A/N: Hey, what's this? A quick update? Surely not! This is one of the chapters I had planned out from the beginning, so it wasn't difficult to get it typed up. I hope you all enjoy reading it, and thank you so much for the reviews for the last chapter. Sachi, I'm sorry to send your eyes funny! I tried to space things out more in this chapter. Oh, and I'm glad no one had a problem with the pacing. Don't hesitate to let me know if you think it's too fast, okay, or if there's anything confusing. And as always, review and you will make me smile all day.

NEVER EVER

Hey, I want you to tell me
Can we ever go back?

Chapter Five: Here Again

It doesn't seem like two minutes since I was here, on the ferry heading for the island that Heihachi uses for the tournament. I think I'm sitting at the exact same table as last time, when I was with Hwoarang. I rest my chin on my hands, fixing my attention on the spotless ashtray in front of me, and I can remember the haze of smoke around us, and Hwoarang flicking his cigarette away and smiling at me, telling me that there's nothing to be afraid of. God, I wish he were here. It was so comforting, having him by my side last time. I hate being by myself.

There doesn't seem to be as many people here this time. I spot Nina Williams, not that it's easy to miss her, considering she's wearing a fluorescent pink catsuit. Her sister, Anna, doesn't seem to be around. There's also the American girl, Julia Chang. Her hair's longer than before, still held back in braids, and she's wearing glasses. I catch her eye and she smiles faintly, but doesn't make a move to come over. I guess she's got something big on her mind, judging from her serious expression.

For a moment, I follow Julia's lead and stare out of the window at the vast expanse of steel blue ocean, then lay my head on my arms and close my eyes, letting the hushed conversation between the barstaff and the occasional clinking of glasses wash over me.

I'm sitting cross-legged on the bank of a slow-flowing river, leaning back on my hands and letting the breeze caress my face, and I can hear the frozen grass crunching under someone's feet behind me.

"Aren't you cold?"

The voice shouldn't be familiar, shouldn't make my heart leap and my chest tighten, and that's how I know I'm looking through someone else's eyes, reliving someone else's memories. The dream's too vivid for it to be anything else.

"I'm fine."

It isn't even my voice.

I stand up and turn around, wishing I'd brought a warmer jacket, and it's a man I recognise from a picture I saw in Heihachi's library. His son, Kazuya. There's a change in him though. The Kazuya from the picture I saw had a cold indifference in his eyes. In this dream, there's a slight softness to him, an almost imperceptible smile on his face as he approaches.

"You're shivering."

"Am I?"

Then his arms are pulling me close, and he wraps his coat around me, pressing me to his chest and surrounding me with warmth. There's nothing but the sound of birdsong and the grass rustling, and Kazuya's quiet breathing, until the sound of shattering glass wakes me with a start.

I knock the ashtray with my hand, and it goes skittering across the table, falling safely onto the cushioned chair opposite. Nearby, a middle-aged looking woman is sweeping shards of glass up into a dustpan while a younger girl collects empties, and I watch her as she weaves her way between tables.

"Hey, is this seat taken?"

"Hmm?"

I'm still disorientated from the dream, and a pretty, olive skinned girl slides into the chair opposite, looking irritable.

"Jeez, what is it with everyone? Is it really so hard to make polite conversation?"

I blink, and she widens her eyes, touching my arm and shaking her head.

"Oh, I didn't mean you. Just people in general. I mean, I just thought I should say 'hi', you know, since we're all gonna be in the tournament together, but I was lucky if anyone even looked at me over there."

She waves a hand towards the corner, where a few scattered fighters are seated in the bar area, and rolls her eyes.

"They could have at least cracked a smile."

"You remind me of me." I comment, and she looks at me curiously.

"What?"

"I was the same when I was in the third tournament. Wanted to go and do a bit of socialising, but…"

"They were all ignorant assholes?" she finishes for me.

"Kind of." I laugh. "My friend said there was no point anyway, since I'd have to fight with them in the end…"

"Hey, it's better to fight against someone you like. That way even if you lose, you're still happy for them, right?"

She sighs, flicking her brown hair over her shoulder. "Doubt there's any danger of that happening with these guys, though."

"I guess they've all got a lot on their minds. Everyone's entered the tournament for a reason, right?"

