A/N: Final chapter! Everyone who read my story and reviewed, thank you very much! There will be a sequel to this story sometime next year. Title: Looking for Hope.

A/N 2: I would like to add that I am sorry about Lee Chaolan because I messed up by writing him to be Korean instead of Chinese (twice in RLT, as well). This was because I thought he was Korean. However, I will be keeping Lee Korean in this story (and RLT) for reasons that will be announced later on in the second half of this story. Furthermore, I will be writing from here on out (in other stories) that Lee is Chinese. Again, I am sorry for the mistake.

I want to thank Salysha for the proofreading and all the help! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.

Chapter Three

A New Beginning

The beginning of dark times started the day Jun Kazama died. Now, two weeks later, dark times continue for the small family....

Kazuya sat in the kitchen, staring at an empty tea mug. It was ten at night, and Kazuya was alone, thinking about his son. Ever since that dreadful day, Jin had barely spoken a word, and it was really starting to worry Kazuya.

Neither he nor his stepbrother Lee had been able to talk to the boy or get a word out of him: it was always a nod or shake of the head. There were even times where Jin would just ignore them and walk out of the room. Kazuya was just glad his son was still eating, but even the teachers were telling him Jin wasn't doing much in school, either.

Sighing, Kazuya glanced at the clock and frowned. He hadn't seen Jin for over an hour now, and that worried him. Quickly, he stood to his feet and made his way out of the room and into the living room. There, he noticed Blue running up the stairs.

Quickly, Kazuya followed the kitten. If he had learned one thing in the past two weeks, it was: if you can't find Jin, just find the cat. The two had been inseparable since Jun's passing. Soon enough, the cat led Kazuya right up to the attic, where Jin was sitting on a couch that was covered in white sheets.

The couch had once been downstairs in the living room, but after Jun's death, Jin had asked him if they could move the couch up into the attic and get a new set for the living room. Kazuya hadn't been able to say no, and since then, his son hadn't said another word.

"Jin, is everything all right?" Kazuya asked, moving closer to his son.

Jin took a hold of Blue and brought the small cat to his lap. He glanced at his father and slowly nodded his head.

Kazuya frowned and sat next to his son on the couch. "Jin, are you sure there is nothing you want to talk about?" he asked, looking down at Jin.

Jin shook his head.

Kazuya sighed and sat back. He thought for a moment and then he remembered something Lee had told him earlier that afternoon. He smiled and glanced at his son. "Well, there is something I want to tell you. Care to stay and listen?"

Jin glanced at his dad and nodded.

"Well, I was talking to Lee earlier today, and tomorrow afternoon, we're going to have some visitors. An old friend of mine and your uncle's just moved into town a few days ago. His name is Baek Doo San. He is a taekwondo master and will be opening a dojang here soon. He came here to keep an eye on one of his students. Tomorrow, Mr. Baek will be coming over with his student around lunch time. And guess what?" he said, looking down at his son hopefully.

Jin only stared at his father, waiting for him to continue.

Kazuya sighed but smiled. "His student is your age and will be starting school next week. Doesn't that sound great? He's going to need a friend like you to show him around."

Jin continued to just stare at his father, though, this time, with a raised brow.

Kazuya stared back and then repeated what he just said to Jin in his mind. He slapped his forehead. "I'm sorry, Jin. I'm talking to you as if you were seven years old," he chuckled and glanced back to his son. "Ah, but it would be nice if you could make friends with the young lad, Jin. He has moved here from Korea and doesn't know anyone. So, if you will--I'm not saying you have to--but if you will, will you talk to him tomorrow? Be friends with him?"

Jin turned away from his father and took Blue into his arms. He got off the couch and headed toward the door.

Watching his son walk away, Kazuya hung his head low and sighed. He couldn't help but wonder if he was ever going to talk again. Hearing a small meow, Kazuya glanced up to see his son still standing there at the doorway. He watched as Jin gave a small nod and stepped out of the room.

Kazuya smiled.

~*~

The next morning, Lee was over, making breakfast for Jin since Kazuya had done a horrible job. It had become a ritual for Lee to come over and cook breakfast and, occasionally, dinner, since Kazuya didn't even know how to boil water. "Kazu, you really should take a cooking class once a week," Lee said as flipped over a pancake.

