Chapter Fifty-Nine
The Next Evening
Cave Grounds
Sitting in front of the lit campfire, Nightwolf and Dan sat with their legs crossed as they stared into the blazing flames before them. Just moments ago, Nightwolf had invited Dan to join him here, but didn't specify why. Considering that the final day of the tournament was tomorrow and that the group would be departing Outworld in two days, Dan had the feeling that today was the final day of his training with the shaman.
For a while, the two of them were silent as Dan reflected on all of Nightwolf's teaching these passed few weeks. Eventually, Nightwolf brought up a small brown pouch which looked to be filled up.
"Tonight," the shaman began to say. "You will have your final test. I have taught you much since the beginning of your studies and I have confidence that you will continue with your mental training after your final test. If you pass tonight, you will complete your training."
Dan nodded. "I hope I do well in my test."
Nightwolf began opening the pouch he had in his hands. "This is how your final test will go… you will be put in a deep sleep and from there, your mind will bring you to another place. From there, you will begin your final journey. I am not sure where your journey will take you and what will occur there. All I can advise to you is to be prepared for anything."
"I understand," Dan replied with a small nod.
The shaman reached his hand into the pouch then. "Are you ready?"
The pink-clad man took a deep breath for a moment. "Yes, I'm ready," he soon said.
Nightwolf took his hand out of the pouch after collecting some green dust. He unraveled his hand before blowing the dust into the fire. This caused the flames to ignite more and from there, he made a few chants in a different language. Dan could only watch as he waited for his final test to begin.
Eventually, a green mist rose from the fire, flowing around the student and master for a while. Soon, the mist shot itself around Dan, spinning itself around him before disintegrating into thin air. Afterwards, Dan suddenly felt tired and before he knew it, he collapsed on to his back, now in his deep sleep.
Nightwolf placed his hands on his own knees and closed his eyes once he knew that Dan was asleep. "May your spirit guide you," he said.
Beach
"I'm so glad we have this water here," mentioned Mi-na as she dipped her hands into the water. "I don't know what I would do if we didn't."
"Tell me about it," agreed Xianghua. "But I was sure they would… what realm doesn't have water?"
"That's true."
The two Keisei natives began cleaning their hands off under the water after making dinner for themselves and their allies a while ago. As they did, Mi-na happened to look at her friend and noticed the confused expression on her face.
Hmm, wonder what this is all about? she thought.
"Say," Mi-na said out loud. "Are you thinking about something?"
"Huh," Xianghua uttered a little. She blinked a couple of times before turning her head to Mina. Afterwards, she smiled. "Yeah, everything is fine."
Mi-na stared at her, noting that her smiled seemed a bit forced. "I don't think it is. You know you can talk about anything with me."
Xianghua's smile faded before sighing a bit. She took her hands out from the water before sitting down on the sand.
"To be honest," Xianghua began. "I really don't know what to think. It's something that's been bothering me for quite some time."
"Is it about what happened with that jerk back at the palace?" Mi-na asked.
Xianghua shook her head. "I'm still shaken up over that, but actually that's wasn't what I was thinking."
"Oh?" Mi-na said curiously.
Once again, Xianghua took another sigh before proceeding. "Well… I've had feelings for someone for quite sometime… but the thing is, I know that he has feelings for someone else. I've been trying the best I can to get over him. I wanted to move on and just be friends with him as I always have been… but… I don't know."
"Well, I'm not the best when it comes to advice, but I'll do the best I can," Mi-na said as she took her hands out of the water. "For one thing, I'd say it could be worth the shot. Don't wait around for him… go to him before it's too late. But if he really likes the girl he likes, then there's nothing that can be done." Mi-na couldn't help but grin then. "I wonder… who is he?"
"Um-" Xianghua began to say but then noticed someone coming. "Hey Hwang!"
Mi-na turned her head around and saw her long-time friend coming up to them. Hwang had a relaxed look on his face, but Mi-na could tell by the looks in his dark eyes that something was up.
"Let me guess," Mi-na began to say. "You want to do more training?"
"Actually not this time," Hwang replied. "But I want to talk to you about something very important… preferably before we return to Keisei."
