Sachi Gosetsuke: Heads up - while you read, be sure to pay attention to Asuka's age. Each chapter is just a memory, and the italicized words are the actual present-Asuka talking - so pay attention and don't get confused!

I'm really, really sorry having to revise it over and over again! But I promise that this version is worth reading!

Chapter 2: In The Beginning

Perspiration ran down the woman's forehead, only to be dabbed away by a wet hand towel. In the corner of the small room she was at, was the old housekeeper, Mrs. Sanada, cleaning a newborn and wrapping the baby up in a pink blanket.

Just minutes ago, the woman, by the name of Jun Kazama had given birth, at the very moment the sun had rise. Her older brother had been there, holding her hand by her bedside as the housekeeper (and trusted friend of her brother) delivered the baby. It was a healthy baby girl.

The moment she was born, everyone was silent; the only sound in the quiet room was the sound of the baby's wails as it came into the Earth. Jun had cried during the labor; though she had already given birth once, no woman could get used to the labor pains. But it was not just the physical pain that made her cry, but also the emotional pain.

And though she felt most fortunate to have a caring older brother beside her, and also a trusted and caring friend whom she had not known for a while, she felt slightly bitter, feeling that it should have been the baby's father to hold her hand then.

Mrs. Sanada, holding the baby girl in the baby's pink blanket, walked over to the mother, beaming. "She's beautiful," she said softly, handing the baby to its mother. Then she left the room to leave the two alone.

Jun held her daughter in her arms, awestruck. Her older brother, kneeling by the bed, looked at his niece filled with fascination as well. The baby was the spitting image of the mother, and just as beautiful as well; a little red-faced from birth, round head and deep brown eyes, and soft, auburn brown hair.

"Hey there, little girl," Jun cooed. The baby blinked up at her mother, staring at her with interest as well.

"She looks just like her mother," Jun's brother said, "I can tell that she will grow beautifully."

"Yes," Jun replied, "And she even has her grandmother's beautiful hair."

Her brother grew puzzled at her words; their mother did not have brown hair. But then he grew silent, not knowing what to say, realizing she had not meant their mother. Nevertheless, Jun did not take her eyes off her baby girl.

"Good thing we were prepared and ended up buying both pink and blue baby things," her brother said jokingly, "I was certain it would be a boy!"

"Yes," Jun admitted, laughing a little, "The way she kicked that hard, I'm pretty certain that she will become a great fighter one day."

"Just like her mother," he added.

"And just like her father," she said softly.

He was silent again, not knowing what to say. Ever since Jun had told him that she was pregnant with her first child, and told him of the first baby's father, he was outraged that she had conceived a child out of wedlock. However, he forgave her, but still held a sense of resentment towards the father to have left her alone. And now, he finally comes, only to leave her once more and pregnant. Only this time, things were different. Very different.

This time, the baby's arrival was kept in secret. No one was to know about the baby's existence; not even the baby's older brother, who was only four years older than her. This time, instead of giving birth to her in Yakushima forest, where Jun and her son grew up and lived isolated from the city, the baby was to be born all the way in Osaka. And this time, the baby would be kept in Osaka with her uncle, raised and taught here, away from her brother and mother, and especially her father.

When Jun's brother had finally gotten over the fact that his younger sister was pregnant, Jun explained the circumstances. She explained about Kazuya's family, his past, and his curse. The fact that Jun had fallen in love with a devil was what stunned her brother the most. And that was why Jun and her son lived in Yakushima and not with her brother, away from the city, isolated from devil's presence.

And now the same was to happen to the baby girl. Only this time, she must be parted away from her mother. In order to save the lives of her children, Jun made the ultimate sacrifice: give up her second child. As long as their children were not together, she was sure that devil would not be able to sense their spirits, as strong as it was together.

The baby was to be born and raised here in Osaka, never to know about her true lineage. After much discussion, they decided it were best to just have her believe that her uncle was her father. It was cruel…however it was necessary. Jun asked her brother to be the one to raise the baby. He was 12 when their parents found Jun as a baby in the middle of Yakushima forest. And when they passed away when she was only 13, it was him who raised her, and even before she and her brother were very close. Jun saw her brother more as a father after their own parents passed away. And so, Jun figured that he was the best person to care for her child.

Yet, he could tell, from the moment the baby was born, that she had a change of heart.

"You know," he said slowly, "We still need to name her."

Jun smiled. "I've been thinking," she said, "Jin's name sounds so much like my own. I figured that it would only be fair if…her name would be more like her father's."

He paused. Then he replied, "Well…then you make the name. It's your baby. What name is suitable for a Kazama girl?"

"Don't forget," Jun said gently, "That she is also a Mishima."

He hesitated, "I haven't…How about Kasumi? It sounds like her father's name." All the time that Jun had come to Osaka on her fifth month, her brother never once said the baby's father's name.

"It's nice," she said wearily, "But…I don't know. It doesn't seem to fit."

"You're right…what about…Sakura? You love cherry blossoms, and it is the time of month the flowers bloom."

