walk, lifting his hands up. "That's gotta be the first time I ever heard you answer like a man," he said. "Doesn't suit a pretty boy like you, Kazama. Why don't you let the girl go and we can talk this out. Man to preppy," he taunted.
"How touching. Your boyfriend wants you back," Jin said, tightening his grip around Xiaoyu's neck as she struggled against him. "Should I let him have you? Will you run to him eagerly, abandoning me as everyone else has?" His voice turned ugly. "Would that give you pleasure, to see me suffer and know you were the cause?"
Xiaoyu choked, her eyes filling with tears even as she felt her body turn leaden. Jin's words were sharp and painful, cutting into her heart like a thousand knives. "No!" she cried out. "That's not true! Jin, please just listen to me--" her plea cut off into a loud squeak as he yanked her painfully against his own body.
"Let her go, asshole," Hwoarang growled, his scowl intensifying. "I ain't no dog, and you aren't Kazama. The lady doesn't want you. And you!" he added, directing the last comment at Xiaoyu. "What's the matter with you? Say something, for Christ's sake! Are you just gonna let him step all over you like that?"
Jin let out a short bark of laughter, still not releasing his iron grip around Xiaoyu's waist and throat. "The lady?" he said, his eyes boring into Hwoarang with dark hatred. "So you're her knight now? Funny, you don't seem the type." Xiaoyu let out a cry of dismay and renewed her struggle, and Jin smiled darkly. "Why don't we ask her?" he added, spinning Xiaoyu around and pulling her up painfully, his face inches away from her own. "So who do you prefer? You like to play with fire?" he asked, his breath hot against her cheek. His fingers dug into her chin and forcibly turned her head towards Hwoarang, who had fallen into his battle stance and was obviously waiting for an opening to strike. "Or perhaps you want us both," he breathed, forcing her face back towards his own, his eyes burning with both desire and hatred. "So the little girl wants to grab all of the candy in the store, doesn't she know too many sweets will rot her teeth?" he sang mockingly to her.
Xiaoyu froze in his grasp, filled with conflicting desires. The man holding her wore Jin's beautiful face, and her heart longed for it to be real. She was sure she had been speaking to the real Jin inside of the temple, just as she could have sworn that she had felt real emotion, real concern from him. The bold lust he displayed now, however, was a far cry from the feelings she felt from man she had spoken with inside of the shrine. She knew her Jin would never speak to her, or any woman, the way this Jin did; it was the Devil, wearing an angel's face. "You're not Jin," she said out loud, her voice wavering. But instead of struggling against his grasp, she leaned in and wrapped her free arm around him, hugging him tightly. "My Jin would know the truth," she continued softly as he tensed with surprise. "You remember the night you came back? I asked if you knew how I felt, if you'd trust me." Xiaoyu paused, sucking air into her lungs. "I wish I didn't need to tell you!" she yelled angrily into his ear. "But if you're going to be as stupid as Hwoarang, then I'll spell it out for you! I love you, Jin! I've always loved you, from the first moment I saw you! Even though you never paid any attention to me, even though everyone told me you were out of my league, I loved you anyway, and I followed you, and I thought about you constantly!" She took a shuddering breath as silence settled around the courtyard and Jin's painful grasp around her loosened. Oh my God! I told him! she thought wildly. It felt as though her chest was a cage full of birds that had been ripped open, and now the panicked creatures were circling wildly in the sky, unable to comprehend freedom after having been held captive for so long. Xiaoyu did the only thing that she could to deal with the tense silence which stretched thinly into the air; she babbled.
"I kept hoping and wishing and praying that maybe one day, just one day, you'd notice me. You were different from the other Mishimas, you didn't treat me like an ant that needed to be squashed or a pet monkey! You always spoke to me like an adult. You were the only person to ever do that, Jin, only you, even though I was only sixteen! Don't you understand? You made me feel whole, like I was special, like I could really be somebody!" Her rant ended with a dry, hacking sob, and she barely managed to spit out the last words. "Until now," she choked out, feeling the tears leak out of her eyes. "Until just now," she whispered brokenly.
