Jun walked silently around her room in search for the few belongings she had brought. There was no longer anyone to apprehend, no longer anyone to take back with her, no longer anyone that would love her. Kazuya. She had cried her tears the night of his fight. The unbearable clenching she felt in her heart had been the only signal she felt that told her the one man she truly loved was no more. The life that beat inside her would never know his father. Kazuya never had the chance to know that he would be a father. Would it have made a difference if she told him? Would he have stopped everything and actually left with her? Somehow, she didn't think so.

 

She clenched her eyes shut. It hurt to think that hate was so much stronger than love. She sighed as she put her final belongings into her small bag. She would leave this place, leave it all, and never look back at it. Her child would never know his father, never know of this dark legacy, and never know this hate. She sighed, knowing she was lying to herself. Destiny had an ironic way of working and somehow she knew her child would be thrown into the destruction. My beautiful child, she thought, please escape their wickedness.

 

A knock from the door startled her. She stared at the heavy wood for a moment, contemplating who could possibly be there. She hesitated for a moment before allowing the stranger to enter. Her eyes widened at the sight of Heihachi Mishima walking through her door. The murderer of a man she had needed.

 

"Ms. Kazama," he said, bowing respectfully.

 

"Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Mishima?" she asked, voice betraying her anger.

 

He smiled briefly. "I just came to pay my respects to your loss."

 

How dare he mock my pain, Jun thought.

 

"My son's legacy is no more. You are now the same woman you were the day you came here. Kazuya is no more. There is nothing left of him."

 

"On the contrary, Mr. Mishima, you'll never be rid of his legacy. It will go on and it will haunt you for the rest of your days," she whispered.

 

"Strong words for a woman who doesn't seem to know much," he mocked.

 

"I know more than you think, and I know more than you," she smiled, shrugging her shoulders just the slightest. "Besides, you aren't the only one holding a secret."

 

She picked up her bag and, without another word, passed Heihachi and left the room.

 

Heihachi peered out the door and watched her small form distance herself from this place. He smirked briefly. She truly was the enigma, a puzzle never to be solved.

 

"Did you solve her, Kazuya?" Heihachi whispered to no one.

 

Somehow, he didn't think so, and that thought scared him.

 

~~++~~

 

"Is the helicopter ready?" Heihachi asked.

 

"Yes, sir. Your son's body is being boarded now," a nameless Tekkenshu responded.

Heihachi snorted in response. He had something special planned for his son. After all, demons belonged in the fiery wrath of Hell, didn't they?

 

~~++~~

 

The helicopter circled around the volcano, looking for the perfect spot to hold still. Deep inside the pit, hot, burning magma boiled. It's fiery oranges twisted into small whirlpools of heat and pain. Suiting, Heihachi thought. He looked to his left to see the corpse of his son. Even in death, he still looked ghastly demonic. You were never good enough to be my son, he thought.

 

The volcano, itself, was a remarkable creation of nature. It rose unnaturally high and its ledges were jagged and narrow. A true challenge to any cliffhanger. It's dark chocolate exterior shined menacingly against the sunlight, giving it a sadistic image. The mouth of the danger was a giant hole. Deep and entirely bleak, it looked as if it could swallow the world as well. Steam and smoke encircled the deadly mouth, the breath of one that would cause infinite damage to the body. A shudder ran down Heihachi's spine, making him smile.

 

He laughed out loud suddenly, a chilling shrill of mocking happiness. He was finally able to do something his son was never able to do. Destroy the enemy. His eyes cast down at the lifeless Kazuya. Not a single flash of compassion, or forgiveness, or loss reflected in Heihachi's cold dark eyes. It's not over yet, is it? Heihachi thought to himself.

 

"Sir," the pilot's voice crackled over the speakers, "we've reached the destination point. Now is the time to settle your final agenda."

 

Heihachi smiled. The pilot was obviously sickened by this atrocious act between father and son. What did he know of honor and strength? He could have cracked his skull open with one fist. No one is above me, he thought, not even God. Steadily, he rose and made his way the short distance to his son. Gingerly, he picked up Kazuya's dead weight body and carried it effortlessly to the open door of the aircraft. The wind that whipped around them threatened to give Heihachi the same agonizing death as his son. His balance never faltered though.

 

Slowly, he descended down the metal ladder. He distinctly heard the sound of metal clanking on metal as the wispy ladder weaved from side to side. With the corpse of his son weighing heavily against his shoulder, Heihachi finally made it to the last step. With little effort, he gripped his son around his waist and waited briefly for the ladder to swing toward the volcano. The ladder participated willingly, and Heihachi thrusted the lifeless Kazuya in the deep pit.

