Standard Disclaimer: And I still don't own anything tekken or even tekken related...big surprise o.O
And thank you all for your reviews and support. It's always a pleasure to read what you all think, and I'm glad to know this story is making good with the audience :]
Now enjoy this, my newest chapter.
It was a Saturday morning like any other. Asuka stretched her arms out while attempting to open her eyes despite the brightness of the open window beaming light at her. She had realized that the bed she was asleep on just moments earlier was a bit too comfortable, she couldn't have stayed awake on it if she wanted to. Despite the bed's irresistible comfort though, was the smell of eggs and bacon. Asuka rubbed at her eyes briefly. What time was it? Had she over slept on a Saturday? Those were her thoughts as she washed up and dressed herself, getting ready for what remained of her day.
Shiawa was busy scrambling eggs in the kitchen, hoping to surprise Asuka with a meal. He was certain of his cooking abilities, surely she would praise his skills and efforts, right?
I'm so awesome! No, wait, I'm a legend. She's definitely gonna love this.
Asuka walked into the kitchen, pausing at the sight of Shiawa's cooking. There wasn't just eggs and bacon; there were pancakes, cinnamon rolls, strawberries dripping with chocolate syrup, and grilled cheese sandwiches. The food made her notice just how hungry she really was.
"Wow, Shiawa. This looks really 's the special occasion?"
Shiawa pretended to be shocked at the question.
"What's the special occasion? Um, your my best friend so I thought it would be nice to cook you a tasty meal for once, you know?"
"
Awww, that's really sweet. You really shouldn't have."
Asuka turned her gaze from the food to Shiawa, her expression looking saddened.
"But Asuka, it wasn't a big deal. It's fine."
"No, I mean you really shouldn't have. I'm going out to eat with Xiaoyu and Miharu. I would have told you earlier but I wasn't expecting you to go out of your way and cook me breakfast like this...I'm sorry."
Shiawa fell silent, feelings of defeat creeping upon him.
"Well, maybe you can invite Jin over to eat and that way none of this goes to waste, right? It's worth a shot...c'mon, cheer up. Look, when I get back I'll fix you a meal and we can call it even, okay?"
The proposal was fair enough, and maybe Jin would actually come to help make use of the food. Shiawa felt better at the thought of it.
"Alright, I'll be seeing you laters then, I guess." Shiawa attempting to ease Asuka's guilt with a smile. He was surprised when she embraced him with a hug that somehow seemed appropriate for the moment.
"Have fun, okay. I'll be back in no time. And say hi to Jin for me." Her voice carried off into her room.
"So, you blew breakfast with Asuka and now you want me to come by and clean up your mess. As if I didn't have any plans of my own."
"But you never have plans of your own outside of brooding around every corner of your house! Come on and help a guy out..."
The silence, of course pointed out that Jin wasn't exactly glad to hear that his friend believed the only plan he could ever have at home involved brooding.
"It's unfortunate that you believe the only thing that transpires at my home is aimless depression. I'll even forgive that misunderstanding, if you're willing to do something for me at least."
Jin was leaning against a wall outside on his balcony, peering at the wonderful view just beyond his home, beautiful silence. Such calm is the very reason why he preferred to move away from the busy streets he used to call his own.
"I'll do anything to help you out, just come over and help me out with this."
"I'll be there."
Jin closed his phone and took a minute to absorb the scenery that surrounded him. It was moments like these that seemed to make everything else just seem small and trivial.
You would have loved this sight, Jun.
Asuka was finally beginning to tire of walking around with Xiaoyu, and Miharu, but not because of them but because they had been walking and shopping since breakfast. She peeked down at her cell for the time. It was nearly past lunch.
"Okay, I think I'm going to need a break soon, what about you two?"
"Xiaoyu and Miharu traded looks; they were both just realizing the pain in their feet. Miharu's face saddened.
"I guess we should head back…"
They had spent quite some time searching for whatever they deemed purchase worthy at their local mall. With the bags full of expensive cloths and items and sore feet it was now time to depart from the massive shopping plaza.
"We had our fun. Let's get going."
Xiaoyu skipped along towards the exit while the others followed closely. It wasn't meant to be, however. In the most random of times, Xiaoyu just happened to take a look to her far left and it just happened that she caught a very vague glimpse of someone quite familiar to her. She stopped immediately, her halt alerting Asuka and Miharu.
"Something wrong?"
Asuka and Miharu waited for her response. Xiaoyu remained silent, trying to scan about the crowd in which she noticed the person.
"Um, you two just go on without me, I'll catch up. I think I just saw an old friend, that's all."
"Well, okay. We'll be waiting for you."
The two girls kept onward without Xiaoyu. Ling allowed them to leave her sight before she perused the man she saw just moments ago, there was a bad feeling in her gut, and as she navigated through the crowds to confirm her suspicions she couldn't help but feel more dread the closer she got to him.
What is this horrible feeling? It almost hurts…
Just when she thought she closed in on him, in the quickest movement of a passing pedestrian, he vanished. She looked around everywhere but only saw the faces of dozens of strangers passing by to continue on with their business.
"You seem frantic almost…"
Xiaoyu jumped in her own skin, quickly turning to meet the man behind the voice. Dressed in blue jeans and a leather hoodie stood the one in question.
"Don't be afraid. I'm not here to cause panic. I just thought you wouldn't mind giving him a message for me."
Xiaoyu stood with a fixed expression displaying a seriousness that was unusual for someone who usually appeared so cheerful most of the time.
"And by him you mean Jin, right? You're the man from that night, in the indoor parking lot. Just what is it that you want?"
"I want you to tell him that if he does indeed wish to stop me then he must first go back to where he suffered his first loss. There is…something there for him."
