Chapter Thirteen: Ginger Snap
By the time Xiaoyu arrived at the Mishima Corporation Headquarters, the pain in her side had subsided to a persistent dull throbbing. As she limped through the lobby, her eyes strayed to the contestants' plaque. The gold letters displaying contestant names had increased in size, reflecting the smaller pool of participants as they were eliminated. She smiled as she saw Asuka's name; evidently the perky young girl had kept her promise and won her own match. Hwoarang's name was also still on the board, his next fight slated for the early afternoon tomorrow. A little sigh of relief escaped her lips as she found her own name, relatively low on the roster. That means I don't have to fight until tomorrow either, or maybe even the day after that. A tired smile played across her face, but it soon faded into a frown. But that means I might end up fighting Hwoarang or Asuka… or even Jin. The thought exhausted her even more than her battle had, and she trudged wearily to the elevator and stabbed at the button. The doors swung open with a polite ding, and soon Xiaoyu was on her way to the comforts of her room. "I could use a break," she sighed, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. The tinkling of the elevator interrupted her momentary pause, and she cracked an eye open in surprise. "This isn't my stop," she said, standing up and staring at the glowing number on the elevator display in consternation. The doors swung open, and Xiaoyu blinked as she came face to face with a pair of mismatched eyes. Oh, great, she thought nervously as she backed into the corner of the elevator and tried to make herself small.
Kazuya glared at her and stepped in, turning his back to her impetuously and pressed the button for the top floor. An uncomfortable, tense silence filled the elevator as it continued its ascent, and Xiaoyu kept her eyes trained studiously on the floor. She flinched as Kazuya's low, frigid voice pierced the gap between them.
"You've managed to surprise us all," he said curtly. It was clear from his disgusted tone that he wasn't being complimentary. "Tell me, what is it that you plan to do if you win this Tournament?" He turned slightly and fixed his artificial eye on Xiaoyu.
Xiaoyu frowned and dared a peek up from the floor. "I guess you'll just have to find out later, now won't you," she answered cheekily. Both of her eyebrows rose in shock as she felt Kazuya's stare drop from her face to her chest. No way! Kazuya might be a jerk, but he's not a perverted old man! Looking down reflexively, all she could see were the ridges of the massive, furry panda costume she still wore, hiding any semblance of her actual figure. She glanced up again and saw Kazuya had turned completely to face her, a look of furious disbelief tightening his face into an ugly grimace. "What are you staring at?" she asked, pressing herself against the wall.
Kazuya sprung forward smoothly, without giving her any warning at all. His hand crushed against her chest, tearing at the fur of her suit roughly.
Xiaoyu let out a high-pitched scream of shock, her own hands automatically coming up and grabbing Kazuya's wrist, trying to push him away. Despite her best efforts as they struggled, his hand still inched nearer to her chest, and her face paled as the air became stifling around her. This aura… it's the Devil! she panicked, her eyes fixed on the hand that gripped at her costume. To her horror, it was crackling with energy, small sparks of blue lightning racing up and down Kazuya's entire arm. The skin lumped and twisted together, as if the blood running through his veins was boiling. Slowly the fleshy colour deepened into a sickly violet, taking on an almost scaly texture as his nails lengthened and sharpened.
With a grunt, Kazuya thrust his now-clawed hand forward and broke through Xiaoyu's defense, tearing through the fur and fabric and foam padding to reveal the skin underneath. He reached forward roughly and grabbed the silver chain that hung there, jerking out the feather necklace that Julia had woven together. "What is this?" he hissed, his eyes narrowing as he yanked the chain, and Xiaoyu's neck, forward brutally and held the ornament up to the light. "That does not belong to you," he whispered, his voice becoming eerily sibilant.
Xiaoyu had never witnessed Kazuya's transformation into the Devil personally before; all she knew of it were the tales Yoshimitsu had spun. Having it happen now, before her, paralysed her with fear, but only temporarily. After having nearly been killed by Jin's demonic incarnation twice, somehow seeing Kazuya's hand morph into a purple claw wasn't quite as shocking as it should have been. A brief moment of macabre humour passed before her as she watched Kazuya yank at the sturdy necklace, trying to break it off of her neck; Jin's transformation is much better looking, she laughed to herself. Then with a huff, she twisted her arms in a quick circular strike, knocking Kazuya's hand off of the chain. She quickly grabbed it and pulled it back to herself, holding her ruined costume together with her other hand. "Just what do you think you're doing?" she yelled furiously. "This is mine, hands off!"