"Yes," Jun replied, "But…it's still not right." Then she paused to think. And then --

"Asuka…" she said slowly.

"Asuka?" he inquired. He paused as well. "It's a unisex name," she said, "and we all thought that she would end up as a boy."

"Right," he said thinking out loud, "Not too feminine…and not too muscular. And it means, "soaring bird." You love bird watching."

"It's a beautiful name," Jun said. "I'm sure…that Kazuya would have found it perfect."

Again, her older brother grew silent at the mention of the father. Many times he asked why she had chosen him, although she had explained her reasons when Jin was born. Yet no matter what she said, he could not rid of his dislike towards the man, and could not understand still.

"Then it's settled," he said brightly, diminishing the thought of Kazuya, "Her name will be Asuka Kazama."

"Asuka…" Jun looked down at her daughter once more. Baby Asuka was now sleeping, her mouth slightly parted. She kissed her forehead tenderly.

Even before she was born, Jun had fallen in love with her baby. Though she hid in the confines of her brother's dojo, she was happy, always singing soft lullabies to her baby, reading to her, and even talking softy to her, telling how much she loved her. It would have been very painful for her and her brother to have to part them.

After a while, once Jun was able to walk and had showered and Asuka slept soundly, her brother came. "It's time, imouto (little sister)," he said softly to her as she held her baby once more.

Jun looked away from him and stared down at the sleeping newborn. "I know," she whispered. All through caring for Asuka, in the back of her mind she told herself that the time would come when she would have to leave her. Yet it didn't make it less painful.

"Please Jun," her brother begged, "Don't make this any harder then it already is."

Jun blinked back tears as she kissed Asuka once more and slowly laid her down in her cradle. Silently, she straightened, and paused a moment, as if making a decision. Then slowly, she reached for the back of her neck, and unclasped a golden locket that she wore all the time around her neck. It consisted of a rectangular locket with a small picture in it.

She turned to her brother and handed it to him. "Give this to Asuka when she's older," she said, "Tell her it's from her mother."

He nodded, taking the necklace from her, tears already in his eyes. He looked away, as Jun bent over the cradle once more to kiss her baby girl. "I love you Asuka," she whispered, "Good-bye …"

When I turned five years old, my uncle stayed true to his word. He promised himself to tell me the truth when I was older, and the time was right. His only mistake was never telling me his true identity, and my real mother; that I was the daughter of Jun Kazama, and he was in fact, my uncle. But he raised me perfectly, never the less, and loved me just as a real father to a daughter.

When I was five, he taught me the Kazama-style of Self Defense and martial arts. I learned quickly, determined to perfect my skills. It was the sense of pride in my "father's" eyes that made me do so. I practiced everyday, determined to finally meet the day I would be able to defeat him in a sparring match. It hadn't come though, even to this day. But I did accomplish becoming his best student as I grew older, and I was able to defeat each and every one of my uncle's students.

As I would practice by myself in the confines of our dojo, I would see out of the corner of my eye, my Uncle standing in a corner, watching me. He was so proud of me, and because I was still young, it broke my heart to see him blinking back tears. I once questioned him why he was crying. "Because you look so much like your mother," he said. It was one of the only things he said about my mother. Everything else was kept a secret, too painful for him to share. But he was able to spare me one bit of information.

"Your mother was…amazing. Simply amazing Asuka."

I had the impression that my mother was an angel.

While I was learning the Kazama-style ryu, I felt undefeated, though I had much to learn. I was the only girl my age who even knew martial arts (though not perfectly of course).

Until I met Kenichi.

A big white van. Men in blue jumpsuits. Boxes. Furniture...

Someone had finally moved in next door.

The little girl watched with suspicious eyes as the movers carried out boxes and furniture inside the house across the street. Though she was only 6 years old, she knew how the real estate been desperate to sell the house that no one wanted. She didn't blame them; thanks to those teenagers who kept scaring them away, everyone believed that the house was haunted.

But now, Asuka watched the new family across the street. By the blue twin bed and mini basketball hoop, there was only one young boy in the family. So it was not a surprise for Asuka to see a boy, just her age with brown, unruly hair and darkblue eyes. As blue as saphires and darkas the still night. Asuka had never seen such blue eyes on a Japanese boy. It just made her even more intrigued bythe boy.He wore no expression; she saw no fear, no joy, nothing in his eyes. The boy was either really truly monotone or unreadable to the world.

His parents, however, were calm enough. The mother, with jet-black hair in a single ponytail looked very pleasant, good-looking, though not exceptionally beautiful. Right away Asuka knew she was a tomboy: casual blue jeans, bright red T-shirt and blue jean jacket and sneakers. And the way she held herself: confidence. The same kind in the new boy.

The father. He was the spitting image of his son: brown hair and brown eyes. The same self-confidence; the same monotone expression and serious, yet also cool gaze. Of course, he was an older version of his son, more built and broader and taller, quite tall for his age as well. He also wore glasses, but everything else about him covered up that sign of weakness.