"You know very well I don't have the time to, Chal," Kazuya said, pouring a glass of orange juice for Jin.

"Yeah, you are right: then maybe you should watch as I cook. I bet Jin can make scrambled eggs better than you," Lee chuckled and turned to Jin. "Right?"

Jin nodded with a small smile.

"Hey, okay, so I'm not great at cooking. However, I am good at making jumbo ice cream."

"Yeah, scooping something into a bowl is sooo hard," Lee said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, Baek will be here around eleven with Hwoarang. So, I'm definitely making lunch."

"Hey, Jin is at school during lunch, so I don' have to worry about cooking," Kazuya said with a smile. "Plus, I'm at work."

"Yeah, Burger King is real healthy every day. Did you tell Jin that you enjoy the kids' meal, too?"

Jin turned to his father with a raised brow, grabbing his juice and taking a sip.

"Not always," Kazuya said, taking the plate of pancakes from Lee and placing them onto the table. "There, Jin. Want syrup?"

Jin nodded as he started to put some pancakes on his plate.

"Not always? That's why in your glove apartment you have over twenty toys in there? Even Jin doesn't order the kids' meals anymore," Lee said with a laugh.

"How do you know I don't like to buy the toys just for the hell of it?" Kazuya said, taking a seat across from his son.

Lee sat down next to Jin and stared at Kazuya. "Then I have to say: there is something really wrong with you."

Kazuya laughed. "Okay, so I like to eat Burger King kids' meals, so what?"

"That's just weird. And you know what, Jin? He did this since he was in high school," Lee said, glancing at the boy, who had a mouth full of food.

"That's because they're smaller, and I don't have that big of an appetite," Kazuya said, pouring syrup over his pancakes.

Lee shook his head. "That's why you pig out at dinner."

"Well, yeah, people always say lunch is supposed to be the smallest meal of the day."

"True, but kids' meals, Kazuya. Really, kids' meals?" Lee laughed. "Just admit that you're weird."

"Hey, I'm not the one who wears unicorns on my clothes," Kazuya said, eyeing Lee's velvet vest. "And do you have to wear those types of clothes around Jin? You look like a gangster or something even more inappropriate Jin doesn't need to hear."

"It is not inappropriate. It's my day off, and I will wear what I please. Besides, I'll be changing before lunch anyway," Lee said, taking a bite of his food.

"It is. Jin, never dress like your Uncle Lee, okay?" Kazuya said, glancing over at his son.

Jin nodded.

"Good, because he dresses like a clown."

Jin, for the first time that morning, grinned, while Lee glared at Kazuya.

~*~

The lunch hour was almost there, and Kazuya had not seen his brother so antsy for a long time. Lee was pacing back and forth the living room like never before. Jin was also watching him as he sat on the couch with Blue in his lap. The small kitten was playing with the string Jin had in his hand.

"Lee, what is the matter?" Kazuya asked as he stood in front of his brother, stopping him from his movement.

Lee shook his head. "Nothing. Just thinking."

Kazuya frowned. It wasn't like his brother to be such a wreck, and he could only wonder if it had to do with Muu-Hun. He was about to ask his brother when the doorbell rang, causing Lee to jump.

"Oh, crap, they're here. Good! Kazuya, go let them in," Lee commanded, pointing at the door.

Kazuya rolled his eyes and placed a gentle hand on Lee's shoulder. "Relax, will ya?" he said and went over to the door, opening it. He smiled at the man who was standing on the other side.

"Baek, hello and welcome," Kazuya said with a wide grin on his face, shaking the other man's hand.

Baek returned the smile and bowed respectfully. "Hello, Kazuya. It has been a while. How are you?"

"I am well. Please come in and make yourself at home," he said, opening the door wider to let the other man in.

"Ah, thank you," Baek said, stepping into the house and removing his shoes, placing them neatly by the door. Once finished, he stood straight and motioned to his side. "Kazuya, this is my student, Ja-- where did he go?"

Kazuya frowned in concern. "Did he run off?"

