Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken

A/N: How's it going? I'm glad you're here, and thanks for reading. Well, fortunately and unfortunately, we've come to the last chapter. This is the true ending, because, like I said earlier, I wasn't going end the story with the tragic series of events in 'Requiem of Jin'. Also, just so you know, because of the amount of sadness in that chapter, I allowed myself to be more sentimental in this chapter, so it's a little sugary. Anyway, let us get on to the conclusion. And here … we … go:

The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7: A Final Tragedy for the Finest Future

A Hero's Reward for Sacrifice

To my wife, Ling Xiaoyu…

This is a journal of my final days, my last accounts… More than anything, Xiao… these are for you. This is what was happening with me all those times you asked me how I was, and I didn't answer. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, I'm sorry you have to find out this way, and I'm sorry that I hurt you… I hope that as you read this, you know that I always thought of you and the twins…

Xiao… I never said much to you, did I? I never really told you what I thought… How I felt… What you really meant to me? Before, I was angry, bitter, sad, and … eventually, I got trapped in it all. Then, you came along, and save me from myself. You were always kind to me, even I was indifferent to you. You were always happy to me, even when I ignored you. You … believed in me when I gave you reasons to doubt me. You stood by my side when you had every reason to desert me. You helped remember who I was, and helped me become who I am. You loved me when no one else did.

Xiao… You're the first person I ever made friends with. You're the only woman I ever desired. You're the only woman I fell in love with. You, for the longest time, were the first person I saw when I woke up, the first person I thought of during the day, the first person I saw when I got home, and the last person I saw every day. I wouldn't change any of it. You … are the best choice I've ever made, and the best part of me. I only thought these things happened in movies and I definitely never thought it would happen to, of all people, me… But you, Xiao, are the love of my life. You mean everything to me, and I love you more than anything or anyone in the world!

Now, even as I prepare to leave against my will, you are the one that is really on my mind. It hurts that I will be taken away from you, but even more that it will hurt you too. Still, if nothing else, please know this: you are the light of my world, and, even though, it wasn't perfect. My life was worth living because of you. My heart will always belong to you.

Yours always, now and forever,

Jin Kazama

----

Every time Xiaoyu read the passage, it brought a tear to her eyes. Yet, every day since Jin's passing, Xiaoyu would take out that red journal, flip open its cover, and slowly read that first page dedicating the account in her name…

---

The remaining four months leading up her due date were nothing sort of a struggle for Xiaoyu. All the usual symptoms attributed to pregnancy were multiplied by two. Complications such as a spike in her blood pressure and an irregularity kept arising. Her fatigue, the pain, and her discomfort all seemed amplified … and her broken heart didn't help or make things any easier. Nevertheless, Asuka, Miharu, Lili, Lee, and even Lars (especially those two since they already had children) helped her in every way possible. Their support, Jin's last words, and her inherent love for her children all helped keep her going. Finally, through everything, she carried them to term.

Right before her due date, several complications suddenly became progressively worse. Xiaoyu's pressure suddenly spiked, and she came to face a serious threat of preeclampsia. As a result, the twins couldn't be born naturally, and had to be delivered through Caesarian. The twins, however, were born in very good health, but that wasn't even the end of it…

Both of them cried unceasingly, only stopping to eat and sleep. It baffled all the doctors that came to see them; the twins were in very good health, had no illnesses, and had no preexisting conditions, but they just kept crying. Haku and Jun, in spite of their health, were simply inconsolable. Of course, Xiaoyu had an idea as to why they were so troubled, and she sympathized. In fact, she didn't even seem to hear them crying; she simply held them while telling 'Mommy knows'. The whole first week went like this.

-----

Xiaoyu and the twins were kept in the hospital for observation, the doctors monitoring Xiaoyu's status and continuing to research Haku and Jun's condition. Late one night, the new mother and the infants were asleep, the babies in their cribs close to Xiaoyu. Suddenly, Xiaoyu woke up; she was unsure why, but suddenly she was lucid and wide-awake. She shuffled up to a seated position, and turned on the fluorescent light above her head.

Incredibly, something started to … appear. A light across from her in the darkness of the rest of the room emerged. At first, it started out very dull, but soon it waxed very bright, and began to form a … human shape. As the figure became ever clearer, the light quickly burst and revealed … Jin, wearing pure white clothes and glowing ever so slightly!!!

Watching all of this unfold, Xiaoyu sat speechless, agape to what was right in front of her. Then, once she saw who it was, she wasn't sure whether to scream and run, or jump up and down happily. She wasn't even sure if she was still dreaming. Seeing the astonishment on her face, Jin waved at her, as of trying to shake her out of it.

Xiaoyu asked haltingly, wondering if she even dare hoping that it was him, "J… Jin-kun… Is that … you?!?!"

Jin replied with a smile and a brief nod.

Completely thunderstruck and wondering if it was all a dream, Xiaoyu continued, not believing it, "How… H-How are you here?!"

Jin slowly unfurled one of his wings, and pointed to it…

Trying to deduce this response, Xiaoyu said with uncertainty, "… Because of your power?"

