Chapter 1: Relinquish Your Power
Kazuya was out cold on the barren ground, sprawled and dirtied, ravished by the recent battle. Jin had managed to knock him out before the other had the chance to do it—a feat in itself. She crouched down to check his pulse—he still breathed at least. Jun had only managed to see the last half of the fight. It was painful to see just how desperate things had become with her family. She hesitated even to use the word "family". They might as well have been three strangers. Much time had passed since she'd laid eyes on Jin or Kazuya, and they looked different, older. She knew there was much she needed to learn from them.
"Jin," she called out as she made her way over to him. "We shouldn't linger. The wrong kind of people will eventually start showing up."
"Let them come," he said as he gazed towards the crashing ocean, "All the better to take present unsavory company off our hands."
"Jin—
"Not to mention, he's already willingly revealed himself in his transformed state to the world—he'll have a lot to answer for."
"Yes, but perhaps there's a better way to go about this," she began carefully. "Listen, Jin, throwing him to the wolves might have unforeseen consequences—our families would be scrutinized by the public, our lives turned into a circus, and things might not settle down for years to come. The most important thing you did was stop Kazuya's plans—but there's probably still a lot of loose ends to tie up. I imagine there were a lot of other players at work and quelling wars won't be as easy as just apologizing. We need time and we need distance from all of that right now."
"Then what should we be doing?" Jin asked with crossed arms.
"Let the public think he's dead. I'll take him somewhere remote where he won't bother anyone and you can start to rebuild as you see fit."
"But how can you be so certain that he'd be fine with that kind of arrangement? As soon as he's recovered, I've no doubt he'd continue where he left off."
"Give me some time with him."
"Mom," he said with unconvinced eyes, "Why waste your time? Besides, it would be dangerous—
"I can defend myself," Jun reminded him.
"The point is that you shouldn't have to—I can't allow you to be left alone with him."
Jun's eyebrows creased in irritation, "Then why don't you keep watch until you're satisfied?"
He was clearly perturbed by the very notion, then he sighed, relenting. "I don't have any better plans and the idea of being caught up in a never-ending paparazzi storm is my worst nightmare. I have a place in mind we can take him—it was just meant to be a spot where I could get away from everyone for a little while, in the middle of a rainforest."
"That sounds…"
"Exotic?" Jin said with a grin.
"To say the least."
Though they had made plans, executing them was a different challenge. Kazuya hadn't regained consciousness and Jin, while still standing, was nursing quite a lot of injuries. They couldn't move far even if they wanted to. Luckily, Jin had friends in high places, Lili and her counterparts soon rescued them.
Quiet only returned to her life once she was fully settled in the cabin and she was finally left alone with Kazuya. He had been placed in a separate room. In all, the cabin boasted 4 bedrooms. 2 of them had full bathrooms attached. There was a fully stocked training room in the basement, a good-sized kitchen supplied with enough food to last for a couple months, a large den and living room, and a gorgeous, enclosed pool and jacuzzi in the back.
She went to go check in on Kazuya finally. He hadn't moved from the spot on the bed that Xiaoyu's panda had haphazardly dropped him. She checked his pulse again; blood was still pumping. It was only a matter of time until he awakened.
"Oh, Kazuya," she said aloud to herself, "What have you gotten yourself into?"
She waited for him until she fell asleep in her chair doing so. When she woke up, it was the next morning. She stretched and yawned before taking a good look at Kazuya's position on the bed. It seemed to have changed somewhat. He was more straightened and instead of utter silence she could hear the distinct sound of his snoring. He must have emerged from his unconscious state sometime in the night and likely made the obvious decision to wait until the morning to figure anything out.
"Kazuya?" she called out.
His eyebrows merely twitched in irritation before returning to his rest. It was just as well. She needed him well-rested for what she had in mind. In the kitchen, she cooked something quick for breakfast for herself and stepped outside to enjoy the lush green landscape. Even having never stepped foot in such a forest before, she felt at home hearing the world alive around her. A great multitude of critters, large and small made their home here. She sat down and enjoyed the food as she ate slowly. It was nothing for her to relax completely on the lawn chair closing her eyes. She could do this for hours and this she did as her mind began to make note of all the different sounds. And she heard the spirits as well, whispering and chattering among themselves. They were at peace as well, thankfully. The ecosystem was balanced and robust. This was perfect.
When next she woke up, she had lost track of time, but it was pitch-black outside. She laid there looking at nothing in particular for a long moment before climbing slowly back to her feet and checking on Kazuya once again. He'd changed positions again. Now he laid on his side though he wasn't completely at ease. His lower mouth seemed to hold a lot of tension and at closer examination, he seemed to be shivering.
"Kazuya," she called again.
She watched as he stilled himself. It seemed like a struggle, but eventually his eyes were open.
"Jun?" he said softly, barely loud enough for her to hear.
"Yes, I'm alive," she said hearing the hidden question in his tone, "as I said before."
He started the ascent from his laying position, but Jun ultimately had to help him to sit up against the bed rest. He made no protests as she helped him. His eyes turned to her slowly with an expression she couldn't immediately read. He seemed to simply be taking her in.