"Xiaoyu," he whispered softly, and she blinked away her tears shamefully and looked up. To her surprise, the angry grimace on Jin's face had faded, and his eyes were dark and soft, the familiar eyes of the person who met her inside of the temple, the boy she had fallen in love with. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he murmured, drawing her close and cupping her neck with the back of his hand. "I never meant to hurt you, believe me…" He drew her towards himself, bowing his head over her and cradling her in a gentle hug.
Xiaoyu stiffened with shock, and then melted into his arms, almost collapsing with relief. I told him everything, and he didn't push me away, she though dazedly. He loves me! He loves me too! With a jolt, she remembered how to operate her limbs, and eagerly lifted her arm around him to return his warm embrace. Finally, I've waited so long for this, she thought, closing her eyes. "We'll find a way to cure you, Jin, I promise," she breathed, turning her face towards his neck.
"Cure me?" he said quietly, and Xiaoyu stilled, a feeling of coldness settling around her as she heard a popping sound. Hwoarang's sharp curse confirmed her suspicion, and dread filled her. "But it's so delicious, having you all to myself," Jin continued softly, pulling away slightly and grinning down at her, even as the horns sprouted from his head. "I don't ever want to let go of this feeling. Don't you feel the same way?" he quipped, his voice changed, and Xiaoyu let out a shrill scream. Dark feathers erupted around them, and the Devil's laughter echoed strangely through the air. He held on tightly to Xiaoyu, his clawed forearms digging into her skin and drawing out tiny welts of blood.
"Sick bastard," Hwoarang swore, charging forward impatiently.
Xiaoyu screamed when the redhead rushed them, then choked and saw stars as she felt herself being lifted. Dimly, she realized that Jin's wings were not just for show; he had launched himself into the air, flipping neatly over Hwoarang's attack and using the additional leverage of the beating appendages to carry her weight with him. The temple steps flashed before her eyes and then the world righted itself, and she found herself looking at Hwoarang's back from the center of the courtyard. Jin's clawed forearm was still wrapped around her tightly, pressing her against his body.
"Do you know why I never bothered responding to your insignificant presence?" Jin called out to Hwoarang, who had also spun around and was glaring at them. "Because you're like a mosquito, buzzing around pointlessly, unaware of anyone's existence but your own." He laughed as the Korean approached them once more.
"Mosquito, eh? Then why're you still hiding behind the girl?" Hwoarang answered, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Jin grinned, extending one clawed arm towards Hwoarang in a beckoning gesture, unconcerned. "Even mosquitoes can draw blood," he answered. "The fault lies in their greed. So busy gorging themselves on the blood of the left hand that they fail to see death approaching from the right hand." Roughly, he released Xiaoyu and threw her forward, sending her barrelling into Hwoarang with a scream. As they tumbled to the ground, the demon launched himself into the air once more, his massive wings beating and his laughter sounding throughout the courtyard.
Xiaoyu struggled to untangle herself from Hwoarang's long limbs and she heard him swear.
"Get off me!" the redhead yelled, his voice tight with stress and confusion. He did, however, help her to her feet as they both regained their balance and searched for the devil.
Xiaoyu sucked in her breath as she spun around wildly and saw Jin's shadow on the ground. "This can't be happening!" she cried out as she looked up and spotted him, hovering in midair, his head hanging backwards. The sun haloed his black wings, making him look like an unnatural eclipse in the mid-afternoon sky. More frightening, however, was the dark energy that swirled around him, collecting and making the air vibrate around his head. She could feel it more than see it, a build-up of a life force so foreign and unnatural that she was certain it would decimate anything it touched. I'm fast enough, but Hwoarang! she thought, even as she dropped to avoid the incoming blow. There was no time to warn the redhead, so instead her leg shot out, catching the unsuspecting Korean in a floor sweep as Jin's head snapped forward. Time seemed to slow down as Xiaoyu stared up at the winged creature from the phoenix crouch she had automatically fallen into. His eyes were open, foreign and glowing, filled with an expression of uncontrolled rapture as black symbols wormed their way through his face, pooling together and blooming like a poisonous blossom across his forehead. It's a third eye, she suddenly realized as the inky black symbols glowed and twisted. The eye of the devil, she thought in a daze before the sound of Jinrei's voice thundered through her temples, strict and commanding.