 

Heihachi watched, as Kazuya seemed to glide through the air. He was just like a bird, soaring free above the earth. The peaceful moment was lost and Kazuya's body went free falling into the deep mouth of Hell. Heihachi watched blissfully as Kazuya's body slammed into a ledge and then continued the fall into the inferno.

 

"Take me back to my home," Heihachi ordered after a few moments of silence.

 

"Yes sir!" came back a relieved voice.

 

"Do not fret too long, Kazuya. I will join you in no time and rule you in Hell as I did on Earth."

 

As the helicopter began its return, Heihachi, still gripping the metal bars of the wiry ladder, turned and smiled.

 

~~++~~

 

Jun gripped her heart slowly. It had been done. Kazuya would no longer be of this world. She closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to spill over. She had known this would end in heartache, but no force in the world could have stopped her. She sighed, and resumed her journey toward her home. There was nothing left for her at the Zaibatsu.

 

~~++~~

 

The bus ride had been pleasant enough. She had gazed out the window, longing to be within nature, so simple yet completely impossible to understand. Much like herself, she had found. She recognized a part of these woods from her childhood and quickly asked the driver to stop. Without much complaint, the driver slowed and let her off. She smiled, thinking of her childhood. How she loved to come out here and watch the sun rise and set. How she would dance across the wild grass with all the animals watching her. It was a time of peace and a time of purity. She had needed to return to that.

 

She walked into the forest and immediately the animals came to her. She stroked them lovingly, letting their innocent nature bless her own. They guided her to an all too familiar clearing, the one from her childhood. She slowly walked to the edge; hands clasped together firmly, and sighed a breath of relief. She was finally home.

 

~~++~~

 

A cry from one of the animals caught her attention and she quickly turned to see all the animals scurry back into the protection of the woods. She arched an eyebrow at this strange turn of events and wondered what could have scared them off. She felt it then, a dark cloud covering her body. She shuddered under its evil veil. Her eyes darted everywhere for a sign of danger. She could see none. Her ears pricked at a distant noise, though she couldn't be sure. As the sound grew, her heart thudded faster and faster. It was all too distinct now.

 

Heavy, leather wings beat against the blue sky. Jun's eyes widened as she quickly rolled to the side as the huge demon landed where she was standing, crushing the earth beneath him. She rose, rigid, and ready for battle. His amethyst eyes sparkled against the dying rays of the sun. The evil was overwhelming. He slid a forked tongue across his lips, grinning eerily toward the young woman.

 

"You know who I am, Jun?" he asked.

 

"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "You are the demon that possessed Kazuya."

 

"Yes," he hissed. "You know more than I give you credit for. Perhaps you aren't such a useless woman after all."

 

"Kazuya is dead. How are you still here?"

 

"My sweet, it was I that ended your beloved's life. Why should I be gone simply because he is?"

 

She gasped at his confession. The Devil, so consumed with greed and hate, killed his own shell. He took Kazuya's soul after Kazuya had refused him. She stifled a cry, which only received a mocking laugh from her adversary.

 

"Yes, such a pathetic man, he was."

 

"Leave me alone, demon," she demanded. "You have nothing to do with me."

"On the contrary, I have everything to do with you! I wish to evoke the life that beats inside you. I wish to enter the child."

 

Jun put a protective hand across her stomach. This demon had taken a man she had loved. Now he wished to take her child. She gritted her teeth. He'd never have the child.

 

"I see you have made your decision. Very well. We will see how long you last."

 

The Devil quickly took a fighting stance. Jun's small, but quick, body waited for him to make the first move. With speed that would rival the light, the Devil attacked. Jun had never felt such pain as when he struck her. She went down to her knees, too shocked to brace herself for the next attack.

 

All she could feel was the earth as she slid across the ground from the force of the demon's kick. She groaned and tried quickly to get up. To no avail, the Devil lifted her by her collar, his menacing laugh echoed in her ears as she tried to stay conscious.

 

"Dense woman. Did you honestly think you could protect your child from me?"

 

Jun groaned as she felt her body grow weaker. She watched through blurred vision as the Devil's third eye began to grow. She struggled against his grasp, trying desperately to stop him from harming her child. A bright ray of amethyst shot from his `eye' and penetrated through Jun's body. She could feel his wrath; feel his evil encircle her womb. She was sure she heard her own child's spirit cry out from the sudden darkness. Jun cried out to anyone that could possibly help. She cried out to the Heavens in hopes for a miracle. The Devil hissed in delight as he felt his phantom spirit slowly enter the child.

 

His roar of triumph was short lived as he felt the presence of something great. His body burned from the overpowering feeling and blinked in surprise as he realized it was coming from Jun. Her screaming had ceased and she now stood still, as stoic, onyx eyes twinkling with intensity stared back at him. Her pale form was wrapped in a golden glow. A physical form began to take shape and finally Jun succumbed to her own intensity, leaving a remarkably beautiful being left standing facing the Devil.

