A/N: Thank you for reviewing everyone, it's been so encouraging to see that you're wanting updates for this and that some of you have favourited it! Ready for the third chapter? (By the way, Diamond Xiaoli, there will be a 'Jewel' chapter, you can count on that. I also love that song, and already have part of that chapter written. So keep an eye out for that, though it's probably going to be a ways off at the moment!)

NEVER EVER

Ah, there's no way I can keep
The promises we made that day on my own.

Chapter Three - Past and Future

The phone rings for the fifth time on the table next to me, and I take another sip of my drink, eyes fixed on the television. It's a repeat of a cartoon I've already seen, but I'm so lazy right now that I'd rather sit and stare at the screen than answer it. I can hear footsteps out in the hallway, and then my grandfather walks into the room, looks at the ringing phone, then looks at me disapprovingly, and goes to pick it up. I ignore the look he's shooting me, tune out his voice as he greets whoever's on the other end, and lean around him; he's blocking my view of the television. It's only when he straightens up and taps me on the shoulder that I start to listen to what he's saying.

"Xiaoyu, it's for you."

"Who is it?" Hopefully it's Miharu and I can convince her to come shopping with me. I've been thinking that buying stuff might help me snap out of these stupid moods I keep falling victim to. There's nothing like new clothes and pretty new shoes to perk a girl up. Or maybe that's just me.

"Someone from the Mishima Corporation."

I put my cup down, suddenly uneasy. Why would they be calling me? Grandfather hands the phone over, and I look at it hesitantly for a few seconds before putting it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Miss Ling?" It's a female voice, sounding more cheery than I'd be if I was working on a Saturday.

"Yeah, it is."

"Good. Mr Mishima would like to speak to you, I'm going to transfer you now."

Before I can catch my breath, Heihachi's booming voice is wishing me a good morning and enquiring about how my day's been so far. I manage to mumble an answer, and out of the corner of my eye I can see my grandfather walking out of the room.

"I expect you're wondering why I called you, aren't you?"

"Yeah, to be honest."

"Well, there will be a press announcement later today, but I wanted to find out before then, so I've been calling a few others as well."

"Uh, what?" God, Heihachi, I don't think that was vague enough for me.

"I'm getting ahead of myself, of course." He says, sounding like he's smiling. "There will be a fourth Iron Fist tournament in a few months. Are you interested in participating?"

"Yes…"

"Good, good. By the way, I am hoping that my grandson will enter if he is able."

I tighten my grip on the handset. That's just what I was thinking. If Jin hears about it, I'm sure he'll enter. And Hwoarang, too. This could be my chance to see both of them again. There's no way I could pass this up. No way.

"You haven't heard anything from Jin, have you?"

I pause for a moment, thinking of the email.

"No. Nothing."

About half an hour later, I'm making a snack in the kitchen, watching grandfather out of the window as he wanders around the garden. He looks up and sees me watching him, then flashes a faint smile my way and starts towards the house.

"What is it you want, Xiaoyu?" he asks as he walks through the door.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been looking at me as though you want to ask me something ever since you got that phonecall."

I scuff my foot on the kitchen floor.

"Well, I was wondering whether… if you weren't busy… you'd be able to help me train again."

"The fourth Iron Fist tournament." He murmurs.

"Yeah. There's gonna be a press announcement later, it'll probably give us the date it starts."

"You want to enter the tournament again? Even after all the hurt it caused?"

I nod.

"I have to." I know I'll see them both again if I do.

"The prize must really be something if you are this sure about it."

"The prize?" Heihachi probably mentioned what it was, but I'll be damned if I was listening. Grandfather frowns at me.

"You don't know what the prize is?" I shake my head, and his frown gets deeper. "Then I won't train you."

"What? Why?"

"You'll lose. It is inevitable."

"Grandfather!" I glare at him, irritated at how he can just dismiss me so quickly. "Did you forget? I did better than you did when I entered the last one!"

"I'm aware of that. But if you aren't competing to win, you will lose. And if you aren't competing for the prize, what are your reasons for entering?"

"I... there's someone… there are people I want to see again."