"You lie!" Kazuya roared, the purple stain now spreading upwards on his neck over the collar of his business suit. "That object reeks of my essence! How did you come by it? Where did you find—" his angry tirade cut off abruptly as his eyes dropped to the feather once more, glowing softly in the light.
"That's right, put a sock in it Barney!" Xiaoyu shot back. "I earned this feather fair and square, and you can't have it!" The scowl dropped from her face and she pressed back into the elevator corner nervously as Kazuya's shoulders started shaking, the low sound of dark laughter bubbling up from his throat. The purple faded from his skin, transforming him back to his original fleshy colour, but his eyes still retained their unnatural glow when he fixed his cold stare on her again.
"So he has come to you for aid," he noted, his smile predatory. "Do you really think you can help him?" He leaned forward with a sneer. "You are nothing. If you attempt to stand in the way of my plans, I will destroy you, just as I will destroy him."
Xiaoyu frowned, rankled by his open threat. "You know, you used to scare me once," she told him haughtily. "Now I can see you for what you are, though – just an angry, bitter old man. You know, you're never going to find what you're looking for."
Kazuya crossed his arms and glowered at Xiaoyu. "Think what you will. Know this, however – I will complete my search, and you will be the one to lead me straight to him." His cold smile froze as Xiaoyu stepped up to him, unfazed.
"Maybe you'll find Jin," she spat. "Maybe I won't even be able to stop you. Even if you succeed, though, it still won't satisfy you," she added, matching Kazuya's glare and refusing to back down. "I bet what you're really looking for is your heart. Well guess what, killing your own son isn't going to help you find it!"
The elevator bell chimed pleasantly, distinctly out of place in the silent war that was raging between Xiaoyu and Kazuya. Xiaoyu finally broke off the glare first, not wanting the elevator to close before she had a chance to exit. She pushed past him, stomping out into the hallway as Kazuya spun around.
"You are mistaken," Kazuya said, his eyes turning hard and unreadable as Xiaoyu glanced back at him. The doors were already shutting when he spoke again. It was his voice, however, devoid of the malice that usually coloured it, did make her spin around and catch her breath in surprise. "This heart will never know love again."
With a soft click, he was gone, leaving Xiaoyu alone on the safety of her floor. "That's the first time I ever heard him sounding remotely human," she mused to herself. Still, as she looked down at the mangled remains of her panda costume, the moment of surprise passed and she ground her teeth together. "Probably the last time, too," she admitted without any regret.
After a quick shower and a change to her trusty sweatpants and tank top, Xiaoyu felt slightly better. Drying her hair, she flipped on the television and flopped onto her bed. She squinted and then laughed at the program which flickered across the screen; it was yet another Iron Fist battle, this time between Lee and what appeared to be two kangaroos. Xiaoyu watched with interest as her pseudo-uncle took quite a beating from the tenacious little creatures, clapping happily when he finally recovered and managed to win his match. Some loud, obnoxious commercials began to float across the screen, and Xiaoyu caught a picture of herself, posing in the huge panda suit. "Super," she muttered dryly, then clicked the TV off when she heard a slight tapping at her door.
Jumping off of her bed and shuffling to the door, she pulled it open and gave the Tekken Force guard standing there a look of surprise. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
"There's someone downstairs demanding to see you," he said curtly.
"I'm not expecting anyone this late," Xiaoyu told him. "Who is it?"
"She says her name is Hirano," the guard answered. "Would you like us to deal with her?"
Xiaoyu's eyes bulged and she shook her head wildly. "No, don't you dare 'deal with her,' you understand?" she yelled. "I'll be down there in a sec," she added, slamming the door in the guard's face and racing to pull on her shoes. As soon as she had, she pulled open her door and flew out, rushing past the surprised guard who had informed her and calling the private elevator. She tapped her foot impatiently until it finally deposited her on the ground floor, then burst out as soon as the doors opened.
"Miharu!" she yelled, ignoring the stares of the receptionists and guards as she raced across the lobby and barrelled into the other girl.
"Hey, Xiao," Miharu said, smiling and returning Xiaoyu's hug tightly. She let go immediately as she heard Xiaoyu's hiss of pain and looked at her friend in shock. "Whoa, are you okay?" she asked.
"It's just my side," Xiaoyu answered, rubbing at her sore ribs with a smile. "I broke a few ribs a couple of fights ago, so they're a little sensitive right now."