Mi-na sighed. "This isn't about how we came here to begin with, is it?"
Hwang was silent. Mi-na frowned a bit as she realized how truly serious he was.
Before she could speak, Xianghua stood herself up. "Well I should head back in anyway. So I'll leave you two to talk."
"All right," Mina said. "I'll see you later."
Xianghua nodded before she began heading back to the cave. Unknown to anyone, Jade was hiding behind a tree. She had arrived moments ago to the beach area to train and happened to have heard Mina and Xianghua's conversation. The only reason she was hiding behind the tree was so that Hwang didn't see her.
After what Xianghua had said, Jade had the feeling that the man Xianghua was talking about was none other than Kilik.
Main Palace
There was hardly anyone around when a cloaked figure slowly made their way through the main hall of the palace. The figure would only move whenever the few people weren't looking. When not a single soul was in sight, the figure made their way up the stairs, eventually coming to the fourth floor.
Two people were in the hall of the fourth floor, forcing the cloaked figure to hide behind one of the gargoyle statues, one of the many decorations in the palace. It waited until the coast was clear before making a move, walking before finally stopping in front of one of the doors.
Softly, the figured knocked on the door, then waited. It wasn't long before someone opened the door, revealing to be Siegfried.
"May I help you?" he asked.
The figure removed the hood of the dark blue cloak and Siegfried's eyes widened in surprise upon recognizing the person.
"Kitana…" he trailed off before stepping aside to let her in. Kitana moved herself into the room and once she was in, Siegfried closed the door before locking it. "What are you-"
"I had to see you," Kitana quickly cut in. "My mother didn't want me to, but I just had to, especially with tomorrow being our last day here…"
"I know," Siegfried hushed her. He then stared at her. "I haven't seen you since our walk."
"Yeah," Kitana sighed. She then looked into his eyes. "How are you? I mean, you lost the tournament…"
Siegfried sighed a little. "I am disappointed over my loss… but… I get the feeling that I may be better off. I don't know why I do to tell you the truth…"
Actually, there was no truth in what he just said. Of course he wanted the medallion in order to finally lift the curse that was on his shoulders. He was definitely more than disappointed in himself over his loss yesterday.
Then again, after seeing his opponent Jin struggle in the nearly the same matter as him, there was an off chance that Jin had a very good reason for needing the medallion as well.
They were both determined to win… but it would seem that Jin was destined for the medallion…
That is, if he wins tomorrow of course.
After thinking through this, Siegfried found himself gazing into Kitana's eyes, frowning a bit as he did. He knew that she had feelings for him ever since the single kiss they shared the last time they saw each other… but he knew that he that he was having the same thoughts as well.
However, he didn't want to get too close to her… not with the situation he was having right now.
After thinking through this, Siegfried spoke. "Are you hungry?"
Kitana shook her head. "No, I ate just before coming here. I might be thirsty later though."
Siegfried nodded. "All right. I have some water up here so help yourself when you're ready."
"Thank you," Kitana said as he walked over to his bed. She took a moment to take off her cloak, placing it on top of the empty stand nearby before sitting down at the edge of the bed. After she sat down, Siegfried walked over to her and sat down next to her.
"I know it's been hard," Siegfried mentioned. "I wish things were easier."
Kitana nodded. "I know… I just want this to be over. Outworld has done nothing but serve bad memories for me."
Siegfried found himself reaching his hand up to her cheek before gently brushing it with the back of his fingers. "It doesn't have to be all about the bad memories. Try to focus on the good."
If you only you knew… Kitana found herself thinking.
Silence fell between them for a moment. Kitana tried to figure out what to say, but she eventually found herself leaning her face towards Siegfried's before pressing her lips against his. For a moment, Siegfried was still, but he soon returned the kiss. He wrapped one arm around her back and brought her closer to him.
For a while, the two shared a soft kiss. Afterward, however, they began to deepen their kiss. Despite their own doubts from previous, they were able to clear their minds in order to enjoy this moment. For once in their lives, they weren't concerned over any worries they just had moments ago. Yes, Siegfried had thoughts of not wanting to get too close to Kitana…but it would seem that his heart had won it's own battle over his mind.