He looks at me calmly, but his gaze has softened.

"Nothing good has ever come out of the Iron Fist tournament. Remember that."

With that, he turns and walks back into the garden, and I hurry after him to the door.

"So are you going to help me?"

"Yes. And I will have that weighing on my conscience."

I'm dreaming again. I realise I'm dreaming as soon as I find the ocean stretching out for miles in front of me, its tide lapping at the sand of a deserted beach that I recognise from family holidays back in China. There's no possible way this beach could be deserted right now. It's sunset, and it's beautiful, and if this were the real world, someone else would be guaranteed to pop up and distract you from the view or ruin the moment entirely. A couple would be chattering to each other nearby, there'd be a family trying to leave the sand and their kids throwing a tantrum because they wanted to stay longer. There'd be someone with a dog, at the very least.

I breathe in, stop and slip my shoes off, carrying them by the straps and slowly walking further onto the sand and sitting down. I haven't been to the beach since we moved to Japan. Never been the right time to go with my parents, and I've never had the cash to go there myself or with Miharu or Hwoarang. I stare out at the sea, just enjoying the feeling of the breeze brushing through my hair. It's a few moments before I become aware of someone sitting beside me, and I look down at our shadows on the sand for a second, trying to figure out who it is, before turning to see who's there.

It's Jin, looking the same as he did the last time I saw him, right down to the red studded fighting gloves. He's not looking at me, just gazing forwards like I was a couple of seconds ago. I'm not overly surprised or excited to see him there, which is weird. It's like in this dream world I'm used to him being by my side.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him eventually, and he glances at me.

"Here?" He repeats. "You know this place?"

I turn to the ocean and hug my knees to my chest.

"Yeah. I used to come here on holiday all the time when I was a kid."

"Hmm." Jin leans back on his hands. "Is that you, then?"

"What?"

He sits up again, pointing towards the sea. "She looks like you."

I look in the direction of his arm, and there's a little girl sitting down in the surf, her black hair in pigtails. She's wearing a grubby white t-shirt and pink shorts, mirroring my position - hugging her knees to her chest. I remember seeing a picture of myself wearing those same clothes when I looked through our old holiday snaps a few weeks ago. Jin's right. It is me. Strange.

"What are you crying for?"

I start, bringing a hand to my face, but my eyes are dry. It must be the little girl he's talking about. I look over at her again, and sure enough she's standing up now, her shoulders shaking with sobs, her fists balled and rubbing at her eyes. Even though she's close to us, all I can hear is the rush of the ocean. I can't hear her voice as she cries.

"Probably nothing." I shrug. "When I was a kid I always cried over things that weren't important."

"You haven't changed then." Jin comments, and I frown.

"What are you trying to say? My friends aren't important?"

"That's what we are? Friends?"

"You know we're not." I tell him, my face flushing. "But you're not the only one who's left me behind."

"You're not all by yourself."

"I know I have Miharu. I know. But…" I scoop up a handful of sand and watch it pour through my fingers. "I want to see you."

"I'm here."

"I know you are. But I mean I want to see you all the time. When I'm awake."

He takes a moment to think about this.

"So this me isn't what you want?"

"I don't want to just dream about you."

He stands up, shading his eyes from the sun, and I look up at him in confusion.

"You're not going, are you?"

"Well, obviously I'm not a good enough me, right?" He's obviously joking, but even so, fear sparks up inside my chest at his words. The idea that he might leave, even though I know it's just a dream, is enough to make me leap up from the sand, eyes wide with panic.

"No, please! Don't go yet!"

"Xiao, I was only…" Jin trails off and looks at me in wonder, and I feel tears welling up. What is it about these dreams that always stop me from keeping my feelings inside? I lower my head so he can't see that I'm struggling to stop myself crying.

"Don't leave…"

His arms pull me close, wrap tightly around my shoulders, and I grit my teeth to keep from dissolving into sobs right there. It should be a gesture that comforts me, but all I can think of as he holds me is how when I wake up, he won't be there.

Feeling lonely even when you're with someone
Is even harder than feeling lonely when you're alone.

--- SURREAL, Ayumi Hamasaki