"What's on your mind?" Jun asked when he didn't say anything for a long time, he was probably more than a little out of sorts.
"How did you…" he began but then didn't finish.
"Survive?" she offered.
"Yeah."
"Well, long story short, fighting Ogre took quite a bit out of me. I don't think I would have survived had I not escaped to the sanctuary. There, I recovered but it took years for that to happen."
"Years," he said almost to himself.
Jun was standing in front of the bed trying to evaluate his injuries and decide whether he needed bandages. "How do you feel, Kazuya? Please just be honest."
Kazuya sighed looking up to the ceiling and leaning his head against the headrest. "Just waiting for the pain to subside. Hard to sleep. Nothing I haven't dealt with before though. It'll go away after a while."
"I think we have some medicine here for the pain—are you opposed to taking some?"
"Might as well," he conceded without much convincing.
"Hm," she said with a grin.
Kazuya looked at her with a knowing look. "I'm not that crazy…anymore."
"You've grown wiser in your old age," she said with a laugh, "The Kazuya I know would just suffer in silence and think it's impressing someone."
He snorted at this. "Don't remind me."
"I'll be right back."
She gathered the medicine from the bathroom and the water from the kitchen. True to his word, he took them when she gave them to him, and he took down all the water in the cup before setting it down on the nightstand nearby. She hadn't expected this part to be so easy. It almost brought a smile to her face. She hadn't sat down yet. Instead, she stood near the wardrobe juxtaposition to the bed that Kazuya still sat in. His eyes were closed again, but he wasn't asleep. He was quiet, not at all willing to steer the conversation in any particular way. It was difficult to tell where he was in his mind, but that would have to change soon. She took a deep breath knowing that it would take some doing to extract enough information from him, but she was still motivated enough to do so.
"We obviously have a lot of catching up to do," Jun began, "And there are a lot of things that have gone unsaid between us…I'd like to change that."
"Hm," Kazuya rumbled thoughtfully.
"When I ask you something, I want you to actually answer. I won't have a lot of patience for your usual stubbornness. At any time, if I feel like you're being an ass, I will simply leave."
Kazuya seemed to take offense as his face twisted slightly in disgust. "The time we spent together was limited. I was never sure…if I could trust you or not. I had no idea that you could even begin to understand what was happening nor did I understand it enough to confide in anyone else about it. At the time, I thought a nice, clean break would be the most painless way to keep you out of danger. It was not out of stubbornness that I kept certain things to myself."
"I see," Jun said relenting just a little. "But are you seriously going to argue that you don't become an immovable stone once you've made up your mind about something?"
He grinned only subtly. "Perhaps."
"Do you still feel it?"
"What?" he asked mystified.
"Devil."
Kazuya grew quite still when she asked so directly. "I thought…that was done with. Jin, he—
"No," she said plainly. "I've kept this from everyone. They never would have allowed us to stay here alone otherwise. You cannot eliminate this spirit—spirits are eternal. This is something that anyone who's even mildly versed in the spiritual world would know. Our only avenue with these entities is to coexist with them, to negotiate. This spirit, Devil, can become attached to humans and is changed in many ways by their host. They allow the host to fully express their deepest emotions, amplifying them to the extreme. Humans like to assign morality to their actions, but spirits do not abide by these standards. They simply are. Certain people attract certain kinds of spirits—the Mishimas have traditionally attracted such spirits that thrive in warfare, violent emotions, and conquest. I could sense them there inhabiting the estate. This is where they feel most comfortable. With such an overabundance of their presence, I wouldn't be surprised if there were other instances of them becoming attached to others in your family."
"What is to happen to me?" he asked, likely not fully understanding what she'd said and likely trying to pull something more straightforward from her.
"That's what we're here to find out. This is the perfect setting. You remember how you used to avoid crowds like the plague? You'd rather more quiet than having to deal with too many people at one time."
"People are annoying—what of it?"
She chuckled at this. "Spirits prefer nature, of course. The slow progression of time. They hate distractions from this reality. Humans are far more complicated and substantial than a spirit, which is why a spirit becomes so wrapped up in a human once they become attached. Too many humans in close proximity brings only anxiety and frustration as even a few humans can disturb nature too much, especially with humans who habitually ignore the world around them. By extension, you would feel those things as well. In fact, it's one of the many signs to look for if you suspect a possession. Isolation."
"Yes," he said after a moment, "I can't remember the last time I've felt so at ease. But…are you saying Devil is still here? I haven't noticed his presence—it's never been that way before."
"It was weakened like never before, but it will begin to stir again soon. You'll know."
"Hm, right."
Jun waited for him to digest all the information she'd given him. His head had tilted slightly—the only indication that he was even considering her words. With his eyes closed, she couldn't so easily discern his mood, and she wouldn't be surprised if he did that purposefully.
"But Jin had seemed so convinced that he had the means to vanquish Devil altogether…I even started to believe it. And I'd never seen such a transformation before. None of this makes sense."