Soon, the two found themselves lying back on the bed they were sitting on. As the minutes passed, they eventually found themselves in a fit of passion…
Cave
Jin walked through the cave hall, passing by the rooms before stopping in front of one. He stood there for a moment and was able to hear some rustling from behind the closed curtain.
This particular room belonged to Cammy. Jin knew that she was taking a nap and he wanted to check up on her before going outside to train in order to prepare himself for tomorrow. If she happened to be up at this point, he planned on telling her of course. If not, he would leave a note for her.
Jin pulled the curtain aside and peaked into the room. Just as he did, he heard a gasp coming from the room. Jin looked over at where Cammy was confused for a moment. She was sitting up in her bed, her eyes widened as though she had just seen a ghost. However, it was the fact that she looked very pale was what got Jin wondering…
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he walked over to Cammy and sat next to her on the bed.
Cammy took a moment to take a few breaths to calm her shaking nerves before turning to him. "Um nothing… I just had a freaky dream."
Jin placed a hand on her shoulder. "That bad?"
"In a way… yeah…" Cammy took another deep breath before continuing. "The whole thing just felt so real. I felt like I was really there."
"Do you mind describing it to me?" Jin asked curiously.
"Well… if you insist." Cammy briefly wiped the sweat that was developing over her face. "Where do I begin… I was back on Earth. That I figured because there were stars in the dark sky. I remember walking through the forests and I think I was running as though I was trying to get away from something."
As Cammy spoke, Jin moved himself so that he was slightly behind her. He then took both of his hands and gently rubbed her shoulders. She had stopped speaking for a moment as she felt him massaging her.
"Go on," Jin encouraged.
Cammy took another deep breath before proceeding. "At one point, I tripped. When I turned around, I saw this demon not too far from me. He had all of these features… chains on his arms and legs, horns on his head, various black tattoos on his body, and black feathered wings so long, I thought they may reach out and touch me. What was more horrifying was his eyes… they were a bright gray and they glowed so brightly… that was when I woke up, but I can't get the image out of my mind…"
Long before she finished, Jin had stopped massaging her shoulders. Looking down at the bed, his dark eyes were widened and his mouth was gapped opened with horror…
He remembered his own dreams… envisioning the being that was his devil gene… and Cammy's description of the devil was the same exact one that was in his blood. He never said a thing to her about it… yet she dreamed of the one thing he feared of… for him to change into the devil and go after her…
Please tell me it's all just a coincidence… Jin pleaded.
As Jin's mind raced, Cammy realized that he had stopped moving. She reached for one of his hands with her own and placed it on top. For a brief moment, she noted how tense his hand was, but within less than a second, they relaxed.
"Are you okay?" Cammy asked him.
Jin blinked for a moment upon hearing her voice. Afterward, he lifted his head up just in time to see her turn her head to look at him.
"Sorry, I'm okay," Jin replied. "Um… that was some dream you had."
"Yeah," Cammy nodded.
"Actually," Jin began to say. "I originally came here to tell you that I'm going to go out to the forest to train for a little while in case you or anyone else need me for anything."
Cammy managed to smile. "Okay, you go do that." She then leaned forward to briefly kiss his lips. "After all, you have a big day tomorrow."
"Yeah," Jin smirked as he got himself up. "I should be back in a couple of hours."
Soon Jin began leaving the room. Upon completely stepping out, the horrified look returned to him. For some reason, he couldn't help but worry more about his devil gene than tomorrow's match…
Unknown Area
For some time, a white light hit Dan and he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to see this light. Eventually though, the light finally disappeared. Dan blinked a couple of times before he began looking at his surroundings…he was surrounded by countless mountains and the sky above was a blood red. Blackened barks was a reminder that a forest once stood there.
Dan narrowed his eyes a little. "Where am I?" he asked out loud.
All was quiet around him aside from the wind that blew around him. From there, he was supposed to begin on his final journey to complete his mental training with Nightwolf.
"I don't even know where to begin," he muttered to himself with a bit of confusion.
Unknown to him, a tall, muscular blackened figure with glowing red eyes began to approach Dan from behind. Unaware, Dan continued to look at the area in front of him. Then the figure let out a small grunt, making Dan's eyes widened in surprise. He turned his head around and saw the shadow standing a few feet away.