"It must be something really important if they can't spare two seconds to say hi."

"I guess."

The girl notices the ashtray on the chair at her side and picks it up, putting it back on the table.

"Why did you enter?" she asks.

"I… I'm looking for someone."

"Me too." She says with a grin. "Who is it that you're looking for?

"Two friends of mine. I haven't seen either of them for a couple of years. I suppose it's a long shot, but I'm hoping they both show up here."

"Two years…? Did they fight in the last tournament?"

"Yeah."

"They're not on the boat?"

"No, I looked before we set off."

"Hmm." She considers this, pursing her lips. "Well, I guess you'll just have to win the tournament. Nothing like publicity to get people to notice you, is there?"

"True."

"Is… Is this boat the only way to get to the island?"

"I think Heihachi Mishima flies here. He's not on the boat. He wasn't last time."

"Good. So there's no point in either of us giving up until we get there, right?"

She seems much happier now, and smiles at me as a polite voice announces over the intercom that we've arrived.

"I'm so sorry, I haven't even introduced myself, have I? How rude is that?"

"Don't worry about it." I grin, and she holds out her hand for me to shake.

"I'm Christie. It's nice to meet you."

"My name's Xiaoyu."

"Xiaoyu…" she repeats. "Good luck finding your friends. I'll see you around, okay?"

Then Christie springs up from her seat, smoothes down her shirt, and runs for the exit.

I don't know exactly what I was hoping for when we arrived at the island. Maybe that Jin or Hwoarang would be there, waiting for me. There's no one on the dock apart from some Zaibatsu staff members milling around, talking into earpieces. A smartly dressed woman is standing next to the entrance gates, and she tells us that Heihachi hasn't arrived yet, so we're welcome to have a walk around and get used to the place, visit the new arenas or get something to eat while we wait.

I'm not in the mood for eating right now, although I haven't had anything since breakfast. There's a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach, a feeling that I've got myself all worked up and excited for no reason, and neither Jin or Hwoarang are going to show up. The longer I walk around without coming across either of them, the more I convince myself that I've entered the tournament for nothing. Not exactly cheery thoughts, I know, but I've been seeing the glass as half empty for a while now, despite my attempts to get it together.

It's quite a mild day for late October, but there's a biting wind that promises winter's on its way, and I wrap my arms around myself to keep warm.

I've ended up wandering into an arena that's decorated like a downtown street at night, neon signs illuminating the sidewalk, shops with huge plate glass windows and bright bulbs lighting up the displays inside. There's a shoe boutique across the road from where I'm standing, and I put my hand into my pocket to take my phone out and snap a picture so I can send it to Miharu, but I hear footsteps behind me and turn around curiously. It's two of the other contestants; Paul Phoenix, who I recognise from the last tournament, and a Chinese man who looks similar to Paul's friend from last time, but something's different. The guy from the last tournament was younger, I think.

As I glance around the place, I catch sight of Julia Chang making her way towards a gate into the next arena. Some more Zaibatsu employees pass by, exchanging hurried conversation, and then I notice someone else, someone wearing a hooded jacket that's hiding their face. For a minute I wonder if it's a new contestant, but the way the person's standing, the way they're built, is too overwhelmingly familiar for it to be someone I've never seen before.

I hesitate for a few seconds, debating whether or not to go over, before a gust of freezing wind whips my hair around my face and blows the guy's hood down, blowing his dark hair this way and that. I stare in amazement, start to run before my mind's even wrapped itself around what's going on, and there's a giddy feeling swelling in my chest as my feet pound the pavement. By the time my mind's caught up with me, I've launched myself at him, and I'm hugging him so tightly that he most likely can't breathe.

"Oh my God, I missed you so much, I can't believe you're here," I ramble, "It's been so long, where've you been? I missed you, I really... I thought you might be... I was... Oh God, Jin, I missed you so much..."

I'm talking and laughing, in both joy and relief, all at once, and the excitement of seeing him again is enough of a distraction that I don't realise for a few more moments that he's not hugging back.

I thought I could hear
The distant sound of waves
Just as we start to get close
Pieces of memories come raining down between us
Giving me a painful premonition I can't put into words

--- Koigokoro, Aikawa Nanase