"You needed to be stopped, and he was the only one who could do it and time was of the essence. Ogre's appearance truly screwed up my plans for both of you. If I had it my way, it would not have gotten to this point. Seeing how far-gone you were—"
"Jun, we are not mindless pawns on a chessboard, and I don't see how productive it is to shoulder the blame for every negative thing that occurs in the world."
She looked away after he said this but then turned to study his face, which revealed nothing at all. "Never thought I'd see the day that I would be getting lectured by you of all people, but I get your point."
"I would hope I'm not the only one to tell you something like that."
"Don't worry, you're not." Jun returned to her earlier train of thought. "Jin was at war with himself and the spirit which had attached itself to him. It would have taken far too long to properly deal with this so I hoped a shortcut would be the better option.
"I needed to find something that he felt strongly about. It didn't take me long to realize his long-standing desire to rid the world completely of the Mishima bloodline. I allowed him to believe that that was possible, and Devil assisted me in this when I promised that I would allow it to speak to Jin directly. Jin's intense need to champion what he thought was righteous subverted Devil's very nature. Devil is now enslaved to his will and follows his desires without question. This can only work for so long. There is a toxicity still inherent in their connection and truly good things cannot be sustained through subjugation. Eventually, there will be a backlash as Devil—an entity with its own agency—will seek its freedom and so the cycle merely continues like the boom bust cycles of capitalism. The only way to quail this evil which cannot be destroyed is through collaboration and maintaining a balance of wills. This is not an easy task as it would require constant care, and it cannot be done alone for such a thing would prove too overwhelming for an individual to shoulder."
"And so this subjugation allowed Jin to shape Devil's power to his will?"
"Exactly. Power and domination—that's Heihachi's one-track motivation, a cowardly one at that. I took a page out of his book so that the tides may turn in my favor again in the short run. But enough about Jin, that is something I'll have to deal with later. For now, he should be fine."
"It's difficult to understand your designs."
"All I ask is that you trust me." She looked at him wishing she could gaze into his eyes. "Do you trust me, Kazuya?"
"I trust you," he said with barely a moment's pause.
She smiled when he said this so readily. He must have decided already all those years ago, but everything had been moving too quickly. Devil had been a burden that Kazuya had decided that he would shoulder on his own. No one could know. No one could possibly help him. That had been his mindset. It would have taken longer to establish trust under those circumstances—to wade through years of isolation and hopelessness was no easy feat.
"Good. I…just wanted to know where I stood with you."
Jun noticed the moment he fully opened his eyes; he squinted for a moment but the natural light coming through the surrounding glass walls was far less harsh than expected given the cloudiness—it didn't take long for his gaze to turn to her. There was obvious weariness in his countenance along with a hidden despondency—something that didn't occur very often at least in front of her. Such a vulnerable emotion would most often be overshadowed by anger and defensiveness. Not this day. He was in a strange place and she wasn't fully aware the extent of this until then.
"I've missed you, Jun…I've missed you…"
She felt compelled to finally step closer to him. The chair from before was pushed closer so that she could sit next to him. "I've missed you as well," she admitted a loud.
His eyes were beckoning her closer. She found her hand reaching out to touch his face. The back of her hand slid down his temple slowly, entranced. To have such a good look at him was quite a delight, she could begin to know him again.
"These scars," she said despite herself as her thumb ran over an indentation that seemed to be an old deep wound. "I don't think I've seen these before. Where did they come from?"
He grinned at her clearly enjoying her touch. One of his hands had reached out to her legs which was currently making its way sensually down the length of it. "Courtesy of G Corp piecing me back together after another fall in with Father."
"I should thank them for keeping you safe."
"Don't bother. They had their reasons. None of them worthy of applause. Just desperation and greed."
"Even so."
He pulled her closer now, his gaze quite heated with unabashed lust. She'd probably been looking at him with the same intensity for the past few minutes. Her breathing had become erratic and her thumb was now tracing his lips, her face had only inched further in. There was nothing she wanted more in that moment than to feel Kazuya's lips on hers, sincere, passionate, and unrelenting. And when their lips met an electricity shot through her—she knew she was obsessed with him again, each kiss, each touch more tantalizing than the last, filling her with irresistible pleasure. She wanted to devour him, but he wanted to do it first—she would win that battle. For now, and for some time to come, she could easily dominate him. He would hold her kiss for a long time, his eyes closed to savor her taste. His pace was intentionally slow, but she could hardly contain herself as the tension began to build and as her heart began to pound rapidly. Trembling, she held him quite firmly in her arms and redoubled her kissing spree.
Her lips followed him wherever he went, so as he eased himself back to allow her room on the bed, she followed. She would almost forget to let him breathe, but eventually, he would forcefully pull his face away for a few precious seconds. Her fingers would be pulling him back from the nape of his shirt. She could feel him reciprocating, matching her pace, then faltering over and over. And she kept pulling him back until his shirt began to rip. He pushed her with his body down onto the bed and pulled away from her. Before she could grasp him again, he was taking off his shirt over his head with a motion of his arm. Watching this, she decided to do the same, but her fingers were shaking too much to do it so swiftly. The dress was scarcely over her head when she felt the rest of it lifted off. Kazuya helped her out of her leggings as well and soon their clothes were discarded. She was kissing him, every bare inch of skin her lips could find…his fingers—thick, and rough…lethal weapons made harmless in her presence. His other hand slowly rummaged her body, pressing into her skin and especially in the areas which she moaned the loudest. He was still trying to catch his breath from the marathon kissing session. She could tell that he was fully engrossed with her because his eyes were closed, savoring every sensation in his mind, something he did every time they ended up in such situations. His expression suggested weariness and utter resignation.