Dan gave off a goofy grin out of nervousness. "Um, hello there," he found himself saying.
The shadow let out another grunt before throwing his hand forward. Quickly, a red fire-like project shot out from his hand and aimed straight towards Dan.
"Yipe!" Dan cried out as he quickly ducked underneath the projectile, covering his head with his hands in the process.
After the fireball passed him, Dan straightened himself back up. "All right, that only just caught me by surprise." He then got himself in a fighting stance. "Now… let's begin."
The shadow's eyes seemed to glow more in reply. Afterward, he began running towards Dan, who stood where he was ready to fight.
The shadow attacked with a forward kick, a maneuver in which Dan ducked from immediately. Dan then tried to follow up with a punch to the stomach, but the shadow immediately blocked with his forearm. He then took the back of his other hand and managed to smack Dan in the face, the impact causing the Saikyo fighter to stagger back while holding his nose.
After he stopped staggering, Dan shook off the pain. "All right, a little mistake on my part… let's try again."
With his fists raised, Dan ran back over to his opponent. Upon reaching him, he began throwing some punches at the shadow… all in which were blocked. Eventually, the shadow found an opening and quickly kneed Dan in the stomach, causing him to keel over as a rush of air left his lungs. Then, the shadow took his elbow and bashed Dan's back, forcing him to crash into the ground.
Dan gritted his teeth in order to ignored the pain that was now coursing through his body. He then happened to look up and saw his opponent's foot raised above him. Knowing what he was about to do, Dan quickly rolled a few feet out of the way just as the shadow brought his foot down. Afterward, the pink-clad man managed to get himself back on his feet.
"Taste this!" Dan called out as he quickly shot his hand out. "Gadouken!"
A light blue projectile shot out of his hand. However, it only went a few feet before bursting into nothing like a bubble. Dan's eyes widened upon seeing this.
"Damn… I still have to work on that!"
The shadow began running over to Dan once again. He then began delivering different attacks on Dan, who was forced to block with his arms… for a moment. Soon, the shadow managed to break through Dan's block, landing some of his punches before kicking Dan in the stomach, forcing him to fly a few yards back before skidding on the ground, eventually coming to a halt.
Dan looked down at the ground as he gritted his teeth… this time out of frustration.
Damn it, I have to focus! he yelled in his mind. If I don't, I'll fail… and that's the last thing I want!
Dan tried thinking back on all of Nightwolf's teachings. It wasn't long before one of Nightwolf's lessons came to him;
When confronting your enemy, you must not think about your worries and your weakness. Focus on your true potential.
Dan relaxed after thinking these words. "All right… I'll keep that in mind…" He then slowly got himself back up, ready to fight once again. This time however, he concentrated on the energy within him. Already, he could feel some power within his own hands, but he knew that he had to work on this a bit longer in order to get a better result.
The shadow had made his way halfway back to Dan up to this point. Dan noted the emotionless expression in the glowing red eyes of his opponent… it would see as though he knew nothing of what may come.
Good… it's just what I needed, Dan thought with a smirk.
Then, the shadow let out a loud grunt and he began running closer to Dan. When he was just a few feet away, the right moment came.
"GADOUKEN!" Dan yelled out as he shot his hand out. The new energy ball was the same size as his original, but this time it was able to last long time to cover the distance between him and his opponent. And this time, it managed to hit the shadow right in the chest, the impact sending him flying a few feet away before crashing into the ground.
"Gotcha!" Dan called out. "Now we're getting somewhere!"
He waited until the shadow got himself back on his feet. The narrow look in his eyes showed his rage and this time, he let out a loud roar before running over to Dan again.
Dan focused his energy again, hoping that his next attack would leave an even better impact. He waited until the shadow was just a foot away… and soon that moment came.
"KORYUKEN!" Dan yelled out as he jumped with his fist out. As he performed the uppercut, he managed to hit the shadow under the chin. Normally, Dan would jump about a foot or two from the ground. This time however, much to Dan's amazement, he managed to go a few more feet up, taking his opponent along with him.
