Fighters came from all over the world.
Friends were reunited with friends and enemies faced with enemies. They had all
heard the calling, and this time the invitation did come from Heihachi. All the
fighters were given the same dream that was sent to them by the unknown. When
each fighter awoke from that disturbing dream they felt an urgent need to join
the tournament. However, this tournament was like no other. This Iron Fist
Tournament had the ability to decide the world’s fate.
Hwoarang was the first of the fighters to show up. Julia was the second.
She flew in from America and met him at the Shaolin Temple. They did not plan on
meeting each other there, but happen to run into each other by chance.
When Hwoarang and Juila were faced with each other they had to bear each
other’s presence. Hwoarang knew that Julia had a certain affection for Jin and
she would not allow any harm to come to him. Hwoarang on the other hand, wished
the opposite.
“I guess we are only two of many,” Julia replied. “Soon the others
will follow.”
Hwoarang ignored her. He turned his back to her and meditated before the
shrine. Please give me strength and courage.
“Do you know the evil that has drawn all of us together?” Julia
asked, ignoring the fact that Hwoarang was praying.
And PLEASE give me patience before I beat this girl.
He gritted his teeth before he answered. “I had a dream which was more
of a calling. That evil you ask of the is the source of my misery.”
“What misery?”
“That evil stripped away the only thing that made me happy.”
“If you win then it will be returned to you,” Julia replied.
Hwoarang did not answer.
“But its not so bad, I’ve dealt with my loss for six months now, and
things are beginning to come together.”
“Yeah, now that there is going to be another tournament right,”
Hwoarang replied sarcastically. “You’re hoping that he’s going to show
up.”
Julia would not deny the obvious. She agreed to his statement. “He can
be saved, Hwoarang, don’t lose faith in him yet.”
“I already have…besides,” he began to stand up, “Jin is not my
primary concern. There is another reason why I joined this tournament.”
Julia could read his mind by the look on Hwoarang’s face. She noticed a
longing in his eyes and immediately she understood what bothered him. “I
don’t blame you,” she assured. “What’s her name?”
Hwoarang would not look at her for the longest of moments. He stared
straight at the ground and quietly whispered her name. “Naya…”
“I know her, or at least I’ve heard of her.”
He gazed at her, startled by her confession. “What do you know?”
“I know that she’s been hunted down. Some of Heihachi’s henchmen
have been looking for her.”
“Heihachi,” Hwoarang sneered, despising the name to its extremity.
“The man is to blame for all this.”
“I’d rather think not,” a voice boomed from the entrance of the
temple. The old man stood there himself. Hwoarang looked up at him in a hurry,
surprised to see one of his rivals standing before him. “Don’t look at me
like your seeing a ghost, boy, I’m here for the same purpose you are.”
“That depends,” the young man replied.
“To defeat the Unknown.”
“Then why have you been hunting Naya down when it’s the Unknown
you’re after,” he gritted.
“Because, she is the cause of our inevitable destruction. That whore
you’ve been romancing is of the Mishima line. The product of my very own seed
and that stupid son of a bitch is using her against me. The Unknown means to use
my own daughter to kill me.”
Hwoarang glared at him. Julia gawked.
“She’s your daugther?!” Hwoarang asked in disbelief. He gave an
incredulous look.
Heihachi simply nodded.
“You damn LIAR! She would never be related to your kind. Never!”
“He’s right,” Julia intervened, finally realizing. “The girl you
love is the daughter of your hated enemy.”
“Shut up!”
“Why would she lie to you, Hwoarang,” Heihachi asked. “So that you
wouldn’t hate her because of my blood running through her veins? I wonder how
long she’s known about our relation before you found out. And I also ponder
how long she would have stalled before telling you…if ever.” He had a smug
look smeared across his face. He apparently enjoyed the misery Hwoarang appeared
to be experiencing at the moment.
His
insides felt like they were on fire. Anna was right, that stupid bitch was
right. Hwoarang gritted his teeth. How could she lie to him? Did she even know?
If Heihachi didn’t know where Naya was then who did? Did the Unknown have her?
His mind was a mix of jumbled thoughts. Hwoarang could not align his mind. With
all the pieces he tried placing together, he thought he would go mad.
“WHY?”
He screamed.
“Face
it, there’s nothing you can do. Leave her where she is. She didn’t seem to
care because obviously she was keeping a secret from you. Why do you think she
didn’t tell you who her father was when you asked her, if you asked her. I’m
sure, even through the short span of time that you’ve known her, that her
family would have been the topic of one of your discussions. Even after I
abducted her. If you’ve fallen in love with her, you’re wasting your breath.