"This is…fine, right?" Jun asked, releasing his arm for a moment.
He had made it to her clitoris, pressing and running his thumb down back and forth slowly—Jun was moaning again. The sounds of viscous fluids being pushed into soft tissue became a backdrop to her helpless moans. She almost missed the small grin that stole across his face.
"It's fine, Jun," he reassured her.
He bent down to engage her lips again as if to say no more talking, don't worry about me…She wasn't sure how long she kept kissing him or when her body began being rammed into the backboard. The night became a blur as she succumbed to every whim her mind would conjure up—she didn't want it to end…
It felt as if she was waking from a dream as she noticed the sky above through the glass ceiling. The stars were brighter. The night must have progressed. Her body felt a little sore as she laid there on her back. Picking up on someone else's breathing, she looked over to Kazuya whose head was turned away from her though his body was turned partially towards her.
"Kazuya…?" she breathed quietly.
She climbed towards him, close enough to turn his head towards her. She found his lips again. It hadn't sounded like he was quite asleep, and she was right in her assessment as he started kissing her back. This went on for some time. She had felt his cock grow quite erect. She was losing him though, she could tell, as she had to hold his face close to hers more and more often. She pulled back to give him a moment to breathe and hesitated in engaging him as she saw his eyes fluttering close a couple times before slowly opening them again.
"Jun?" he asked when she became still.
She reached up and kissed him on the forehead. "Rest."
If he had wanted to say something back, it came out merely as a groan before dropping off altogether, his breathing deepening. She chuckled softly to herself as she tried to climb out of the bed. She hadn't realized that he'd had his hand around hers as she felt herself pulled back—Wait, that hadn't been the case, she was sure of it. He must have grabbed her in that instant.
"Stay," he said quietly.
"I-I can't—
"Jun…stay…please."
She could hear the desperation written clearly in his voice. He had not tried to hide this in the slightest. Her eyes softened at this. "Okay. Only for tonight."
"That's fine with me. Thank you for…humoring me."
She crawled back into the bed secretly glad that she could do so. She hadn't been certain before, but she wondered if they would need time to repair their relationship before trying to resume anything at all. Yet, none of this seemed to be going according to any of the scenarios she'd thought would ever crop up. She was at a complete loss. Not one of her plans included being spooned by Kazuya and falling asleep in utter bliss on the very first day they'd been able to speak properly.
Jun woke up horny and to the oblivious snores of Kazuya. The sun hadn't broken out for the day so she was still shrouded in darkness. He'd turned on his side, away from her at some point. She was pulling him back so that he could be on his back once again. Her hands started running down his face gently.
"Kazuya…wake up. Are you rested enough?"
He took a deep breath, "Mmmm…"
"Sorry, don't know what that means," Jun said bending down and then placing a few kisses on his lips.
He seemed to activate when he felt her lips. With a sudden burst of incensed passion he reached for her so that he could start kissing her down. And so the cycle repeated itself.
They would grapple at each other desperately for as long as Kazuya could muster. Once he was in her arms again, once she could feel him, she had to have him, she had to squeeze him to death, she had to make each touch last forever and each lovemaking session last into the very end of time. What if she never got this chance again? What if she could never hold him again? If they didn't do it now, would fortune ever bring them back together again—or would tomorrow be too late? Jun would wrestle him from his sleep demanding every single bit of energy he was able to recover. Then he would do the same to her. As if in a drunken state, she would wake up to him kissing her slowly down her neck with a bit more saliva than usual, her body already bucking against him even before she'd opened her eyes. She wasn't sure what was real or dream as the night finally turned to day and then to night again without either having left the bed. How many times had that happened? Jun couldn't be sure. Maybe only days had passed or weeks, she couldn't tell. She wasn't entirely sure how he could stand it. Really, she wasn't exactly helping his recovery—she was probably setting him back quite a bit. But maybe he simply enjoyed the challenge—Jun wouldn't put it past him.
When the haze finally left her mind and body, she found herself sprawled in bed, well-sweated, and extremely sore as if she'd ran multiple marathons in a single day. It didn't take her long to detect Kazuya nearby. He laid on his stomach too deeply asleep now for even Jun to wake. She listened to the sounds of his sleep as she gazed up to the deep dark skies above. It was so peaceful and comfortable that she remained there in a relaxed state, listening as well to the whispering spirits nearby. She turned her body so that she could lay her head on the opposite side of the bed from Kazuya. This way, she could have a better view of him.
At some point the next day, she heard more movement on Kazuya's side of the bed. He struggled to sit up, so much so that she moved to try and help him.
"It's fine—don't bother," Kazuya said in dismissive tones.