Jin nodded as he retracted his wing. He then pointed to himself, made a swift cutthroat motion, pointed to the twins, and finally to Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu paused a moment as she pieced things together when she figured it out, "… Because you sacrificed yourself for us."

Jin again replied with a nod and a smile at her correct deduction; Xiaoyu still had more questions to ask.

Still unsure if it was a dream or not, Xiaoyu inquired further, "How… How long can you stay? … And what's wrong with your voice?"

Jin lifted on finger while making a circle with his other hand…

Xiaoyu, starting to believe now, asked as some happiness started to fill her, "You can stay for … 1 hour?!"

Jin nodded, and continued, pointing to his neck as he waves on finger from side-to-side…

"You can't … talk?" Xiaoyu said as she got the whole situation together, "You can stay for an hour but you can't speak …?"

Jin confirmed it with a nod. He then raised his arms as he shrugged as if to say 'I don't know; I didn't make the rules'.

Reaching more than actually expecting, Xiaoyu spontaneously asked, "Can I … can I touch you?"

Jin approached, rounding to the side of the bed, and sat next to her. Apprehensive to say the least, Xiaoyu very slowly lifted her hands, and touched his face, laying her hand on his cheek… Incredibly, it was solid, and warm; it felt the way it always had, the way Xiaoyu remembered it. As it sunk, almost as extra proof, Jin put his hand over hers, and it felt the same as it always had. Xiaoyu let out a gasp as her mouth fell open and her eyes grew wide for a moment, but she soon broke into a smile. She wasn't dreaming, and she believed now…

Her eyes glistening as tears started to from, Xiaoyu exclaimed, "… Jin-kun!"

In a flash, Xiaoyu longingly and lovingly embraced Jin; she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands gripping him tightly as tears of joy flowed from her.

So far in rapture and joy that she could barely speak, Xiaoyu expressed through her tears, "I … can't believe it… It's really you… I missed you soooo much…"

Jin quickly returned the embrace, saying 'I missed you too' without words. His presence answered Xiaoyu's prayers personally, and she was overjoyed, to put it mildly. She had only recently resigned to herself that he was gone, but seeing him again was something she wanted, craved, and even ached for what seemed like forever, to just see him, to hold him, to feel him one more time. Being with him now even for that moment was the greatest thing ever.

Suddenly, Haku woke up, and, as he'd done throughout his extremely young life, immediately began crying. This reminded Jin of the other reason he had come back. Answering his son's call, Jin got up, walked over, and picked the newborn up, cradling his son in his arms. Incredibly … Haku instantly stopped crying! The newborn actually started happily cooing, gurgling, laughing, and making other joyous infant noises.

It was about a second of looking at Haku that Jin really realized what he was doing, and his excitement over the whole situation was clear. His eyes suddenly lit up, and a huge smile spread across his face. Xiaoyu had to smile at Jin's reaction; she'd never seen Jin so happy. In fact, Jin was not sure if he'd ever been that happy. He looked to Xiaoyu, and pointed to Haku.

"This is myson!"

Not long after her brother, Jun stirred, and, as she'd done as well, instantly started crying. Answering his daughter's cry and giving her the same treatment, Jin carefully handed Haku to Xiaoyu, walked back over, and picked up the infant girl, cradling her. Like her twin, Jun instantly calmed, and started blissfully chirping, giggling, smiling, and expressing joy.

Jin very easily and very quickly fell for his daughter. He could only stared at her, his mouth slightly open in awe, as she merrily looked back at him. Jun was just so beautiful, so innocent, and so precious. Without even thinking about it, Jin held the girl extra tight, and, almost in response, Jun clung tightly to her father. The two loved each other instantly.

Jin sat back on the bed next to Xiaoyu, and continued to gaze at his two happy children. Xiaoyu looked on as Jin did something he'd never allowed himself do before and something Xiaoyu had never seen him do. Jin's eyes became cloudy and started to well up. He then shed a smile for Haku and Jun as two joyous tears rolled down his face. For the first time, he'd actually allowed himself to show how happy he was.

Touched by the sight, Xiaoyu responded, "Aww, Jin-kun…"

Jin wiped away his tears as he pointed to Haku and Jun, and then to Xiaoyu and himself…

"These are our kids, Xiao-chan!"

Xiaoyu blissfully replied, "I know. They're beautiful, aren't they? … I think this is the first time they've smiled; they've been crying a lot."

Jin nodded, pointed to his ear, and then pointed upward…

"I know. I could hear them all the way up there."

Xiaoyu giggled, and said, "You did? Well … I think they just wanted to see you…"

Jin lightly touched Xiaoyu's chest right over her heart, and pointed to the twins…

"They felt what you felt."

Xiaoyu paused as she looked at her children before saying, "They were right… I wasn't sure I could do it without you."

Jin took Xiaoyu's hand in his…

"You did great. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, but…" Xiaoyu replied, "It's still much better having you here."

