Hearts Everlasting

By. Indigo Siren

Disclaimer: Tekken is to Namco. All characters, situations based on the games and such are not my property and are being used only for entertainment purposes only. No money is being made from this story. I do however own the idea for my story as well as any character of my own creation that doesn’t appear in the Tekken games. All rights reserved.

A/N: Anything with a fight scene in it always takes longer for me to complete. A few months on from my last post and I actually managed to tackle it and finally get it completed. Anyway, on with the show!

Chapter 19

All she had to rely on was a paper thin layer of courage to support her insecurities. Staring into the white eyes of death, Miharu began to question why on Earth she’d decide to undertake this gruelling task to rescue this man from himself?

‘I love him, that’s why. I love Jin. Always have. Always will.’

She swallowed, shaking as her frozen body stayed rooted as he strode towards her. His smug expression held a pride so clearly written on his face. She was his submissive slave, drawn by the power of his will. A tiny voice in the back of her head told her to run away while she had the chance, but she wouldn’t. No, she simply couldn’t. Her feet didn’t seem to be hers at all.

“My sweet, sweet, Miharu…” He purred in that deep, husky voice of his, echoing as if the sound was drawn out of a cold, bottomless pit.

“What’s happened to you, Jin?” She asked softly, hands clasping tightly to her quaking chest. “When I saw this side of you before, it was never like this…”

“This is the stronger me. The BETTER me.” He was a few mere feet away now, and she still couldn’t move.

“Better?” She considered with sadness. Evil, destructive, sinister… These traits are what she saw before her now. How on Earth could that be better then the loving young man she’d fallen in love with?

Jin’s smile grew. “Why have you been running away from me, my sweet? You‘re my precious one… I‘d never hurt you…”

The way he said it, rolling out in that unearthly tone made her question otherwise. Just as his hand brushed her arm, her body finally reacted and started to step back, but he was quick to catch her and hold her firmly were she was. She gaped, wide-eyed at him.

“You’re mine, Miharu. You know that, don’t you?” One clawed hand reached up to pet her hair, and she did nothing to resist him. All she could do was stare into his eyes, mesmerised. “Your heart will never let you escape me. We’re bound together. Forever…”

Her lips quivered, her voice quiet and choking on unshed tears. “Turn back, Jin. Please turn back…”

He leant forward, his breath tickling against her ear as he let his words echo softly through her. “You’re a princess, Miharu. Royalty at the side of a God. You are something quite special, don’t you know?” Confusion washed her expression. “Yes, quite special…”

“Wake up… Wake up…” She shut her eyes, tears beginning to escape from beneath the lids. “This isn’t you at all…”

Jin knelt before his ‘princess’, encasing her with his wings, pressing her fragile body to his. He drew her face mere inches from his. “This is the true Jin Kazama.” He crushed his lips to hers, pushing apart her lips with his tongue to invade her honeyed mouth.

She was suddenly drowning in his passionate kiss, dancing on the edge of hell as she began to submit pitifully to his wants. In her heart, she kept praying her love for him would spill from her lips and fill his tainted soul. That her feelings would release him from this cursed existence. But her spirit was being encased by his power, trying to draw away her soul into the darkness along with him.

“JIN!”

He stopped, his lips still pressed to Miharu’s. His glance drifted to the figure that had appeared to his right, having just reached the top of the volcano. His cousin, Asuka. Her expression was stern.

“What the hell are you doing?”

He broke the kiss and Miharu suddenly slumped against him. She was out cold.

He smirked at the newcomer, laying his lady love carefully to the dirt. He’d finish what he’d started with her later, but first, the intruder needed to be taught a lesson.

“Leave now, or I will destroy you,” he warned.

Asuka stepped forward onto the dusty battlefield, bringing up her arms defensively. She was ready to fight.

“I will vanquish the demon within you and free your soul.”

He snorted. “How quaint.”