"Suit yourself," Jun said with a shrug as she laid down again. If he wanted to make things harder for himself, then that was his prerogative. It was still difficult to watch, however. His body trembled terribly likely from the sheer amount of pain he happened to be in. He reached for the medicine on the nightstand, but she could already tell that it was going to take far too much effort on Kazuya's part to allow this to continue; not even to prove a point. He must have judged his strength wrong. Ordinarily, sitting up just to do a simple task would take no effort at all. He soundly proved himself wrong in those regards.
Jun smoothly climbed off the bed and set about getting Kazuya a fresh glass of water. When she came back, he had given up on the entire notion of doing anything at all and simply sat back against the headboard awaiting her return. His countenance was strained, grimacing at even the slightest of movements on his part. She placed the glass against his lips and then tilted it upward after making eye contact with the resigned Kazuya who probably wanted the entire ordeal to be over.
"Good boy," she said with her rarely seen mischievous grin as she gently petted his head.
Kazuya grumbled something unintelligible, and Jun placed a finger in front of his lips. Then her finger was tracing his lips again…She bent down and kissed him again, he melted right into her, like an addict ready for his next fix.
"Here," she said before she got carried away, pulling back from him abruptly. She popped open the pill bottle, tapping 2 dark cylindrical pills onto her palm. She placed it in his mouth which he accepted obediently and then poured more water. "There—now do you want more water?"
All she received was a barely perceptible nod, his eyes unfocused again, but she got the picture. He was parched. She brought back as much water as she could, patiently pouring it into his mouth. On the fourth trip back to the kitchen, she found him sound asleep on her return. She left the filled glass on the table before moving him back down to a more comfortable position on the bed. Then she returned to her previous position on the opposite side of him. It probably would be a good idea to make some food, preferably something that wouldn't take too much effort to consume. Of course, she wasn't too concerned about making the soup. She had plenty of time. Kazuya seemed to sleep for many hours at a time.
But she was waiting for something else. Devil would soon be making its presence known. Such a powerful spirit couldn't be kept down for very long. Everything had been quiet on that front so far. There were some things she needed to discern: how far gone was this entity? Was it still capable of rational thought? What were its goals? She needed to see just how entwined the entity was with Kazuya. Her theory was that they were now irrevocably part of each other. Under such circumstances, especially if someone was inhabited by a spirit for over a decade, exorcising the spirit from its hosts often would end in negative outcomes. Once the spirit became integrated into the self, taking it away was no longer a humane option. Not everyone abided by those rules. Jun did not make decisions based on unfounded fears. She knew that spirits were meant to live in tandem with humans. She would have to work to establish balance between Kazuya and Devil.
Jun looked when she suddenly heard Kazuya gasping for breath as if in a panic.
"Kazuya?" she called out loudly as she sat up in bed.
He hadn't responded for all his gasping. By the time she crawled over to him, however, he seemed to be calming down. He wouldn't look at her as his eyes seemed trained on some arbitrary spot in the distance. His skin glistened with sweat.
"It's…nothing…"
"Kazuya," Jun warned, "If you want me to help, then you have to let me."
"It has nothing to do with anything."
"Let me be the judge of that."
Kazuya sighed heavily. "Just…a dream. The very same one. I remember it was inescapable before but it's been…so long since I've had it…at least decades now. I hope it won't be a trend…again," he said closing his eyes.
"About your father." she guessed.
"Yes," he said after a long, drawn-out moment. "I can feel him now—I thought I was imagining things before, but Devil is here, he's always been here."
He seemed to have a bit more energy as he spoke of Devil. "I hope it won't make things worse for you," she replied.
"No," he said in a confused tone, "No, not Devil. No, he takes away everything that would make me weak. Devil has always helped from the very beginning, but I wasn't always receptive of his presence. I wanted for a long time to get rid of him even as I came to depend on him more and more."
Jun could imagine it. He'd latched onto the only thing that could stop his descent into the abyss. He had no choice. Not for Kazuya, who like any other Mishima she'd ever met, wanted to survive above all else. And as life continued to take its toll, he found himself turning to Devil more and more, his only reliable source of comfort and support. "That makes sense to me."
"You're saying you would do the same?"
"Well—
"You'd find another way, I know it."
"I don't know," she finally said, "what I'd do if I were in your shoes, but taking comfort in something that made you feel safe is very human and very understandable."
It seemed he hadn't expected such a response as he looked to be at a loss of words. He was quiet for much longer having to rethink whatever point he'd been trying to get to. He seemed resigned after a moment as his eyes became downcast. "I value your thoughts…it might take me some time to understand."
"It's alright to disagree. I won't like you any less."
He didn't seem completely calm. There was still an alertness to his eyes as if anticipating danger around every corner. She wondered what she could do to make that less so. She sat quietly next to him and began running her hand soothingly across his upper back; it seemed to have little effect.
"Have you ever…fallen from a tall height before?"
She was caught off guard by such an oddly specific question. Maybe there was a point he was trying to get to, so she went along with it. Jun thought for a moment. "A tree—the one and only time I lost my footing. It happened when I was quite young."