Miharu rolled her eyes. "Girl, I told you that you'd end up getting hurt one of these days. I saw that match you had with the big Chinese guy. You didn't look so good when it was over. I was really worried you know!" Her reproving look quickly faded to one of regret. "I've been trying to reach you for the past couple of days, but I could never get through. Were you really that mad?" she asked sadly.
Xiaoyu blushed and looked down at her hands. "Well, umm, I sorta lost my temper and broke my cell," she admitted. "I've been meaning to call you, but I thought you were still mad at me." Both girls stared at each other for a moment, and then broke down into loud giggles. "Come on, let's get out of here and have some fun!" Xiaoyu said, grabbing Miharu's hand and making her way towards the exit. She stopped short as she saw Julia's tall figure entering the lobby and smiled brightly. "Hey, this is perfect!" she said, waving the other girl towards them.
"Hi, Xiaoyu," Julia said with a smile as she approached them. "That was a pretty good match you had with Fox. I'm not sure why you chose to wear that, hmm, 'outfit,' but you did pretty well." She looked over Miharu and then gave the other girl a brief but polite nod of greeting. "Who's your friend?"
"Julia, this is Miharu Hirano. Miharu, this is Julia Chang." She paused and stared as Miharu's eyes widened, then she rushed forward, grasping Julia's hand.
"Oh my gosh! You mean you're THE Julia Chang? Xiaoyu's always going on about you! Did you know she's even a member of your online fan club?" Miharu blurted out. "The way she talks about you, you must be a famous celebrity!" She turned around and shot Xiaoyu an accusing glare. "You didn't tell me you were spending all your time hanging out around superstars, Xiao!"
Julia's face was tinted with a slight blush and a look of surprise. At the mention of her fan club however, the blush faded and was replaced by an increasingly irritated look. "I have a fan club? I thought you said you weren't stalking me," she said pointedly to Xiaoyu.
Xiaoyu grinned nervously and waved her hands up and down, surreptitiously kicking at the back of Miharu's heels. "Oh, no, I'm just a member!" she replied. "The club's run by YokozunaDreamer13, not me. Nobody knows who he is!" Noticing the glares of the surrounding lobby personnel, she hustled the two girls out of the building and onto the street. "The Mishima Corp is full of stiffs," she said. "Why don't we all go to Tokyo Tower and talk there? The sun will be setting soon, it'll be fantastic when they light it all up!" she added brightly.
"Don't you think it's kind of late for a trip like that, Xiao?" Miharu asked as they strolled down the street together. "I have class early tomorrow morning."
"I wasn't planning on staying very long either," Julia interrupted quietly. "I just wanted to check on you and make sure everything was okay after your fight. I wouldn't want to intrude—" she looked in surprise as Xiaoyu paled and grabbed onto Julia's arm tightly, pulling her away from Miharu.
"Everything wasn't okay after the fight," she whispered furiously. "Steve knows about you, Julia. He said he wants to meet you tomorrow." She leaned in towards the tall girl and lowered her voice even more. "I think he's trying to blackmail us."
Julia's lips turned down and her eyes glinted. "Oh he is, is he?" she said, her voice tight with anger. "Did he say what he wanted?"
Xiaoyu shook her head. "No, only that you should meet him at the Toriteru Restaurant at three PM tomorrow. What are we going to do?"
"We do nothing," Julia snapped. Noticing the other girl recoil in surprise, she smiled apologetically at Xiaoyu. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh. This is my problem, though; you shouldn't have to be involved."
Miharu had been regarding the whole conversation with interest, and skipped in front of the two girls, halting their progress. "What problem? What are you two talking about?"
Xiaoyu exchanged a silent glance of understanding with Julia, and then leapt forward with a huge smile on her face. "Oh, just some boring tournament stuff," she grumbled. "But you know, Julia's right. Stressing out over this stupid tournament is the last thing we want to be doing now. Right?"
Julia grinned slightly and nodded in agreement. "Right. Besides, I've never been to Tokyo Tower before. I heard they have a wonderful aquarium there."
Miharu smiled and bobbed her head in excitement. "It's really great! Xiaoyu and I have been there like a million times already. We can show you all the best spots," she explained busily.
"Enough talking! Let's move already! Look out, Tokyo, it's girls' night out!" Xiaoyu shouted, grabbing the other two girls' hands and racing down the street with a laugh.