Look away, fool child, look away before he takes your soul!
Her eyes squeezed shut and she ducked her head down as the eye erupted with red light. Searing heat blasted over her, blistering the skin on her exposed neck, and the unpleasant smell of burned hair filled the air.
"What the fuck was that!" screamed Hwoarang furiously, who shot to his feet and wiped a few ashes away from his forehead. Xiaoyu thought crazily that she would have liked to rile the Korean over the black patches that now graced the tips of his spiked hairstyle, were she not extremely concerned about the state of her well-being at the present moment. Instead, she turned her attention back to Jin, who had landed before them and was swaying unsteadily, his head lowered. With shock, she realized he was trying to recover. That energy blast must consume too much of his power! "Now's our chance!" she cried, preparing to leap forward and strike. And then Jin looked up.
The blast had drained him, and though his body was still malformed, Xiaoyu was sure she could see the real man fighting to come through the devil's possession. His eyes were tortured, begging her to strike.
"You're fast enough!" he gasped, taking an unsteady step towards Xiaoyu. "Kill me! Before it returns!" he choked out, reaching for Xiaoyu, who was frozen in place.
"I can't!" she screamed, stepping backwards as Jin's face crumbled with despair, even as the red glow began to surface in his eyes once more.
"You should've," Devil replied, still moving forward and reaching for her, his claws now threatening and deadly. "Rule number one of Mishima Karate. Never waste an opportunity when it presents itself," he laughed. Then he howled as he was batted away from his target by a powerful kick.
"Fuckin' right," Hwoarang answered, springing back and bouncing on his feet, his face tight and drawn. "I may not know what the hell's goin' on here, but you aren't getting away this time," he promised.
"So you'll kill me, then?" Jin said, his voice echoing strangely, sounding like a mix between a plea for help and a mocking challenge.
"I'm gonna rip you to pieces!" Hwoarang screamed, then growled in frustration as Xiaoyu held him back.
"Can't you see he's sick?" Xiaoyu said furiously, shoving Hwoarang backwards. "Don't fight him! That's what he wants! That's what's making the devil stronger!" She felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck as the devil's voice reached them.
"Yes," he hissed, his eyes burning with empty hatred. "Feed me your anger and your pain. Show me your suffering!" he roared, his head tilting backwards and the symbols worming their way through his face once more.
"Oh shit," Hwoarang yelled, diving for cover as Xiaoyu rolled in the opposite direction. The blast bisected the middle of the court and cut through the old shrine, lighting the wooden frame of the building as if it were a matchstick. They both scrabbled across the exposed courtyard, desperately trying to avoid Jin's haphazard attacks as he launched himself into the air once more, the destructive red blasts erupting from his forehead in fitful bursts.
"Fuck, not the bike!" Hwoarang managed to yell as a stray blast obliterated his beloved motorcycle in a huge ball of flame. "Now I'm really gonna kill you!" he called out to Jin as he stopped dodging and looked up into the sky.
Xiaoyu had also screamed and dropped to a ball, covering her ears as the motorcycle exploded, filling the air with sparks and the smell of gasoline. The burning fuel sent toxic black clouds billowing into the sky, blotting out the sunlight with unnatural darkness. Xiaoyu felt her eyes tear up with despair; that the courtyard of the beautiful old temple was being transformed in much the same way as her meeting with Jin; everything was going up in flames, the serenity of their surroundings burning to ashes all around them. But she came to realize more quickly than Hwoarang that Jin's attacks were more haphazard than planned. He's trying to exhaust himself, she thought, peering up between her hands through the flames and into the darkened sky. Sure enough, he was still there, careening unsteadily through the air, his wings beating wildly. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him, though; the inky black colour of his feathers was bleeding out slowly, changing into the purest white she had ever seen. The transformation made him look like an angel, hovering through a burning wasteland; beautiful, but still as out of place as the black-winged devil had been in the afternoon sunlight. "Jin!" she cried out, standing up and waving at him.