Asuka cleared her throat, rolling her eyes. “Put it another way… I’m going to kick your evil ass and stomp some good will into you!”

They were suddenly circling each other in a tight loop. Asuka’s face was stiff and determined, trying to keep away the anger in reaction to her opponent’s cocky expression. He was so certain that his advantages would have him easily winning this bout. But she was no push over. She took her beatings and brought on the pain. Heart and soul she was a fighter for justice, and she never backed down from a challenge. No matter how tough it may be.

In the blink of an eye, he was charging, thrusting a powerful fist forward to strike the side of her head. She spun aside, feeling the wind of his attack grace past her ear, narrowly missing her by bare centimetres. Quickly going low, she swung around her leg twice in a consecutive motion in an attempt to take down his vertical base. The first time she caught the back of his leg, the second caught nothing as he used his wings to hover over her. His fist suddenly slammed into the dirt before her just before she could rise. Through dust and dried mud dancing in the air, their eyes met. He smirked widely and in a blurred movement lashed his arm into a uppercut, taking her up into the air where he was up to meet her prone body with a powerful roundhouse kick to the sternum.

She grunted, hitting the ground and rolling up as quickly as she could, ignoring the aches and pains protesting their case. Just as she got back to her feet, she noticed him brace back, the red jewel embedded in his forehead glimmer in warning of the incoming attack. She dived down forward into roll just as a beam of searing red light shot over head. The hotness of it was frightful. If that had hit her, she would have been in serious trouble.

Asuka rose up, ready with a high kick aimed for his cocky face. His hand caught her foot, holding her there in an awkward position, wavering unbalanced.

Jin laughed. “You think your pathetic little attacks can hurt me?”

She growled and bounced up, momentarily propelling herself against his chest and slamming her free foot into his cheek. His grip loosened and she twisted away in the air, landing in a crouch to the side of him. Without hesitation, she slammed the most powerful punch she could into his ribs.

Nothing. He was unmoved.

She tried again, focusing on the base of the diaphragm. Not even a blink from his unimpressed eyes.

“I told you, girl. You can’t hurt me.”

“Y’think so?” She quick-stepped in front of him and in an lightning fast move, kicked him straight between the legs. This time she got a reaction.

Hissing, he fell to his knees nursing his tenderised crotch.

She shrugged. “Can’t hurt you, huh? Admittedly it was a bit of a low blow, but I’m willing to do anything to wipe that stupid smirk off your face.” She hated making fun of him like this. Jin had been such a nice man and she had been happy to learn of their blood relation. But she couldn’t show any weakness while he was in this form.

He wasn’t prone for long. Despite the pain, her attack had only infuriated him to stop playing games with her. Shooting forward at an unbelievable speed, his hand came around her throat as he drove his other fist into her stomach.

She gaped in shock, mouth gasping for her air as the wind was forced right out her. A trickle of blood spilled from her mouth and down her chin. The coppery taste made her gag.

Pushing her back slightly, he swung his elbow into the side of her head, following with another gut punch and a final unforgiving kick to the chest that sent her hard down to the dusty ground.

Asuka knew that she was hurt. She was no doctor, but she could tell by the severe pain that his attacks had done some pretty serious damage. But to give up would be the end of her - at least continuing the fight would say at least she tried. But as she rose slowly back to her feet, he was waiting with another devastating attack.

The electricity surrounding him had been a clear enough warning that the attack that was coming was going to near enough finish her off, but she just couldn’t get out of the way in time as he turned from a low crotch into a leaping uppercut that sent her flying a good way across the barren expanse.

Hitting the ground, she found herself at an arms length from where Miharu lay. She couldn’t get up. Her body refused her commands.

Hearing a moan, Asuka’s head lolled to the side to look at the other girl, who was just starting to stir from the unwanted sleep that had gripped her. Carefully, she dragged her arm across the dirt until she reached Miharu’s shoulder, letting her fingers tighten a little where they rested.