"Do you remember a weightlessness? The moment you knew you were no longer on firm footing…" His eyes had a faraway look as if he was reminiscing.
"Well, yes," she said as she allowed her mind to relive that time. "If it hadn't been so nerve-wracking, it would have been exhilarating like one of those rollercoasters. Of course, hitting the ground brought me back to reality—I'd been trying to position myself so that it wouldn't hurt so much and that worked in my favor."
"Exhilarating like a rollercoaster," Kazuya repeated almost to himself. "Just like that as if you were flying through the air. It's probably the only semblance of a silver lining I could find."
"You've fallen from a tree before?" she asked trying to follow his train of thought.
"No. My father had seen fit to toss me headlong into the ravine near the estate. It's difficult to know what was going through his mind, but I've settled on pure insanity. There was a time when I used to actually listen to his words, on some level even blame my own weakness, or my inability to impress him or prove that I deserved his love as to the reason why he did what he did. I'm done overanalyzing anything that bastard has ever said to me. He'd been an asshole long before I was ever born so there was never anything I could have done to change what happened. The circumstances hardly matter. The point is that I was discarded in short order when I could no longer amuse him."
"Oh, Kazuya, I had no idea that he was capable of doing something like that."
"He hides his dirt well and he had a team of lawyers always on standby. People think twice before openly accusing him of things."
"I guess I…should have known."
He squeezed his eyes closed as if remembering something particularly disturbing. "I tried to anticipate the impact…but nothing could have prepared me for it. I can't…compare it to anything. It's beyond comprehension. My body…shattered upon impact…" His voice wavered. She could feel him trembling just like before, but it was more pronounced. Sweat seemed to be pouring down his face.
"Kazuya," she said with alarm as she noticed his condition changing rapidly. She reached over, running a calming hand down his face.
"I couldn't breathe..." he continued despite himself. "everything was darkening..."
He was struggling to breathe, grabbing for his chest and he forcefully held his eyes closed. She knew what this was as it finally hit her—a panic attack. She'd seen it before. All those years ago, he'd hidden it from her. She should have pushed for answers. Then again, it wasn't as if he owed her an explanation. If he hadn't felt comfortable telling her about these things before, then that was his prerogative. She was grateful for what information she could get from him. Everything began to make far more sense. She felt silly for ever telling Jin to seek Heihachi out.
"Breathe, Kazuya," she said in calming tones. She pressed herself against him to remind him that she was nearby. He shuddered beside her. "Breathe. It will pass soon."
It felt like an eternity passed as she watched him. As she sought to calm him, she also had to keep her own worry in check so that he wouldn't sense it. He seemed trapped in his own mind, his eyes stubbornly clamped shut. Soon though, his breathing began to regulate.
"You're safe here, Kazuya. Very few people know where we are."
She sat up so that she could get a better look at him, but it was then that she noticed a near invisible purple mist beginning to surround them creeping up from the floor.
"Rest, Kazuya," a voice from far away whispered—it was from a spirit of some kind.
Jun knew exactly which spirit without having to lay eyes on it. "Devil, so you've finally recovered somewhat."
It was the moment she'd been waiting for. The mist became more pronounced, washing over everything in the room. A warm and relaxed feeling pressed into her. If she was more susceptible, she might have fallen asleep right then. When she glanced over at Kazuya, she saw that he was utterly knocked out and he had likely put up little resistance. He trusted Devil. It would have been a familiar presence.
"Would you speak with me for a moment," Jun asked quietly. She made sure to show proper respect to the spirit by avoiding its direct gaze and keeping her voice low so as not to unnecessarily disturb others.
"For you, of course—the only other being he's seen fit to trust."
"What is the nature of your relationship with Kazuya? How did it first begin?"
Devil chuckled at this, amused. "Such short questions that all have long answers."
"I would be satisfied with a summary as well," Jun replied.
She knew of spirits' tendencies to be longwinded, to dawdle and become sidetracked in stray thoughts and whims moving at their own unhurried pace to the destination and that's if they made it there at all. Even a summary would more than suffice for her purposes.
She still couldn't see its form. It was likely that it didn't have one which could be perceived by her. His mimicry of Kazuya's form was its only instance of physical manifestation. This pointed to an exceptionally strong bond between host and spirit. Devil was probably quite fond of Kazuya on its own terms. The growing mist signified Devil's concentration in this area. She waited patiently for it to begin.
"I watched him from afar for some time out of boredom, I suppose. Another Mishima. Another warrior in the making, rigid and violent, his soul at odds with the ocean around him, pushing and shoving, smashing and destroying. Such are their ways. Subtle things unseen. Beauty unseen. How unfortunate to be alive and to be closed off to the world as it is. He did not fall into such a predictable rut. No, his soul was moved by a strange curiosity. Seek between the unseen barriers—living, dying and beyond. Defiant of the rushing tides, tides that would suffocate him, that would strip away his humanity, torn asunder many times over. Ragged strips of flesh that would sooner rot, then find their way back together, unable to return to its original state. Blind, he is. Blinded by a raging storm which did not allow for the nourishing sun. He called out to the skies, to anyone who might hear him one day, begging for his life to not leave him. He was pulling me, tendrils dragging me forward…
"You allowed this to happen," Jun said trying to clarify the thought in her mind.