"Wait, stop you? From doing what? Why does he want to stop you, what are you going to do?"
"So many questions, messengers aren't supposed to ask this many questions."
There was a grin on his face. Was he enjoying this?
Who's a messenger!
"Look, I don't know who you think you are but y-"
"Careful not to overstep yourself Ling. Know your place and everything will be just fine. I know you have questions but in time they will be answered so please be patient. Certain things must be in place before the final show, so until then just wait for the culmination. "
Ling? He knows my name?…
With that, the man walked past Xiaoyu and vanished in the approaching crowd of pedestrians.
Jin and Shiawa sat on the couch in the living room half paying attention to what was on T.V. Their focus returned when the front door began to pound prompting Shiawa to rise up to answer it. There at the door was Asuka and Xiaoyu.
"Welcome back Suka and Xiao. Come in. I hope you two ate already because me and Mr. Kazama over there, we pretty much cleared all the food."
Jin got up to meet Xiaoyu and Asuka, he was wearing only a white t shirt and jeans.
"You did most of the clearing. What's up you two?"
Before Asuka could respond Xiaoyu pulled Jin upstairs. He was taken off guard by the grip she had placed on his arm. It was clear that something was wrong.
"What's this about Xiao? What's wrong?"
She glared at him, and he could see the anger on her face.
Just what had happened?
"That man from before. He wasn't some random guy cos playing was he? I saw him today and he wanted me to tell you that if you want to stop him you have to go back to the place where you suffered your first loss, but I'm sure you know what that means."
Jin was hit heavy by this.
"Wait, slow down. You saw him again?"
"I'm not going to ask you what this is all about. You clearly have no intention of letting anyone know what's going on here."
She spoke the truth. He didn't intend on letting anyone know, that's just how he was. Reclusive, and secretive. But now his closest friend had been approached by the man who had threatened to take everything. Why?
"Listen, none of this...none of this concerns you. I won't involve you, do you understand?"
"No you listen! You don't think I get it? That you're always trying so hard to protect me and everyone else? I know you don't want us to get hurt, but I can take care of myself, and I can help you with whatever you're going through. I'm your friend, that's what I'm here for. Just let me in, don't shut me out all the time, that's not helping it, that's not helping me."
He was speechless for a moment. She had spoken up for her right to know what it was that troubled him. He respected that, and the truth in her words.
"Were here to help too."
Shiawa and Asuka stood at the doorway as casually as ever.
"Just how long were you two listening?"
Shiawa walked over to Jin resting his hand on his shoulder.
"Doesn't matter really. What matters is that you can count on us whenever you need a helping hand or two, got it?"
Asuka's eyes made contact with Jin's.
"Yeah, we'll be here when you need us."
"I see. It can't be helped. I'll come to you all whenever I need your assistance. But right now, at this very moment, there's something that I need to do, alone."
Jin turned around to face Xiaoyu, he still worried about her involvement of course.
"He told you that if I wanted to stop him that I would have to go back to where I suffered my first loss, right? I think I know."
It was dark, and cold. The air was tainted with a lifeless presence, and the silence of the night added to that effect. This place was where it all began, where he was raised and where he was beaten by the monster Ogre, left helplessly defeated. The forest lacked the life that was once dominating it so many years ago. It felt as hollow as it did the day Ogre came for him. But there was a presence here, familiar to no end.
Jin stood by a tree that he remembered from times past. It still bore the scar it had endured from him those many years ago. This is where Jin was drawn in; he could feel the familiar presence strongest here.
I can sense someone here. I can feel them all around me.
"So this place does stir something within you?"
It was a familiar voice, the voice from his dreams. It was hers. Jin turned slowly in disbelief to face who he already knew in his heart was standing near him.
"This can't be..."
He was petrified. Who stood before him was a woman that he had lost too many years ago. It was Jun Kazama in the flesh and from her appearance, she hadn't lost her beauty at all, she was still in her prime it seemed. But appearances where of no significance to him, his mother stood just a couple of feet away from him, he didn't care about her looks.
"You're alive…I thought Ogre had killed you, but your alive. Is this real?"
"This is real, all of it, all of me. I've wanted to see you for so very long now. I'm so glad I could finally meet you, even if it's just once."
Jin paused at her words.
"Once? I don't understand what's going on here; I don't understand any of this. How can you be here, now? How did you survive?"
"I never died. When that monster came for you I had fought it to a standstill. It retreated, threatening to come back with an overwhelming power, but before it left us it branded me with a marking. As long as I had this mark I couldn't be near you, you see it truly was a curse. The darkness that came with this marking threatened to consume you, I had no choice but to leave you."
Jin couldn't believe the revelation.
"And I thought you were dead all this time. I blamed myself for not being able to save you, but you were never deceased..."
"That was a long time ago, things have changed significantly sense then. I'm no longer at the mercer of my curse Jin. I have full control of this dark power. Watch."
Jun revealed to her son the marking that she spoke of on her neck, a very similar marking to the one on his shoulder. Jin took a step back.
"That mark…"
"I was given the gift of eternal life Jin. I was saved by this, and now, you will be too."
She approached her son with what seemed to be a dark aura emanating from her.
"There's no salvation in darkness, not for us. What do you plan on doing with that power?"
"I'll pour it into you, and I'll watch it spread through your core. A power like this is meant to be shared, and when I'm done with you I'll spread it to everyone so that all their hearts and ours will be of the same mind."
Jin Kazama stood firm. The words that left his mothers lips weren't her words at all, he knew that in his heart.
"I don't know what happened to you Jun, but I promise I won't allow it to go on any longer. I'll end this, your suffering, in an instant."
Channeling all the angelic power he had once used to defeat the devil, Jin raised his stance, ready to make an end of the darkness that held his mother captive.
"It will be over soon..."