The woman is not worth it. She will only kill you!”
“Go
to hell,” Hwoarang muttered and brushed past Heihachi. He could not face the
truth so he did the best thing he could do. Run from it.
|
| |
He told her that she would meet him there. The only difference between
now and then was he told her that six months before. Jin was supposedly going to
give something to Julia on the day he disappeared.
And she was right. She did find him there, alone, and afraid.
She wasn’t sure if it was him or not for the eyes have been known to
deceive. After all, her longing to see him could have caused her mind to play
tricks on her. Jin sat on a rock in the clearing, his back facing her. His head
was lowered, facing the ground. He appeared to be resting since he did not give
any motion that may have signaled her arrival. Julia could almost feel the tears
start to break lose. The anxiety of seeing him again surfaced. Her heart felt
like it could burst. At the sight of him she felt unrequited love and pain beat
within her chest. Was this the man she love and did not love her back? Did he
come back after all this time, knowing that she would be there to meet him? Or
did her mind think it amusing to play cruel tricks on her? Whatever the reason,
she had to be assured.
Julia reached out a hand to touch him. Warm flesh.
“Oh, my God…you’re real…”
Jin flinched. He turned around to face her. Julia grew startled when she
saw the colorless expression in his eyes. The man was possessed. She felt a
piece of her die. A bit of hope vanished once appearing into his face. The man
had been possessed beyond her healing, or so she thought.
“Julia.”
He remembered her name. Julia could feel herself start to break down. She
did not want to appear like a weakling in front of him. But somehow he
remembered her and by the sound of him saying her name warmed her heart. For the
longest time Julia could not move. She just stared up at him, unable to overcome
her shock.
Ever so slowly, without her realizing, Jin took Julia in his arms. The
smell of him brought her into reality. Julia could not comprehend her
predicament.
“What are you doing,” she managed to stammer.
“Julia…help me. I cannot contain myself. This demon…this possessor
is ruining my life! You must defeat this monster. The only way for you to
release me is if you kill the monster and the only way of doing that is if you
kill me.”
“WHAT?! Jin are you crazy?! No, NEVER!”
“Kill me, Julia, please, I BEG you! There’s no way to stop this
thing. It’s killing me and if you don’t stop it, it will kill you too!”
“Jin stop this, I’m not joking.”
His eyes flickered. “Neither am I. …Kill me now before it’s too
late. Before I can’t contain myself and kill you. Do it Julia, there is no
other person I can think of who does not want to see me suffer. You’re the
only one who can aide me and I’m begging for your help. So, please, kill me,
and kill me now!”
“NO, stop it! Shut up! Listen to yourself! It’s not you! It’s not
the Jin I know whose talking. It’s that damn demon! Jin, listen to me! You
have to fight it! Don’t allow let it destroy you! I know you’re stronger
than that! Jin, please don’t let me down! I know you can do it! I don’t want
you to die! Please, you’ve got to
live! I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO SEE YOU HURT!”
She shut her mouth, surprised that, in the midst of her plea, she had
revealed her true feelings. Jin breathed. His breath blew over her face.
Somehow, now he felt like he held her tighter. She was surprised to see that,
after her startling confession, he still held her.
Then he began to speak. “If you love me, Julia, then you will do this
for me. This is the only way I can be saved.” She saw a flicker of pain cross
his eyes. She could not bear seeing the pain on his face.
“Jin…”
“Please Julia…I’ve tried seeking help, but no one can help me, not
even Wang. He turned me away when I came to see him. He said that I was too
possessed and that if I were to ever go near anyone, I would kill them, but for
some reason, I can resist the urge to kill you. There is something about you
Julia that I must have felt before that is affecting this curse on me. Every
time I think of you it’s like my heart warms up and I can be almost human
again. If you cause me to feel this way, then you’re the only person who can
save me. Please Julia, do it. Do it for love if you have to, PLEASe, I beg you.
I love you Julia, love you enough to not make you suffer. I’ve I live, the
threat of me murdering you lingers and I don’t want that to happen. I’d
rather die, knowing that you won’t have me around as a threat. Please
Julia…as a test of love do this for me, I beg you…”
She could not help it any longer. She tip-toed to reach his height and
Jin met her half way. They locked lips for the longest of moments and both found
it hard to catch their breath when they let go.
When she found the strength to think again, a bit of hope arrayed inside
of her.
“No,
Jin. I will not kill you. There is a way to free you and is not by killing
you. You are not the reason why you are possessed. The only way to free you is
by destroying the thing that possesses you, and I will be the one to stop it.
Jin, no matter what, I will find a way to free you…I promise.”