Baek shook his head. "Probably. He likes to do that. He can't stay out of trouble," he said with a heavy sigh, shaking his head. "I'll be right back." With that, he slipped his shoes back to his feet and went out the door.

Kazuya blinked a bit confused and turned to Lee and Jin, to discover that his son was missing, too. "Where did Jin go?"

"Chased after Blue; he'll back. Maybe we should go and help Baek?" Lee suggested.

Kazuya nodded, "Yeah," and with that, the two brothers went after Baek outside, only to be stopped when they heard someone shouting.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to go picking fights with people? Especially when they are older and bigger than you are, Jae-Kwan," Baek said as he carried a 12-year-old boy by the collar over toward Kazuya and Lee.

The young boy kicked the air and shook his head. "No! Don't call me that! I told you my name is Hwoarang!"

Baek rolled his eyes and put the boy down on the sidewalk and bent down so he was eye level with the younger Korean. "All right. Hwoarang, then. It isn't nice to beat up people, especially ones that are older than you. Now, I brought you here to meet some friends of mine. Are you going to behave?"

"No."

Baek glared. "Yes, you will, or you will not be training with me this week."

Hwoarang frowned. "Okay, but if I don't like them, I get to beat them up."

Baek rolled his eyes. "No, you will be nice. I am not teaching you the art of taekwondo for you to beat up people."

"Yeah, right, but okay--I'll be nice, but I better get something."

"You will. Now, come on. There is a boy here your age; don't you want to make friends?"

"Not if he's a loser."

"Just come on," Baek said, gently pushing Hwoarang toward the house. He smiled when he saw Lee and Kazuya waiting for them. "Sorry about that. Ever since I started teaching him, he's been a little overconfident in his abilities, trying to knock down anything that moves."

Lee and Kazuya grinned. "Well, he's a boy," Kazuya said, leading them back into the house.

Baek chuckled. "Yes, well, as I was saying before, this is my student, Ja--"

"No! Don't tell them my name! They might be evil spies," Hwoarang protested.

Baek sighed. "Where do you get that type of nonsense from?"

"T.V."

Baek shook his head and smiled. "Okay, okay, this is my student, Hwoarang. Hwoarang, these are my good friends, Kazuya Mishima and his brother Lee Chaolan."

Hwoarang bowed, looking both men over. "Okay, they look cool enough for old guys." He glanced at Lee and frowned. "But that suit looks stupid."

"Hwoarang, your manners," Baek warned, glaring down at the boy.

Hwoarang sighed. "I'm only telling the truth! You said not to lie."

Lee chuckled. "It's all right, Baek; he means no harm. I was the same way when I was young."

"Worse," Kazuya commented. "Anyway, why don't you come in and sit down? I'll go find Jin and let him know you are here."

Little did Kazuya know that Jin was standing behind him. He was staring at Hwoarang from the side, but no one had noticed. It wasn't until Jin noticed something in the other boy that he made his appearance known.

"You have the same color eyes as my mom."

Kazuya blinked and stared down at his son in shock. His son had spoken for the first time in two weeks. The words he had said surprised him, and he lost the ability to speak.

Lee blinked. "Jin, um, this is Hwoarang. He'll be starting your class next week."

"Hi," Jin said, moving in front of his father now.

Hwoarang stared at Jin for a long moment before grinning. "Hi. I'm Hwoarang, and I'm a boy, not a girl."

Jin smiled. "I know. I can tell."

Hwoarang nodded. "Good," he said and grinned. That's when he noticed Blue at his feet. "Oh, you got a cat!"

Jin smiled and nodded, taking Blue into his arms. "Yeah, his name is Blue. Dad and Uncle Lee got him for my birthday…."

Hwoarang's smile grew. "That's cool. I like cats, too. But my dad doesn't, so I'm not allowed to have one. Instead, I have a dog. His name is Princess because he's a sissy."

Jin laughed. "And he's a boy?"

Hwoarang nodded. "Yeah, dad said he was because he has a large penis."

"Hwoarang!" Baek said, bringing a hand over his student's mouth. "Don't talk like that."

"But that's what dad said when I asked if he was a girl or boy. He said he was a boy because he had a penis."

Baek shook his head. "It doesn't matter; don't talk like that. Didn't your father give you the talk?"