Right away Asuka knew, just by looking at them, that they were fighters. Being that her father owned a dojo, fighters surrounded her all the time.

6-year-old Asuka was sitting on her front steps, watching the movers and the new family settling in their new home. While his parents were away, the little boy wandered over to the sidewalk, just across Asuka. She watched him closely, as he picked on the sidewalk with his sneaker, and unexpectedly, he looked up, right at Asuka.

For a while they just stared at each other. Asuka stared right back, unblinking. She was able to outstare everyone, even the boys in her neighborhood, no matter what their age or height or who they were. But the boy just stared back at her, and if she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that the boy glared at her. His cold gaze that formed a hard yet distinct glare made her blink in surprise. Then he looked away.

Suddenly Asuka felt a hand on her shoulder. Gazing up she saw her father. "C'mon Zuki," he said, "Let's go and meet the new neighbors."

Curious about the boy, she nodded and got up to walk beside her father towards the house.

"Ohayo," her father said bowing in respect before the adults while they did the same. "I live right across street. How do you do?" They bowed as well and shook his outstretched hand.

"Nice to meet you," the man said after introducing himself and his wife. "This is our son, Kenichi. Kenichi, say hi."

The boy, Kenichi, who had not taken his eyes off Asuka when she first came to their yard, looked quickly at Sensei Kazama and hastily said, "Konichiwa," and bowed.

Her father smiled. "This is my daughter, Asuka. She is probably the same age as your son. Is Kenichi your only son?"

"Yes," replied the man, "He is six years old."

"I thought so," her father said. "I believe you two are starting a dojo here as well?"

"Yes, we teach Namikawa Karate…"

They continued talking, and Asuka kept her attention at Kenichi. After another staring contest she smiled. "Hi there," she said cheerfully. "Will you be going to the private school? I am. I used to go the public school but the kids were mean to me, so I switched and now I go there. It's really, really fun, you'll have a lot of fun there if you go there, are you going to be in the first grade? I'm in the first grade. If you are then maybe we'll be in the same class, if you're going to the private school, what school are you going to?" She said this all really fast.

Kenichi blinked in surprise, however, he kept his cool. "I'm in the first grade," he said, "I don't know what school I'll go to."

"Well you should go to the private one. That's where I go now. It's really fun; I have a lot of friends. I didn't like the public school, the kids there were mean to me."

"Why were they mean?" he asked.

She shrugged. "'Cause I was different. My mother died when I was really, really little. I don't know her, but my father misses her lots. And the kids there were really bad, so I tried to tell on them and stuff and we got into lots of fights."

"You fight?" he asked again.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! I just started. My father owns a dojo where he teaches other people the Kazama style of fighting. We're really, really good!"

"My parents own a dojo also," he said coolly. "I started last year. I bet I'm a better fighter than you."

"Are not!" she said angrily.

"Are too. I started earlier and you're just a girl."

Asuka was fuming. She hated it when boys treated girls differently. "Just 'cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm not a good fighter!"

"Sure it does."

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Fine. When the adults aren't around then I'll fight you and show you."

"Fine!" she stuck out her tongue at him and he stuck out his. She made a face at him. He did so as well. This caused her to giggle.

"What!" he asked.

"Because!" she giggled, "You look funny like that!"

"Are you saying I look weird?" he demanded.

"Nu-uh! You always look serious and mean, but when you make faces you look different!"

He considered what she said. "I don't mean to look mean."

"Well you are," she said, "Like when you said I was a bad fighter. You don't even know how I fight!"

"Fine then," he said.

"Say your sorry then," she teased.

"No!" he said, angry.

"All right, all right. But you're still weird."

"Well so are you. I bet you're really dumb."

"No I'm not!"

"Ok, fine. Gomen nasai."

"All right then."

"Asuka," her father called out for her. "Let's go now."

She nodded. Then she turned to Kenichi. "I'll see you tomorrow. Then I'll fight you!"

He nodded. "All right. Sayonara."

As Asuka walked by her father back to their house, he asked her, "So, did you make friends with Kenichi?"

She thought a moment, realizing she didn't even know if Kenichi was her friend or not. She shrugged. "He's kinda mean," she said, "But not really."

Her father looked curious. "So do you like him?"

She paused. He's different, she thought, but...

I still don't know if he was my friend or not. And to this day, Kenichi still remains a mystery. But I do know one thing: on the first day of First Grade when he entered my classroom, he became my rival. He was my match, my equal, and my enemy. Now, however, he is my most trusted ally.

I would not be the same without him. I have grown to share a mutual respect towards him, despite the fact he was my ultimate and hated rival. And because of him, that to this day of my death, I still share that sense of trust, despite his enigmatic being. There are just so many soul mates you don't get a chance to meet in life. He was my soul mate...

Sachi Gosetsuke: hahaha! I finally proved that Asuka does in fact mean birds: "soaring bird" or "flying bird"…it also means sweet fragrance or something and they said that this one girl in an anime show named Asuka acted all tough and stuff like our Asuka, yet in the inside she was shy and insecure. Can you believe it? Well review please!