And so, Jin and Xiaoyu spent most of their time talking … so to speak. The two of them were in tune that Xiaoyu didn't need to hear Jin to understand what he was saying, almost as if she could hear what he was thinking. The new parents spent time admiring the twins and playing with the ecstatic newborns. Most of all, they celebrated their extra time simply enjoying each other's company and expressing their love for one another. Eventually, Haku and Jun, satisfied with what they got, let out a simultaneous yawn and started to drift off into slumber.

Noticing, Xiaoyu observed, "Poor babies… I think they're ready to sleep now."

Agreeing, Jin, with Jun still lovingly nestled in his arms, rose to his feet, took his little girl to her crib, and kissed his daughter's head as he lowered her gently on to the soft bed. As soon as he got back to Xiaoyu, she handed Haku to him, and he gave his son the same treatment, taking him to his crib and kissing his head as he laid him down softly. The twins quickly drifted back to sleep at the same time as Jin affectionately looked on…

Without warning, Jin suddenly felt hollow for a moment, and saw himself beginning to fade. Xiaoyu looked on as he abruptly became transparent for a moment.

Xiaoyu reacted with worry, "Jin-kun, what was that?!"

Having an idea of the interference, Jin turned around, looked across the room, and pointed to clock mounted on the wall. Xiaoyu followed the suggestion, and made an unfortunate finding: Jin only had six minutes left.

Protesting the realization, Xiaoyu exclaimed, "No… It can't be one hour already. I'm not ready for you to go yet… I don't want you to go."

Jin pointed to himself with both hands as he shook his head…

"I don't want to leave either."

Jin then walked back over to her, took both her hands in his and held them against his chest…

"But don't worry; everything will be alright."

Xiaoyu then asking, wishing more than expecting "Is it possible… I mean, do you think there's any way you can come back?"

Jin paused as he pondered the question, evident by the inquisitive look on his face. Finally, he pointed to his eyes.

"I'll see."

Xiaoyu, trying to find the positive, expressed, "I'm still going to miss you… but I'm so glad to see you again."

Jin smiled as he pointed to the twins then Xiaoyu…

"I'm glad I could spend time with the twins and you too."

He let out a resolved sigh as he looked at the clock once more, and kissed Xiaoyu' hands…

"I'm sorry. It's time for me to go."

Clutching Jin's hands, Xiaoyu offered, "Wait, Jin-kun… Before you go, there's one last thing we need to do together … something we couldn't do last time."

Reading her mind, Jin moved closer to her, and … they kissed twice, kissing once, separating for a brief second, and kissing again. The first one was tender and shallow, a kiss for love and affection. The second one was deep and engaging, a kiss for passion and desire. This was another thing Xiaoyu had been craving in the past months. Jin and Xiaoyu savored their display and reluctant to separate, feeling each other's touch and tasting each other's kiss one more time.

Right in the middle of it, Asuka slipped into the room, thinking Xiaoyu was asleep, and her eyes instantly locked on the two of them kissing. Her mouth dropped with shock as she stood there silently, stunned at the sight. Xiaoyu and Jin didn't notice; they just kept going. Finally, they separated with a satisfied smack of the lips.

As she licked her lips, Xiaoyu complemented, "Wow… Your kissing is still the best there is."

Jin closed his eyes, and grinned as his shoulders started to bop up and down. No sound came out, of course, but it was obvious he was chuckling at Xiaoyu's praise. Now, it was really time to go. Jin looked up, and, upon seeing Asuka, gave her a short wave. He turned back to Xiaoyu, tenderly touching her face, causing her to place her hand over his. He then stood, looked at the blissfully-sleeping twins, and tapped the ends of their cribs, symbolically saying goodbye.

Jin walked back to the spot across the room he'd arrived in. He pulled out a pristine gold ring from behind his back, placed it over his head where it hovered, and adjusted it just as he would a hat, affixing on his halo.

Sensing Jin's departure near, Xiaoyu proclaimed once last time, "I love you… More than anything else, I love you, Jin-kun."

With a smile, Jin pointed to his heart, pointed to Xiaoyu, and held up two fingers…

"I love you too."

At once, the glow around Jin's body bloomed brighter until it obscured Jin's body. The light, as its apex, flashed, and filled the room. A minute later, it slowly waned with a small shine lingering after as Jin disappeared…

-----

It was definitely departure than the first, a departure that some happiness could be drawn from. After witnessing the meeting for herself, Asuka was never confused about the strength of her bloodline again, and delved even further into her family history and secrets (not to mention started visiting Zafina frequently to figure it all out). Being with Jin, even for that instance in time, was exactly what Xiaoyu needed, and, though she would continue to miss her love, she was restored by the meeting and felt ready to go on again, her children and friends beside her. Jin had completed his mission, and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect his loved ones. Though he wished his own fate were different, he could finally rest in peace, and, as fortune would have it, he would return to his love and children again.

Now, with the world as peace and all danger removed from them, Haku and Jun stopped crying (or at least less frequently), and, with lots of love and support from their 'aunts' and 'uncles' and their mother, they went on to lead happy lives. The finest future now awaits the Prince and Princess of Tekken…

The End

A/N: Whew! T_T. We are done. Thanks for reading. Please see 'Credits' for further comments.