"Yes…I can say that now. It was enticing—his strong convictions. I longed to be wrapped up in the throes of human passions. My world was unmoving and decrepit like a pond on a cold, winter night. My sense of self slowly fading into the mist. His voice brought me back from the brink…a softness, a gentleness that only a human might possess, a small human yet unravished by the storms. And they saw this—
"They?" Jun asked suddenly.
"The others. Phantoms that have been there since the beginning. I am young in comparison, but I far surpass any natural human life span. He had made himself known to the spirits, directly interacted with them, acknowledged them. Long dormant spirits now all gathered, wide-eyed, to revel in his curiosity. Feed him their stories. It drove him mad at the sheer number of them, to hear, but to not always understand. Eager, lonely, wise spirits all gather around him—he who honored us so profusely, so innocently, so respectfully each night. It had been quite a long time since any human paid so much attention. They were flattered beyond measure."
"And so were you?" she asked.
"So was I," Devil confirmed.
"When you say 'drove him mad', do you mean that literally?"
"That day when every nearby spirit, dormant or otherwise bombarded him all vying for his attention: he screamed and then he passed out. We communicate more effectively through the subconscious and his was quite vulnerable and open. But he received them in his own way. Somewhere deep down he knows us all. He spent days there trying to understand in a more conscious way, but it was beyond someone so young. And so we placed him in his usual place inside the main dwelling so that he might recover. Thus, where our conscious interactions begin, no longer watching from afar. I spoke with Kazuya much more than the others. I sought him out at all times of the day, fascinated, enraptured. Our hearts aligned on a great many things, our values, one in the same. The questions of civilization of which he could not answer were also mysteries to me."
"Questions of civilization?"
"Yes, the best ones. Questions about why society is shaped the way it is, why it functions this way, who does it benefit the most in practice, is it fair, does it need to be fair…beautifully nuanced, pondering trails that led to interesting solutions. Time would get away from us whenever we start down those lines. Two waves crashing in the night bringing the ocean back to life, dangerous and unfettered. I found myself protecting him more and more from a world that did not want him. He experienced much abuse, but that was all by his father's design—to mold him into the perfect Mishima warrior as it has always been, but I could not bear to watch…not this time. He would succumb to his injuries regularly, eventually planting seeds of chaos into his heart, his gentle soul crushed, Heihachi diligently conditioning his heart and mind."
"Succumb to his injuries?" Jun asked, "Did he die?"
"In a sense."
"His father would just kill him over and over again?"
"Not quite like that. Kazuya would eventually crumble before the might of Heihachi in every fight they were in. He would be thrown back into his room to recover on his own. Heihachi wanted Kazuya to know the depths of his defeat, the depths of his failure. After a while, Kazuya could no longer recover in this way—he almost died. I…brought him back from the brink. Heihachi would have killed Kazuya long ago. But I could not have that—
"Thank you, Devil," she interrupted him. She sat cross-legged on the bed gazing into the dense violet fog that now entirely filled the room.
"It doesn't seem to fit here."
"What?" she questioned.
"Your thanks…I was compelled, it was my deepest desire. I sacrificed nothing. As he recovered on his own in his room, he could not find rest. A darkness would envelop his mind, pervert his thoughts, and allow his fears to consume him. Each episode would trigger a death spiral of increasing numbers of panic attacks, sleep deprivation, and loss of appetite. That is a slow pitiful death in which he would suffer until the very end. That was his fate. Heihachi would not have batted an eye. His death would have simply meant that he was never a true Mishima in the first place. I eased his fears, his pain, his despondency and everything that would make him weak—at least in Heihachi's eyes."
Jun felt a coldness settle into her bones. The idea of Heihachi murdering his own child and covering up the entire thing was chilling. Her need to protect him grew all the more. "From the moment Kazuya came into my life, I began to find myself. Without him, I wonder if I'd have as much clarity as I do now with myself. I must thank you for his continued living. I want to assist with that in any way possible."
"I can sense your attachment to him. It appears to be mutual."
"What do you get from this arrangement? From your loyalty?"
"I've never felt so complete before. I'm the only one who's been on his side since he was a small child barely able to speak full sentences, since every other adult failed him. I was his only solace. All I want is for him to thrive and to live for as long as life will have him."
"So, it is as he told me."
"Yes."
"You followed him into that darkness, helplessly. You watched as his soul began to rot from the inside out."
"Yes…"
"Heihachi…he was successful in his attempt to mold him?"
"Oh, yes…Kazuya succumbed to his will one way or another. I could not…stop him. It was foolhardy to think that I could make a difference. But I nurtured him all the same, I could not allow him to die. I could not allow all hope to die."
"I see. You have given me a far better perspective as to his state of mind and the nature of what truly happened."