“It’ll be alright,” she promised Miharu weakly, though the girl was hardly aware of her words. “If I have to destroy my body to save him, then I will. I promise.”

An unearthly glow glittered around Miharu, and suddenly, in her mind’s eye, Asuka could see the image of her deceased aunt, Jun Kazama. The angelic woman spread her arms wide, her smile as beautiful as a blossoming sakura tree.

“Hope,” was all she muttered before evaporating into white light. Around Miharu the glow intensified before gathering together and flowing into Asuka’s body.

The girl from Osaka, who had never truly felt love quite like this, was in awe. Miharu had been through an emotional rollercoaster and yet her love for Jin was still strong. As Jun had said, ‘hope’ - this was what Miharu’s love was. And her love was her power. The strength of good to free Jin from his evil curse.

Asuka felt the strength return to her, all her previous injuries suddenly healed as she rose from the ground, dusting herself down. She turned to Jin, who was stood not too far away, a look of bewilderment crossing his face.

With a sharp cry, Asuka charged at him, empowered by something stronger and more determined. Jin could sense her rekindled fury, but this wasn’t just anger, it was unwavering resolve to shatter him down to the core. To take away the power which he was striving for.

He gave a roar of his own and rushed to meet her, his body crackling intensely with electricity. A few paces away from each other, he reared back and aimed a powerful fist towards her torso. But before he could connect, she was suddenly leaping onto him, clasping her hands tightly around his head. He stumbled back a few paces at the impact of her body slamming into his. One of her hands moved around and gripped his face.

“WAKE UP!” She cried, her voice screeched the words so high it was like she hadn’t spoke at all.

The white light suddenly returned in all its intensity, coming right from the depths of Asuka‘s soul. It rose through her body and into the hand clasping his face. Jin desperately tried to push her off, but she locked herself tightly around him. The white light brought great pain as it pierced right through him, filling every part of his body and chasing out the darkness that resided. He screamed in sheer agony, his voice echoing into the darkened sky.

As the shadows receded within him, he could suddenly see his mother, gazing at him with the same loving eyes as he remembered. Her image then converted into Asuka, and then into Miharu, who was standing smiling with the same brilliant smile as his mother had offered. It was such a heart warming sight to behold. He was suddenly very contented. Her cheeks glowed, eye twinkling, and without her even having to say a word, he knew what she wanted to tell him. That she loved him, no matter what. Her true feelings were spilling into him silently, bringing him warmth and completion. Heavenly white feather’s were falling around him in his mind. His mother, Asuka, Miharu… They were all good people, all touched by something heavenly that had now spilled him to him and sent the evil devil spiralling away into eternity.

The light dissipated and Jin collapsed forward. Asuka unlocked herself quickly, dropping to her knees to catch his limp body. Slowly but surely, he began to de-transform. Gone were the horns, the dark feathers and the claws. Returning was Jin Kazama. Not an ounce of evil radiating from him.

Miharu, aching profusely, sat herself up. She propped her hands to the ground as she leaned over as a sickly feeling washed over her. After a moment of deep breaths and quiet assuring mumblings, her stomach seemed to settle and she attempted to stand up.

She’d had a strange dream. She’d been out in a pasture, sitting on a chequered blanket while eating a picnic spread with Asuka and the woman she knew as Jun Kazama. They had be talking like they were all the best of friends, conversation free flowing and enjoyable. Distantly, she’d seen Jin approaching, his normal self, and she had called to him gladly and beckoned him to join them. Smiling brightly, he had hurried across the grass, wrapping his arms around her as he’d sat on the blanket. She’d closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his body and his enticing spicy scent. And that’s when she’d woken up.

Wondering what had happened to Jin, she glanced around until her eyes came to rest on her ex-boyfriend, no longer a devil, collapsed into the arms of his cousin, who was smoothing his hair in a motherly fashion. The way she cradled him made her feel slightly envious, but she knew they were no longer together and she let the feeling subside.