 

Her body was a pale peach; cheeks tinted ever so lightly a rose color. Her body was wrapped in white garments; leather sandals graced her elegant feet. Golden hair was wrapped up and bound tightly by leaves of gold. Her eyes were a shocking blue, compassionate and mesmerizing. Her look could have stopped time if she had wanted to. The most remarkable thing, her feathered wings flapped against the darkening sky, pushing away the evil forces that surrounded Jun. The feathers were the purest white one could ever possibly imagine.

 

Angel.

 

The Devil hissed at his new foe.

 

"You have no business here," he growled.

 

"I have sworn to protect the woman and her child from you," she replied, her voice a deep velvet sound.

 

"The child is mine, Angel. I will rule over him."

 

"You serve a higher master as do I. You will never rule over anything, and you will never have the child."

 

The Devil roared and lunged toward the Angel. Their hands clasped together and a battle of strength ensued. They took to the air, flying against one another, heavy wings flapping against the sapphire covered night. Glowing beams of amethyst and gold burned through the twilight as screams of Heaven and Hell echoed through the forest. The battle raged, neither giving in to the whims of the other. The Angel attacked weakly, giving the Devil a momentary upper hand. The Devil shot a beam from his third eye, hitting the Angel in the back. The heavenly divinity crashed into the earth with a single cry. All remained quiet except for the beast's hardly flapping.

 

He landed perfectly against the earth, looking once at the unconscious Jun and then at the fallen Angel. He bellowed a scream of triumph that challenged the cries of Hell. His lithe body stalked toward Jun, ready to take the soul of her child. His third eye shot a beam into her body, once again sucking the life from her child. He grinned, finally feeling the pleasures of triumph.

 

His pointed ears picked up a strange sound. The sound of light fluttering, like a bird racing through the air. It was the sound of soft feathers beating against the air. The Devil's body constricted as he realized where the sound was coming from. He quickly turned to direct his beam toward the enemy, but was too late. The Angel shot two golden beams straight to the Devil's eyes. He remained, eyes widened in terror as his body convulsed by the violent impact of her rays. His low whimpers soon turned into agonizing screams as he fell to his knees. The Angel opened her eyes wider, forcing more and more of her own life into the beast, sending him to his own dark realm.

 

The beast began to fade, slowly and painfully. Soon, all that could be heard was his echoing screams, but even that faded into nothing. The Angel stopped, and collapsed to the ground. She breathed weakly as she dragged her dying body toward Jun.

 

~~++~~

 

The Devil's dying soul vaguely appeared before the burning body of Kazuya. He pulled the corpse away from the volcanic fires and tried, with as much strength as he could muster, to evoke his spirit into the lifeless Kazuya. He opened his mouth and a black cloud erupted from him. The unnerving mist encircled Kazuya's body and absorbed itself deep inside him. A sudden glint caught in Kazuya's empty eyes.

 

"You have your soul back Kazuya! Now let me in!" the demon bellowed.

 

His body quickly transpired into air and settled over the dead man's body. The Devil slowly absorbed himself into Kazuya's body once again. For a moment, all was quiet, except for the bubbling of the molten lava that threatened to splash on the human body.

Suddenly, Kazuya's body began to jerk. His back lurched from some powerful force inside of him. Soon, the sound of ripping flesh echoed through the mountain and a single black wing emerged from his back. It flapped helplessly around as the matching wing tried to emerge as well. Another sickening slice of skin echoed, and the second wing flapped along with the first.

 

The body lurched up, trying to fly, but the wings were too weak to hold the body. Soon, the wings flapping ceased, and the body, once again, remained still.

 

~~++~~

 

Angel gently drew a hand across Jun's forehead, awakening the young woman. Jun groaned softly as she opened her eyes. A gasp caught in her throat as she saw the beautiful apparition staring down at her. Her voice caught in her throat as she tried to speak, but the Angel only brought a single pale finger to her lips, silencing her.

The Angel's crystalline eyes twinkled and a small smile splayed across her pale face. She looked weak and tired.

 

// The Devil has been defeated. You and your child are safe for now.//

 

"Angel?" Jun whispered.

 

//I am too weak to stay with you any longer. I can no longer protect you. Sweet Jun, take care of your son. I sense much peril for him in the future.//

 

Jun choked down a sob.

 

//Do not fret over me. I gave my life to protect you. To protect your son, Jin. This is my sacrifice to you. Don't let it be in vain.//

 

A single tear slid down Jun's cheek. She watched as the Angel, her sole guardian and protector, slowly vanished into the night sky. Jun looked at the stars, and was sure she saw the outline of her beloved guardian. Jun smiled weakly before she passed out, her body encircled by feathers of the purest white.