- x – x – x -
A few hours later, an exhausted Xiaoyu, Miharu and Julia were relaxing on the uppermost observation deck of the tower. It was late, and the area was abandoned but for the three girls. Normally, visitors weren't allowed in the tower after closing hours, but with a little bit of pouting, liberal use of the Mishima Corporation's good name, and her newfound celebrity status, Xiaoyu was able to convince the guards to let them linger for a bit longer to enjoy the view.
Julia had wandered off by herself and was leaning on the railing, silently appreciating the beauty of the moon in the sky high above them. She looked so relaxed and serene that Xiaoyu didn't want to disturb her Native American companion. Sensing her chance to speak with Miharu alone, Xiaoyu left Julia to her internal contemplation and approached her other friend.
"Hey Mi," she said quietly, tapping Miharu on the shoulder.
"Oh, Xiao! I had a lot of fun today, but it's already later than I planned to be out, you know," she said with a smile. "I should probably get going soon."
Xiaoyu nodded, planting her elbows on the railing beside Miharu and looking at the twinkling city lights below. "I wanted to tell you something," she said. "Before we had our fight, you asked me why I was taking part in the tournament."
Miharu frowned softly. "You don't have to say anything, Xiao." She gave the other girl a small, sad smile. "I know we're friends, but there's a huge part of your life that I just don't understand," she explained haltingly. "I never learned how to fight. I don't have the skill to take part in these tournaments of yours, and even if I did, I'm not sure if I'd have what it takes to get anywhere in them." She sighed and flipped her hair away from her shoulders. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry, maybe I was being a little judgemental back there."
"Thanks, Mi," Xiaoyu answered with a small smile of her own. "But you're my friend, and I was holding out on you. You had a right to be mad, I would've been, too." She sighed and dropped her chin onto her arm. "I should've told you why I entered the competition again this time. You deserve an answer."
Miharu also dropped to her elbows beside Xiaoyu and blew her unruly bangs away from her eyes. "So… are you ready to tell me now?" she asked.
Xiaoyu made a small noise of agreement and drew out the feather, holding it up in the moonlight. The wind blew, making the glowing feather dance before her eyes. "It's about Jin," she confessed softly. "He's in trouble, Mi. Big trouble."
Miharu pushed herself up, staring at the feather with fascination. "Wow, that's incredible, Xiaoyu. Where did you find that thing? I don't think I've ever seen a bird around here with a feather that big. And look how it glows!" she said, reaching out to touch it. "Where'd you get it from?"
Xiaoyu smiled and straightened, allowing Miharu to caress the fragile ornament. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you," she said quietly. "But this is part of my problem."
Miharu paused, her sharp eyes narrowing and then darting to Xiaoyu's face. "No WAY," she breathed. "Are you trying to tell me that this feather came from Jin?" Seeing Xiaoyu nod, she studied the feather more closely with a look of disbelief. "You know, he always did seem a little detached from everyone else at school, but I always thought it was because he considered himself better than the rest us. I could swear I never remembered him having wings, though," she finished sarcastically. Her eyes flickered to Xiaoyu's face, and her annoyance slowly leeched away. "Oh my God, you're not lying, are you," she finally gasped, dropping the feather as though it had burned her.
"I wish I was," Xiaoyu answered. "Something's possessing Jin, trying to eat him from the inside. He's trying to fight it, but I don't think he's winning." She bit her lip, her hands gripping the railing so hard that her knuckles turned white. "I don't know if I love him, Mi. I don't even know if he loves me. But I have to try and save him. If I don't do anything, and just let him suffer this fate alone, I'd never be able to forgive myself!" she said, closing her eyes and feeling tears burn behind her eyelids. Miharu's hand reached for her arm and gripped it, and Xiaoyu smiled slightly, keeping her eyes shut. At least I know Miharu's there for me, no matter what I do. It was surprising, the amount of relief and comfort she was able to take from that simple knowledge.
"Jin," Miharu murmured to Xiaoyu, squeezing her arm slightly.
"I know," Xiaoyu answered, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I have to figure out how I really feel about him if I want to help him."
Miharu's arm tightened almost painfully, and her voice rose several decibels. "No, I mean Jin! Xiaoyu, JIN!"