Soon, Dan found himself falling back to the ground and his used his own feet to land back on the ground safely. Moments later, the shadow landed on the ground hard on his back. Dan got himself in his own fighting stance, waiting for the shadow to get himself back up. However, that moment never happened.
Dan lowered his fists down upon realizing that he was the victor of this match. "I won?" he questioned himself. He then raised his fist up in the air. "I did it!"
However, before he would celebrate further, a white light hit his eyes once again…
Beach Area
Hwang and Mi-na sat down together just a few feet away from the shoreline. Moments ago, Hwang had arrived here after seeing Mi-na here with Xianghua. After Hwang announced that he needed to talk to Mina, Xianghua left the two alone. That was a couple of minutes ago.
Now Hwang was about to get the answers he wanted since day one.
Once they were settled, Mi-na turned to her long-time friend. "So what is it that you want to talk about?" she asked.
Hwang sighed a bit before replying. "Well, as you guessed, I did want to talk about what happened the day you ran off from home. It was why I followed you here rather than just try to drag you back to the village. I think you had a good reason for running off like you did."
For a moment, Mi-na was silent, unsure of what to say. Indeed she had her reason for running away from home and she had been hesitant about telling Hwang her reason. However, now seemed like the right time talk about, especially with their departure coming in two days.
"Hwang," Mi-na began to say. "You know how much I love my father. Ever since my mother and brother died, we've only had each other. However, a situation came up and… I just can't go through with it."
"What kind of situation?" Hwang asked.
Mi-na sighed deeply before continuing. "…My father has set up an arranged marriage for me. The wedding is actually supposed to take place next month."
Hwang raised an eyebrow in confusion. "An arranged marriage? Master never mentioned anything about that."
"He wanted it to be a surprise," Mi-na mentioned. "Only few knew about it." She took another breath before continuing. "Do you remember that rich farmer just outside of the city?"
Hwang tried to think for a moment, but it soon clicked in his mind. "Reeh Tak?"
Mi-na nodded in reply.
Immediately, Hwang rubbed the back of his neck in surprise. "Your father arranged a marriage for you with him?"
"I know," Mi-na said. "Father is unfortunately oblivious of the rumor of the way he's treated his last wife." An angry look appeared on her face. "True or not, I refuse to risk it, even if it will make us rich and my father happy. I really didn't know what else to do, so I ran away from home on the day I was supposed to officially meet him."
Mi-na turned her head to Hwang. Upon seeing his face, she became a bit surprised. His own eyes were widened as though he was in shock.
"What's the matter?" Mi-na asked him.
Hwang looked up at her after hearing her question. "If only I knew about the arrangement beforehand."
"What do you mean?" the young woman asked.
Her friend sighed a little. "I was at his land with my comrades the day his wife died. It was ruled a suicide… but sometimes, I've always wondered. I've been to the house more than once beforehand… it was always because they were arguing. Tak did look upset that day… but sometimes, I wonder…"
"I figured as much," Mi-na sighed. "But I get the feeling that my father won't believe a word I say about him."
Hwang placed a comforting hand on Mi-na's shoulder. "Try not to worry about it. We have another two days to try to figure out how to resolve the matter."
Mi-na nodded. "All I know is that I don't want to go back unless a change happens."
"I know," Hwang agreed. "But I promise that we'll figure out something before we leave."
Mi-na smirked at her childhood friend. "Thanks… for listening I mean."
"Not a problem," Hwang replied.
Main Palace
After what seemed like hours of passion, Siegfried now found himself lying in his bed on his back looking up at the cream-colored ceiling above. In his arms, Kitana was sound asleep, her soft rhythmic breathing the only sound in the room.
Siegfried felt tired, but he didn't want to go to sleep just yet. As he continued looking up at the ceiling, thoughts began to play in his head.
He knew that a part of him was happy and it wasn't just about what he and Kitana had shared not too long ago. For one thing, it so happened to be one of the few times that he didn't think about his problems. More importantly however, he realized how much he cared about the Edenian Princess.