Devil had spoken somewhat in riddles, but she thought she understood much more than what she ever had before. She was still missing Kazuya's perspective, but the idea of forcing him to relive such a horrific childhood didn't seem ideal and more cruel than anything else. Kazuya's relationship with Devil was far better than she had expected. Devil doted on Kazuya much more than she'd ever thought a spirit was capable of. Kazuya's ability to garner the favor of one so powerful was not to be understated. She didn't think for a second that he was some child genius who'd masterminded the whole thing. Instead, one thing had simply led to another. He had simply possessed a personality that the spirits favored. The timing had been perfect. They'd been bored, waiting for any distraction to ease their idleness. Devil had protected Kazuya in it's own way, giving him what he most desired which was power—the power to dominate any who might ever threaten his right to live as he pleased. Devil protected his emotions and buffered off the edges of his darkest nightmares. That was quite extensive for any spirit to do.
When she was able to look around herself again, she noticed that Kazuya was no longer in bed beside her. How much time had passed? Scared, she leaped off the bed, rushing into the hallway, then stopped when she heard the unmistakable sound of the shower. With a sigh of relief, she made her way over to the nearest bathroom where she'd heard it. The door was open. Before she ever made it through the doorway, she could make out Kazuya's form in the bathtub.
He was sitting there upon the white porcelain floor of the tub, curled and head bowed, shivering in the relentless shower of water. She doubted that this had been his intention.
"Kazuya," she called out.
She received no response. Slowly she walked over trying to discern anything further about what she was seeing. Without a second thought, she quickly turned off the water—it didn't seem to be doing much good. Then she bent down to her knees and placed a hand on his shoulder, his face was currently obscured, pressed into one of his knees which had been pulled closer to him.
"Are you okay," she asked quietly.
It took him a moment, but eventually, he sat up a little at least so that he could lean his head against the tiled wall behind him. "I can't seem…to stand for long…" he said with obvious strain in his voice.
"Let me take care of you," Jun said. He didn't reply, but Jun took it as a tacit acceptance. "I'll bathe you; I just need you to sit up straighter so that I can reach everywhere."
Without protest, he did just this as she set about plugging up the drain and turning on the faucet, checking for the temperature. Water gushed out in rapid velocity filling the room with noise. At first tense, he relaxed against the wall with eyes closed once again, his expression weary. Now that he was naked and she had a good view of him, she could finally see the state of his body, how it had changed since the last time they'd been together. New scars, very old scars, fresh, new bruises decorated his tanned skin. He must have been in a lot of pain even from minute movements. She would have to wipe him down gently. Knowing him, though, he would feign comfortability as much as possible like an animal in enemy territory, to hide any vulnerabilities that may be taken advantage of—a force of habit.
As the water filled the tub, she added a bit of suds. Finding a rag beside him, she took this in hand. The room became quiet again as the water was switched off. She didn't want it to get too high. Rubbing her hand upon the rag, she activated the sudsiness of the soap before beginning there down his neck. He grimaced at every touch, but he made no motions to stop her, this encouraged her to keep going. She gave him small commands and he simply obliged much to her delight. Then she was running water down his body repeatedly to reveal clean skin underneath. The water was nearly black with grime.
"I'm gonna' give you another wash and then your hair," she said out loud.
He merely hummed in acknowledgement. Jun suspected that he'd been dozing again. She helped him out of the tub and went about cleaning it before filling it once again with fresh sudsy water.
"Kazuya."
That was all she uttered before he was gingerly climbing back into it and getting into the same position she'd asked for before. It all went remarkably smoothly. Her hands ran through his hair over and over again, because she couldn't help herself—it was nice and soft and now squeaky clean. She chuckled to herself.
"You're being such a good boy," she said as she continued to run her hand through his hair.
He lowered himself in the water so that he could lean into her a little as her petting became more insistent, relishing her playful touch. She pressed his head to her bosom, wrapping one arm securely around him.
"You're being such a good boy," she repeated even quieter, daring him, testing him.
She heard a soft whimper from him. She hummed back. Her hand continued to peruse his wet and drying body. A quiet fell upon the room and she held him there for much longer than she anticipated, his breathing quite relaxed now. The water was beginning to cool.
"Alright, let's get someplace warm," she said as she finally pulled away from him.
Water was drained from the tub, Jun helped him dry the rest of himself. She cleaned the tub down after she sent Kazuya back to bed. Some food was probably in order. He hadn't eaten anything since he'd been there, but he hadn't been complaining about hunger, just a thirst. She wouldn't be surprised if Devil had had something to do with that.
After he was cleaned and fed, she found warmth with him nestled into her once again. Her hands began to make petting motions, running her hand over every crevice.
"I like this side of you," she whispered, playing with tendrils of his dark hair. "You know I would never hurt you."
"I know," he rumbled back. "I trust you...I love you...Jun, don't ever leave me again."
"I won't," she said with some force behind her tone. "But, Kazuya, you have to do as I say."
Kazuya huffed. "Have I not been? The reigns have been in your hands..."
"You have been," she purred, "Against all odds." She placed her chin upon his head.
He hummed into her chest as she continued to caress him. She listened to his slow quiet breathing, felt the subtle movement of each inhale and then as it deepened when he fell asleep.
Just focus on your recovery, Kazuya. I'll take care of the rest.