Xiaoyu's eyes popped open, and she looked at Miharu, who was staring into the sky with a flabbergasted look. With a sense of dread, she looked up and gasped. An unmistakable winged figure was circling in the sky above them, his silhouette lit by the huge moon. The winged figure drew himself up, and Xiaoyu let out a hiss of dismay. The feathers she saw were as black as the night sky. Not ready! So very not ready! her brain wailed as she grabbed a shocked Miharu and pulled her away from the railing. "We have to get out of here," she said worriedly. The sound of rushing air made her glance over her shoulder, and with a cry, she grabbed Miharu by the waist and threw both of them to the floor. A strong wind washed over the two, and then the sound of laughter filled the air.
"OH MY GOD!" Miharu screamed, her breath coming in short pants and her eyes wide with fright. "I'm dreaming! Tell me I'm dreaming!" she shrieked to Xiaoyu, who was craning her head wildly, trying to locate Devil Jin.
"The scent of your fear is so delicious," purred a voice as smooth as velvet from above. Xiaoyu looked up in dismay to see Jin's demonic form crouched on the tower, his clawed arms hanging on to the metal frame as he smiled down at the two girls. "I can almost taste it." Devil Jin paused and sniffed at the air, then a slow smile spread across his face. "I'm so glad that you brought me such a wonderful present, Xiaoyu."
Cold fear knotted in the pit of Xiaoyu's stomach as she heard him speak her name. He never recognized me before… this can't be good. She stood shakily and took in the dark, majestic form that towered above her. The demonic aura pressed all around her, stifling her and trying to paralyze her, and with a pang of concern, Xiaoyu snuck a glance at her friend. Sure enough, Miharu, who had never before been in contact with the Mishima family curse, was frozen on the floor, her eyes wide and her pupils dilated, trembling with uncontrollable fear.
"Look how she cowers. Is she not weak?" Devil Jin smiled evilly and released his hold on the tower, twisting gracefully through the air to land a few feet in front of Xiaoyu, unfurling his wings as he slowly straightened. A mocking smile played across his face, his glowing eyes fixing on Xiaoyu. "You do not cower," he noted, his eyes slowly travelling up and down Xiaoyu's body before finally coming to rest on her face. She shivered, and he smiled, revealing pointed teeth. "Why are you different? Why do you not fear me?"
Xiaoyu swallowed, unable to answer. Think bad thoughts… this isn't Jin, Xiaoyu, she told herself, trying to bring herself to act. Still, despite the black lines curling over his forehead, despite the horns and the claws and the wings, the creature still possessed Jin's beautiful, sculpted face, and she couldn't stop the blush that rushed to her face as he approached them.
His clawed fingers reached forward, stopping at her chest and wrapping around the chain necklace. He pulled it out and grinned as he regarded the white feather. "You shouldn't steal," he rumbled softly, stepping closer, ever closer to her and leaning in. She could feel his hot breath wash across her cheek, and her traitorous eyelids fluttered closed. "Is it love?" he said mockingly, his harsh voice twisting the word into something obscene. "Could you really love this body, now that you know what I truly am?" he growled.
What I truly am? Xiaoyu echoed silently. This… this is Devil, teasing me again, but it is also Jin, asking me this question. It was unfair, she thought with a note of bitter surprise, unfair that the only time that she ever managed to reach Jin and truly talk to him was when the Devil possessed him, freeing him of his inhibitions. The thought chimed through her head like the clang of a temple bell, clearing the hazy fog that bathed her mind. And then she thought of Hwoarang.
"…just pretend it's me sayin' those things, then you can do what you need to do…"
The confusion and uncertainty she felt was slowly being replaced by a dull, roaring anger. It sharpened exponentially as she felt Jin's tongue snake out and trail wetly across her cheek. Her eyes popped open, and her hands shot out in a double thrust, sending him flying backwards with a grunt of surprise.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed, rubbing at her cheek furiously, trying to remove all traces of their contact. "Don't you dare touch me unless you mean it!" she cried, whipping her hands out into a defensive stance.
Jin growled and scrambled to his feet, his wings spreading wide and his eyes brightening with their unholy glow. "You would defy me?" he hissed, preparing to spring at her.
"Haah!" Julia's loud yell echoed between them as the Native American charged, dropping her shoulder and sending a closed fist flying into Jin's side. The blow connected, and the demon roared in pain, slashing with his claws as he staggered backwards. Julia dodged as quickly as she could, but the tips of his fingers caught on her arm, raking through the fabric of her sleeve and leaving four jagged welts on the skin underneath. Unphased, she spun quickly, her foot lashing out for a lightning kick to Jin's head.