His head snapped forward at her cry, his eyes still the same, unnatural glowing hue, only this time haunted by regret. "Xiaoyu," he called out, looking down at her, his voice twisted with pain. He jerked around, taking in his surroundings with confusion and horror, and an inhuman cry tore from his throat. With a powerful beat of his wings, he shot upwards, through the dark clouds and away from her sight.
He's not coming back, Xiaoyu realized, falling to her knees in despair. White feathers drifted through the smoke, quickly turning grey in the ashy air and mixing with their black counterparts. Quickly, before they could all be burned or sullied by the dirty smoke, she snatched one out of the sky and crushed it between her fingers, tears sliding down from her eyes. It's not fair… I find out that maybe, somehow, he cares, and then he's taken away from me like this! A sob welled up in her throat, and she doubled over, crushing the feather against her chest as if she could bring Jin back with it. She continued to bawl, doubled over, until the raw air scratched at her throat, reminding her of the danger all around. Xiaoyu sniffed and wiped at her eyes, which were growing irritated from the smoke, and blinked as she saw a pair of booted feet standing before her. "Hwoarang?" she managed to croak, blinking again as the feet didn't move. Huh? Why isn't he saying anything? Is he hurt? Suddenly concerned, she sat upright and looked upwards at the tall Korean. To her surprise, he wasn't injured. He was simply standing over her, his arms crossed. There was no mocking smile on his face, and he wasn't focusing his intense glare on her, although she could tell he was angry. Seeing that he wasn't moving, she wrinkled her nose in confusion. "Hwoarang? What's wrong?" she began timidly.
"You knew about this? About him?" he said, his face unreadable.
Feeling miserable, Xiaoyu looked down at the crushed white feather between her palms and nodded slightly.
"You're pathetic," he said.
Xiaoyu's eyes grew wide, and her back straightened stiffly. Her hand was beginning to crush the feather beyond recognition, and with effort, she forced her fingers to loosen and slowly smooth out the ridges she had mashed into it. "What?" she whispered, so quietly that she was sure the crackling of the flames around them had swallowed her words.
"You heard me," Hwoarang replied, his tone brittle. "So you like him. I get it, alright? I won't take it personal if you want me to back off." He turned his head and spit to the side, and Xiaoyu winced at the obscene gesture. "But this you, this ain't the girl I know. Crawling on the ground and snivelling, letting that bastard talk any shit he wants about you and not saying a thing." He uncrossed his arms and stepped back away from her. "If it's gonna be like that, then you two deserve each other." His mouth formed into a tight line and he turned his back on her, striding away swiftly towards the fallen gate of the temple courtyard.
Xiaoyu hiccupped, the shock of his words and actions still sinking in. "Wait!" she cried out, looking up. "What about my match?" she cried out. Hwoarang paused, and she continued, encouraged. "I can't fight like this," she choked, her voice still thick with tears. "Just stay… I need someone to stay right now." She looked at him, clutching the feather to her chest, her stomach knotting uncomfortably as silence settled between them and he considered her request. Finally, she couldn't take the tense stillness between them anymore and broke it, her voice loud and pleading. "Please understand, Hwoarang!"
Hwoarang turned slightly, and the look in his eyes shamed her. It was a look of pure disgust. "Fight your own battles from now on," he growled and stalked off, leaving Xiaoyu alone in the midst of the burning temple.
AN: You might have noticed that I like trying to explain nonsensical things in the game during the course of the story. This was my attempt at figuring out that burning temple background, heh. I also sensed some of you would have been calling for blood if Jin hadn't made an appearance by now. Fortunately for me he decided to stop by and grace us with his presence, what with him being a main character and all. Unfortunately, he killed Steve on the way. I guess Steve will still be making a cameo or two, but during the course of writing this, I've figured out that Steve's story doesn't coincide with Xiaoyu's very nicely. There's just no way to jump from cute Chinese girl to tortured British boxer very smoothly, not unless you throw David Bowie in there somewhere. Finally, Hwoarang fans, don't despair, his story isn't over yet either. Please leave a review if you read! And to reviewers, you know I'm eternally grateful, thank you so much.