However, another part of him felt grim. Of course, he wanted nothing more than to share (what was left of) his happiness with Kitana. Unfortunately, unless he could find a way to resolve his curse, then his chance of sharing more of his happiness may not happen…
Siegfried moved his head to look down at Kitana. Her head rested on his shoulder and one arm wrapped around his waist underneath the sheet. Siegfried's left arm was wrapped around her, his hand touching her back and his right hand rested on her upper arm. After looking at her for a moment, he reached up with his right hand and gently touched her face, frowning as the grim thoughts came back to him.
I wish things could be better for you, he thought.
Not even a second after thinking out, his right hand suddenly began to shake… much to his horror.
Siegfried pulled himself away from Kitana and moved himself so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He stared at his shaking hand, the horror on his face now replaced with anger.
Why now?! he demanded in his mind.
For a while, Siegfried forced himself to open and close his hand into a fist in hopes of trying to control the curse that was now trying to take over him. Then, a deep, demonic voice spoke in his head.
Souls... must have... souls!The hand seemed to move then and Siegfried watched. Eventually it stopped… right in front of Kitana!
You can mutilate my own soul! Siegfried yelled out in his head as he gritted his teeth. But you won't take her's! Not even over my own dead body!
Siegfried closed his eyes tightly then, once again trying to control the cursed power.
"Siegfried?" a female voice suddenly said.
Suddenly, the shaking in his hand stopped and he opened his eyes. Suddenly, all seemed silent. Siegfried found himself catching his own breath and he scanned the room for a moment before he laid eyes on Kitana. The Princess was sitting up on her bed with the sheet covering her and he possessed a worried look on her face.
"Is everything all right?" Kitana asked him with concern. "You seemed like you were in pain."
Siegfried wasn't sure what to say at that moment. All he was able to do was hang his head down, not wanting her to see the disappointed look that was just developing over him. This all because of a realization that just came to him…
I could've killed her tonight… he thought grimly.
From that moment, Siegfried realized that he had to do something… something that was going to hurt both he and Kitana. He did care for her, but he couldn't risk being near her anymore, not with his curse… not with her life at stake.
Siegfried managed to raise his head to her. "Kitana… we need to talk."
"About what?" the young woman asked.
Siegfried sighed a bit before continuing. "I really don't know how to say it… but… I'm going through a crisis right now. It involves a curse that I'm trying to get rid of. Right now… it's just too dangerous for you to be around me…"
A frown immediately came over Kitana's lips. "So you're saying that we can't see each other anymore?"
Siegfried shook his head. "No… just from this point until I can finally get rid of this curse. I'm sorry Kitana… I'm only putting you in more danger if you continue to stay with me."
After hearing these words, Kitana was able to feel her own heart breaking. Even though he said that they could be reunited in the future, it still hurt to hear him say these words.
Perhaps we were never meant to be… she thought sadly.
Without saying anymore to him, Kitana got herself out of bed. She then grabbed her dark blue cloak and placed it over her body before collecting her other clothing from the floor. Siegfried could only watch this. Kitana then began to head to the door, but upon touching the knob, she stopped herself. She stood there for a few seconds before turning her head to Siegfried.
The two stared at each other in silence for a while before Kitana finally spoke while trying to hold her tears back. "I've enjoyed our time together Siegfried. I hope that you will able to lift your curse. When you do… come see me in Edenia."
With that, Kitana took her leave. Siegfried could only watch again as she stepped out of the room before closing the door behind her. Afterward, Siegfried began to have the feeling that he would never see Kitana again…
Cave Grounds
For a while, Dan could only see a white light in front of his eyes. Not too long ago, he fought a shadowed figure in a deserted area. As he waited for the light to fade away, he wondered if his final test would continue forward or if it was the end.
Soon, the light indeed faded away and all Dan could see was darkness. He then realized that his eyes were closed, so he slowly opened them. He found himself lying down on his back and after stretching himself a bit, he slowly got himself back up.
Afterwards, Dan looked at his surroundings… he was back in front of the campfire. The fire itself was close to going out. He then turned to his right and saw Nightwolf. He was still in his cross legged position, but this time his eyes were opened.
"Congratulations," Nightwolf said. "You have passed your final test. You were able to realize your errors during your fight and were able to concentrate on the fight and the energies around you. I have watched your vision through my meditation."
"So," Dan began to say. "You're now saying that my training is complete."