The demon only laughed at her attack, catching her foot and using it to shove Julia back roughly, sending her careening across the floor past Xiaoyu and Miharu.
"Julia!" Xiaoyu cried, her head whipping around to follow the other girl's fall.
"Don't look at me," Julia grit out, coming to her feet quickly. "Watch out!" she cried, panic etched across her face as she struggled to her feet, lunging towards Xiaoyu clumsily in her haste.
Time seemed to slow down as Xiaoyu redirected her attention forward, already seeing in Julia's horrified expression what she knew would be approaching. She could feel her heartbeat thundering painfully against her ribcage, no longer with the girlish anticipation of before but now bona fide fear. And she turned and saw what the older girl tried to warn her of; it was the devil's attack. The symbols on his forehead writhed and twisted, awakening the third eye, the soul stealer, the curse that she had no idea how to fight. Jin's body tensed painfully, the muscles across his chest and arms bunching, and his head dropped forward, the demonic eye lighting with its red glow and spitting a deadly ray of light towards her. Too late! her mind screamed, even as her hands came up in an automatic but futile gesture of self-defense.
A scream tore through the air, but it wasn't ripped from her own throat. Xiaoyu's eyes snapped open as an unnatural silence descended, with only the remnants of the piercing shriek ringing in her ears. She was frozen, trapped by a pair of wide brown eyes that were shocked, scared and brimming with unshed tears of confusion and dismay as they looked into her own.
"Xiao," Miharu choked, her hands clutching feebly at Xiaoyu's vest, caught in mid-air as she had tried to reach for her friend. Shock swept through Xiaoyu, her hands still caught around Miharu's waist from where the other girl had leapt in front of her. Stupid, stupid Miharu! she wanted to scream. This isn't one of our games! This is real! What were you thinking? The only sound that managed to work its way out of her surprised throat was a dry croak, and all too soon, time began to flow again. Miharu's eyes rolled upwards and she fainted, collapsing into Xiaoyu's numb arms.
Xiaoyu staggered under the weight, trying to lower her friend gently towards the ground. "Mi!" she yelled, gripping at the other girl's shoulders and feeling sick. Miharu's face had turned a sickly shade of white, and there was a gaping, sizzling wound on the back of her shoulder where Jin's attack had struck. "Miharu! Wake up!" Xiaoyu screamed again, shaking her friend as panic settled in and trying to ignore the smell of burned flesh that tainted the air.
A pair of strong hands pushed her aside, and Julia was there, rapidly peeling away at the burned clothing around Miharu's shoulder to treat the wound. "Deal with Jin," she said tightly, her eyes grim and never leaving Miharu's body.
"Is she going to be okay?" Xiaoyu asked, unable to stop the trembling in her hands.
"She's going into shock," Julia said curtly, removing her jacket and tearing off a good-sized chunk of her own shirt. Not pausing in her ministrations, her voice became commanding, laced with iron. "Take care of Jin, now."
Xiaoyu knew there was no time to argue. She tried to push away the image of Miharu's surprised visage, struggling to control the trembling in her fingers, and searched for Jin. She spotted him stumbling towards the railing, weakened from his attack, and without thinking, she charged. Jin whirled to face her, but she was already in the air, her arms extended, her feet smashing into his chest three times in rapid succession before using his body as a springboard, flipping herself backwards and landing a few feet away. She brought herself up quickly for another attack but froze, watching Jin stagger backwards.
Colour was shimmering through his wings once more, the black leeching away into pure white as the real Jin struggled for control. She approached him cautiously, uncertain as to whether Jin's angelic looking countenance was really any better than his demonic one. "Jin?" she said quietly and then held her breath, staying on guard.
His head turned towards her, and she saw with disappointment that his eyes still glowed and his face was still streaked with the black tattoos of his possession. The third eye was at least gone, though his face remained cold and closed to her. "I'm sorry, Xiaoyu," he said to her, his voice echoing with the taint of the devil.
Xiaoyu's hands tightened into fists, and she felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "Sorry? That's all you have to say for yourself, sorry?" she shot back at him, her emotions betraying her voice and causing it to catch and waver slightly. Did his wings just droop a little more? Was there a flash of regret across his face? Xiaoyu drove these thoughts away as she advanced on him, replacing them with the image of Miharu's scared eyes, forever seared into her mind.