In truth, she didn’t feel good enough for him. She had taken everything for granted when they’d been together, as if she expected him to cling to her forever. That nothing could have ever split them apart. Having acted so foolish, she was too ashamed to going running to him now, no matter how much love filled her heart. His family were who he needed now. Not her.

Unseen, she snuck away, beginning her descent down the side of the volcano in a cumbersome way as her limbs still refused to properly wake up. When finally reached the base, she found that Kazuya had disappeared.

‘He’ll be okay,’ she told herself. ‘He’s a tough man.’

“Miharu!” The relieved cry turned her head in the direction of an approaching trio. The caller, none other then Xiaoyu, was racing towards her energetically, arms outstretched to receive her. Trailing behind were Steve and her loyal pet Panda.

Miharu allowed Xiaoyu to grab her and squeeze her with every ounce of strength she had. She simply sunk against her tiredly.

“I could strangle my grandpa! How could he let you come out here in your condition?!” She pulled back, touching her friend’s pale cheek. “Look at you! You look half dead.”

“I just need a long rest and I’ll be fine,” she assured, patting the Chinese girl’s shoulder.

Xiaoyu frowned. “Did you find Jin out here?”

Miharu nodded and smiled a little. “Yeah, and I think things will be okay now.”

“Is he still… well, y’know…”

“He was normal when I last checked…”

Steve and Panda caught up. The British man was all smiles. “You sure know how to make a girl split hairs over you.” He glanced in Xiaoyu’s direction.

“She’s so uncontrollable! Someone’s got to do all the worrying!” She cuddled Miharu again. “Look at the poor girl, she looks exhausted. We’re taking you home!”

“Best plan I’ve heard today,” Miharu yawned out. “I’m going to sleep until forever, and then maybe get back to school before they fail me.”

Steve but a supporting hand on Miharu‘s back. “Maybe you should ride on Panda’s back. You don’t look as if you’re going to make it very far.” The chipper looking animal didn’t seem to mind as she turned around and offered her back to travel on.

“That would be nice.” Flanked by her friends, they helped her sit upon Panda’s back comfortably. Steve stayed at her side to make sure as they walked that she didn’t fall off.

“Lets go,” Miharu muttered, exhaustion settling in.

“What about Jin?” Xiaoyu inquired.

Miharu shook her head. “Asuka is taking care of him now.”

Xiaoyu understood and patted Panda’s rump, motioning for the animal to be on her way.

Miharu didn’t look back, instead, she just leaned against Steve sighing half sadly, half happily.

Jin stirred, finding himself half buried into the bosom of his cousin, who was carefully petting his hair. Embarrassed, he pushed himself backward little, groaning at the heaviness settled inside his head. It felt like he’d been trapped inside the nightmare of his own mind for years at a time. He glanced apologetically at Asuka, who just cocked a smile softly.

“You saved me,” he muttered, his eyes eternally thankful for her help.

“It was nothing,” she assured, ruffling his hair. “Just be a good boy from now on, promise?”

He looked down. “I did some terrible things. Unforgivable…”

“You couldn’t help it. You were under the influence of another force.” She lightly punched his shoulder. “Come on, its gonna be okay! Looks bad now, but it can only get better.”

“Can it?” Jin glanced up at his cousin, softened by the kindness and honesty on her face. Certainly with her around, things could get better. And Miharu. Thinking of her, he glanced around in search of the girl. He was surprised to find that he could not see her at all. “Where’s Miharu?”

Asuka turned to look where Miharu had last been and found the spot vacant. She too visually explored the landscape to see where she could have gotten to. But she wasn’t there in any shape or form. She’d left quietly when she was distracted. “Miharu?” She called out, knowing that there would be no response.

Behind them, the remnants of Jinpachi’s body, which had since turned to ash, blew away in the wind.

A/N: Tournament over now, the fight has come to an end, but the emotional turmoil still is still simmering a little... Find out the aftermath in the next chapter...