Nightwolf nodded a little. "In a way, yes. Even though my teachings are over, that does not mean that the journey itself has come to an end. Even the masters continue with their practices long after their own training has been completed. Always take your teachings along with your in your future journeys."
Dan nodded. "I don't know if I can thank you enough. I appreciate you giving me the chance and patience to teach me what I need to know." Then an idea came to him. "Say… can we mediate just one last time?"
Nightwolf placed his hands on his own knees as a small smirk came over his face. "Yes we may… you've earned it."
With that, the two spent some time in their meditating state.
Forest
For sometime, Jin quietly trained just near the edge of the forest. During that time, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't get his mind off of what happened before coming here. Cammy had a dream about a demon… and that demon had the same description of the one that was part of his devil gene.
Jin was hoping that the dream was nothing more than a coincidence. However, he still had his doubts. Then again, there was no way that Cammy would have been influenced by the devil's energy. After all, Jin had been up the entire time she was taking a nap earlier.
I just hope that this doesn't leave a bad omen, he thought.
Jin wasn't sure how long he had been training before he decided to call it a night. As he took a moment to relax himself, he looked up into the blue starless night above him. Normally, the moon was bright, but it seemed to be dim this time around.
That's when a voice was heard, a voice that suddenly said his name. "Jin Kazama!"
Jin quickly whirled around to see the person behind him. Even before he saw the person, he realized that he wasn't able to recognize the voice and was expecting an enemy to be nearby. A tall person stood a few feet away from him… he was indeed a man, but seemed to look like a cross of a demon and an alien due to his usual outfit and mask.
Jin didn't get into his fighting stance, but he was prepared to fight if this person ended up being a threat. "Who are you?" the young man demanded.
The person began to walk towards him. "There's no need to be alarmed, I don't wish to fight. My name is Yoshimitsu."
Jin instantly recognized that name. "You're the one who helped Nina and Raven a few days ago. And you're the one who knows the true nature of the medallion."
"Precisely," Yoshimitsu replied. "Speaking of the medallion, that is the reason why I've come to you tonight."
"I've figured as much," Jin said.
By now, Yoshimitsu was standing a couple of feet away from the young man. "Tomorrow, you face Ivy in the final round of the tournament. As a former wielder of the medallion, there is a question I want to personally ask you."
Jin nodded. "Go on."
Silence lingered between them for a moment before Yoshimitsu asked his question. "Say that you win the tournament and receive your prize… what do you plan to do with that medallion?"
Jin tried not to grunt by this question… his allies back at the cave have been asking him this very question all day and he was already unraveling his nerves from the inside. He had only given them the same answer: 'I don't know.'
However, this time, the question was coming from the last man who held the medallion in his hands… the very medallion that changed him into the form that he was in now. The question didn't seem important when his friends asked him this… yet now, it seemed to be so important now that Yoshimitsu was asking the question.
Jin decided to give Yoshimitsu half the answer. "After the tournament, I plan to hand the medallion over to Raiden and Rose. From there, they will see to it's destruction."
"Excellent," Yoshimitsu replied. "I have heard of Raiden before… a great Thunder God indeed. I believe you've made a good choice. You are indeed worthy of victory tomorrow."
A question popped into Jin's head. "Have you talked to Ivy about the medallion?"
Immediately, Yoshimitsu shook his head. "No… as a matter of fact, I don't think she even has a room in the palace."
To Jin, there seemed to be only one reason for that. "Do you think she may be allied with Shao Kahn?"
"It's possible," Yoshimitsu replied. "But that may not be true either. Do keep it in mind… just in case."
From there, Yoshimitsu began walking away. As he did, he spoke one last time. "Good luck tomorrow."
Jin nodded with a single reply. He took a deep sigh as thoughts came to him. In his own point of view, he's never even heard about Ivy until the sixth round of the tournament. Now with Yoshimitsu's mention of her not having a room in the palace, there was a possibility that she may be working for Shao Kahn. Of course, that might not be true, but the young man wouldn't be surprised if it was.
And if Ivy did work for Shao Kahn, it was another reason for him to be determined in winning his match tomorrow.
Tomorrow… Jin was going to have a big responsibility…