A soft, humourless chuckle escaped from Jin, and he turned his face away from her. He swung his legs onto the railing and perched there, extending his wings for balance, then glanced over his shoulder at Xiaoyu. "I can't stand sharing you with anyone else," he said lowly, and then leapt into the sky. Xiaoyu lunged after him, her hand reaching out to catch him but only closing on empty air. She barrelled into the railing painfully and grabbed onto it, leaning over and staring up at Jin's quickly shrinking form.
"How dare you!" she cried out, full of frustration and rage. "How dare you just show up and ruin everything and then leave me like this!" she screamed out, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. Seeing that he wasn't coming back, she slowly released the railing as her knees gave out and fell into a messy heap on the floor. "How could you?" she repeated again, this time brokenly.
The soft hum of chanting interrupted the turmoil crashing through her head, and with shock, Xiaoyu's eyes popped open. "Miharu!" she cried, scrambling to her feet and racing towards her friends. Julia was bent over Miharu's still form, her eyes closed and her hands clasped together. Xiaoyu skidded to a stop, falling to the ground beside the older girl and searching her friend's face with wide eyes. Her panic dimmed somewhat as she noticed the faint, regular rhythm of breath in Miharu's body, and she glanced up at Julia.
The Native American was still chanting in a language that Xiaoyu couldn't decipher, a sheen of sweat beading on her forehead. She waited for a few more moments, and then Julia finally stopped, releasing her hands and sinking onto her heels with exhaustion. "Get her phone and call the hospital," Julia said wearily, rubbing at her forehead with one hand.
"Is she going to be okay?" Xiaoyu asked worriedly, her hands already digging through Miharu's purse and pulling out the plastic cell phone. Julia ignored the question and remained silent as Xiaoyu rapidly tapped a few buttons and gave short, panicked directions to the operator on the other end of the line. Punching the phone off when she was done, she pinned Julia with her frightened stare, trying to will the minutes to pass by more quickly as they waited for the medical team to arrive. "What were you doing?" she asked the Native American, seeking Miharu's hand and squeezing it even though the other girl was unconscious.
"The wound is pretty bad," Julia began seriously, brushing her bangs away from her face. "Physically, there's not much I can do. It's a clean burn, so it's already been cauterized." Her frown deepened and she looked at Miharu, brushing her hand briefly across the young girl's forehead. "There's another problem, though."
Xiaoyu's hand tightened around Miharu's, and she looked at Julia searchingly. "What do you mean another problem?"
Julia sighed and looked up, meeting Xiaoyu's gaze. "There was something unclean about the devil's attack. That's the only way I can describe it. I think the demon feeds on the spiritual energy that he leeches from others…" Julia faltered, her eyes flicking away. "I tried to fight it, I prayed to the spirits for her. I think it might have helped a little."
"Helped against what?" Xiaoyu cried, dreading the other girl's answer.
"Her spirit is not strong enough to fight against this curse on her own. The doctors can treat her body, but her soul has been…" Julia hesitated, her eyes darting to Xiaoyu's pale face. "…damaged," she finished lamely. Seeing Xiaoyu's look of horror, she sighed and closed her eyes. "Without a soul, the body is just a shell. I'm sorry, Xiaoyu."
Xiaoyu remained silent, listening to the faint sounds of sirens as they drifted up from the city below. It didn't bring her any comfort; already, she knew that Miharu would not wake from her unnatural sleep. Carefully, she brushed a stray lock of wild hair away from the unconscious girl's face; Miharu had always been fastidious about her appearance. The thought of Miharu yelling in dismay at her own disarray twisted Xiaoyu's lips up slightly, but the half-smile quickly faded as she took in her best friend's slack, pale features.
"If we defeat the devil, we might be able to get Miharu's soul back," she said quietly. She didn't have to look up to sense Julia's agreement. But the decision didn't bring her any comfort. "Why do I have to choose?" she whispered bitterly. "Why do I always have to choose between Jin and everyone else?" It's not fair, she wanted to scream out. It's never fair!
"Life isn't fair, Xiaoyu."
This time, when she heard the echo of Jinrei's lessons in her head, it didn't bring her any comfort.
AN: I have been to Tokyo before, but only when I was very little. As such, I have absolutely no knowledge of what the inside of Tokyo Tower looks like. I'm guessing the top observation deck doesn't have windows, though, sorry if that's wrong. This was a pretty serious chapter; it was a little bit difficult to write. Sorry to all those Miharu fans out there, don't flay me, please! And reviewers - you guys make me write faster, I swear. THANK YOU SO MUCH!