Hwoarang raised a brow. "No. He said I'll learn about it in school."

Jin smiled. "My dad gave me the talk. Maybe he can give you the talk, too. What do you say, dad?"

Kazuya blinked. "Ah, no, son, that's up to his parents. Um, why don't you go and show Hwoarang your room?"

Jin nodded. "Okay. Come on: I'll show you my games," he said and led the way to the stairs.

Hwoarang beamed. "Okay!"

Baek sighed as he watched the two 12-year-old boys disappear up the stairs. He then turned to Lee and Kazuya and smiled. "Ah, I'm sorry about that. The boy's father doesn't care much what the boy says or does…."

Lee nodded and led the way over to the living room where the three men sat down. "Yeah, not a surprise. Is Muu-Hun really his father?"

Beak shook his head. "I don't know; Makoto never said. I would assume he is. Isn't that why she left you and married him? Because she was pregnant with his child?"

Lee let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I guess. That's what she told Jun. Also because she didn't want Muu-Hun trying to kill me again."

Baek frowned. "Ah, Jun. Kazuya, I heard what happened, and I am very sorry."

Kazuya put on a fake smile and nodded. "Yeah, thanks, Baek."

"How is Jin taking it?"

Both Lee and Kazuya frowned. "Not so well. Today was the first time Jin spoke to anyone in two weeks."

Baek nodded. "Ah, well, maybe Hwoarang can help with that. Though the boy has a rough life at home, he seems to always be the cheerful one. Even after him mom died, Jae-Kwan seemed to take it pretty well and get over it well enough. Though I also have a feeling it had to do with his father punishing him."

Lee frowned. He did not like the sound of that. "Punishing him?"

Baek nodded. "Yeah, Hwoarang won't talk about it and he denies it, but often when he comes to class, there is a new bruise or an awful cut on him somewhere. Hwoarang isn't allowed outside after school or a class with me, so I know they aren't from fights."

Lee and Kazuya exchanged sharp glances. "That's why you wanted to move here with them, because you wanted to keep Muu-Hun from really hurting Hwoarang."

Baek nodded. "I think his father is also the reason why he doesn't like people to know his real name. He uses the 'I don't want the spies or aliens to know my identity' as an excuse," he said with a heavy sigh. "However, because I haven't seen Muu-Hun abuse Hwoarang, I can't do anything about it."

"Well, he is always welcomed here if worse comes to worse," Kazuya said with a deep frown. "I think Hwoarang would be a good distraction for Jin, and perhaps Jin could help Hwoarang in some ways, too. They both have lost their mothers; it couldn't hurt."

Baek nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Kazuya."

~*~

"And then Hwoarang told me about his dog, Princess, and how he likes to drink from the toilet. I told him that was gross, and he agreed with me. He also told me his dog is afraid of mice and the broom. That's why he's a sissy," Jin spoke nonstop as he threw on his pajamas and hopped into his bed. "He also told me how he practices taekwondo and said that because I know karate, we should spar. I agree."

Kazuya listened to his son as he talked about everything he and Hwoarang had done together that day. He couldn't have been happier at that moment, listening to Jin talk. It was a burden off his shoulders, and he hoped this was the beginning of a new hope in their lives.

~*~

Even though the small family was starting to mend things together, there was another boy who was still falling apart.

Hwoarang sat in his room, crying. A nasty cut that showed on his right cheek was bleeding down to his neck, and his left arm was badly bruised. A dog lay dead in his arms.

His father was nowhere to be seen, but still the boy was too scared to do anything.

The following day, things went by as if nothing had happened. Hwoarang did not tell Baek of the events that had taken place in his home, and he kept a strong face.

Through the next five years, Hwoarang continued to struggle with his secret alone with only one friend to comfort him.

The End

A young boy struggles with torment, while the other heals from another kind of pain. Will things ever be right, or will dark times never end?

To Be Continued.

A/N: Well, that's it. Look for the sequel in the next few months. The story will continue five years from now, so both Jin and Hwoarang will be 17 years old. The story will focus on Hwoarang and how he struggles with depression and the torment of his childhood. Will good come of it?

Part 2 of Dark Times,Looking For Hope, will begin in January or February of 2010.