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Mortal Kombat: The Tournament: Part 7

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        “He went by the name of Cronus.”  Sound told them.  “Few now remember him but he was one of the greatest villains to ever live.  A conquer to match Shao Khan, and darker and cruller than all the wraiths in the service of Quan Chi.  It took a great host to break his army and many great warriors died before he was finally brought low.  Whomever is behind this likely intends to resurrect him, for whatever reason.”
        “This doesn’t sound like a good deal; so how do we stop this?”  I can dispel the souls he has collected, but not while they are held here by some force.  We will have to disable whomever is behind this first.  Which will mean an assault.  If he is doing what I believe he is than the assault will not be as easy one, nor do we have much time.”  He turned, Khameleon.  “Keep them on track, I have things to attend to.” Terra watched him walk away for a moment than turned her attention back to the group. 
        “So, we need a plan.”    

        Cyan slowly blinked her eyes open and looked around the dark cell.  Her head ached and she struggled to remember where she was or what had happened.  Then she remembered.  Li, and what had become of him.  She noticed there were two other figures in the cell with her. 

        “Who is there?”  She said.
        “Think back, we have been here before.”  Said a voice, one she recognized, the Warden.  So they had been there before, a Cryomancer, a Grey Eye, and a Grey Smoke in a dark prison, which meant the other was probably Sub Zero.
        “So why are we here?” She heard something snap.  It looked like one of them has been tracing in the dirt with a dry bone.  She saw two sets of eyes shining malignantly in the dark.
        “Shinnnok.”
        “And Quan Chi trapped us,” finished Sub Zero.  She was almost frightened by them.  Plenty of people had reason to hate Shinnok and Quan Chi but whatever these two had against them ran deeper than most.
        “So are you going to just sit around or are we going to go take care them?”  She asked a wicked Grin coming across her face.  She threw her arm towards the cell door.  It shimmered and sparked as her power came in contact with some magic barrier before the door flew off its hinges.  The Grey Smoke and the Cryomancer stood up.
        “Well, Ye-Jun, what do you say to that?”
        “I say that I haven’t had a challenging opponent since I returned to Earthrealm anyway.”  A hand came out to her.  She could tell it was Sub Zero’s.  She took it and pulled herself up to her feet.  Then she walked out with the two old warriors.  That thought made her feel a little vein.  She had no idea how old the Warden was, but she was much older than Sub Zero, yet she only though of them as old warriors. 
       
“Sill have your weapons?”
        “I gave them to Korren.”
        “You can shear with me than.  What about you kid you got any?”
        “No.”
        “Don’t worry.” He reached down into his boots and pulled a pair of blades out that he passed to her she took them, and recognized the feel.  They were enenra forged, not the same as her own peoples but still felt right.   She locked eyes with him for a moment.  There was something very important in what he had just done, and what he was doing.  For one Grey Eye to lend their blades to another was a sign of the deepest trust.  For a man to hand someone who had a grudge against him the means to kill him meant even more.  It was then that she dropped all past judgments against Smoke, or John Travis as he seemed to go by now.  He had done horrible things, but had changed for the better, he was a different person.
        “I don’t suppose you brought any guns John?”
        “Ye-Jun, don’t be silly, I always bring my guns.”

        Terra’s breathing was heavy as she and the others rushed on ahead.  Their numbers were few now in comparison. Most of them had split off at one point or another to engage with the soulless warriors now under the control of whomever owned their souls’.  Now only she, Korren, Shean, Mist, Khameleon, and Sound remained. Then they stopped a phalanx of Oni were in their way.  That settled some of the mystery.  Now she was sure Quan Chi was involved, he was probably behind it all.  Suddenly a volley of bangs, like thunder, rang out and the Oni dropped.  Moments after Sub Zero, Smoke, and Cyan jumped down from a building above.
         “Mother?”  Terra said, shocked and surprised in the most pleasant way possible.  “You’re alive.”
         “As well as our friends.”  She gestured to Sub Zero and Smoke, each held a blade in one hand and what she guessed was a firearm in the other.  She was aware of such weapons, though her realm did not possess them.  She never considered them the most honorable means of killing but she knew that they could be very effective and dropping unprotected enemies.  Since they were fighting soulless puppet warriors and Oni at the moment it might be what they needed.  When Sub Zero saw Korren he seemed almost dazed he was so apparently awe struck.
         “Korren, you’re alive?”
         “It was Sounds work,” Terra said, “but we have to keep moving.”
         “What’s the rush,” The looked up toward the voice as a woman in dark garb stepped out of an alleyway.  “The fun is only just beginning.”
         “So the Phantom shows herself,” said Smoke.  “I thought I left you dead.”
         “The great betrayer is also the magnificent fool.  Would you like to try and tread my blood beneath your boots again?  Or maybe you will just roll over and die with the rest of your kind.”
         “Someone’s blood will be tread, let’s see whose.  The rest of you keep going.  I’ll catch up.”  They continued on, and left smoke to his battle.  Whatever she thought of the enenra his ability to bring death to his enemies were not questioned.  She just pitied the wraith who now faced him.  They augmented group moved on, dispatching any of the soulless who blocked them.  Then another enemy stepped in their way, a much more menacing foe, the wraith, Saibot.
         “Go on, said Cyan.  He freed me once, I owe him no less.”  So they left Cyan now.  Terra had a sick feeling in her stomach.  This was on purpose.  Someone had been wedeling them down all along, only now was she seeing in.  Next Sub Zero had to break off, then Mist, and Shean, and Khameleon, till only herself and Sound remained.  Soon they came into the arena of the coliseum.  There, at the center stood the fallen Elder God Shinnok, radiating with the power of the souls he had stolen.
        
“The ancient one,” He boomed, addressing Sound.  “I wondered when you would arrive.  Your power is great but even you cannot expect to defeat me now.”  Sound seemed to ponder him for a moment.
         “You wish to harness the power of the one who fell here.  I can promise you that you would fail, however you will not have the opportunity.”  He readied for battle.  So did Terra.  She was afraid.  She was not on the same level as Shinnok or Sound and she was not prepared for a battle such as this, but she could not back down, even if it meant her death.  They clashed in the first blows.  Sent her flying back and for a moment she only sat on the side line watching the air pop and buffet around them as the two warriors who fought like a pair of titans.  She pulled herself up and run in to engage.  She moved in and grabbed his arm, twisting it around so she could snap it, but he had strength that he simply through her off before delivering a hit that sent Sound flying as well.  Her flight was stopped prematurely when someone caught her.  She hit the ground and looked to see who was underneath her.  It wasn’t one who but two, Korren and Shean.
         “Glad you guys are here, but I’m not sure how much of a difference you will make, even Sound is having a hard time keeping up with this guy.” 
        
“Well you never know until you try.”  Korren struck the ground and a trail of ice surged along the ground before erupting forth and striking Shinnok, it sent him flying and Shean went up to deliver a blow that sent him heading back for the ground.  Terra tossed her blade and it stuck in his shoulder as he stood.  He recoiled a bit, then yanked it out and tossed it at Shean.  He rematerialized once it sliced past him blood running from his arm, then Shinnok threw a blast of energy that sent her and Korren flying back.  This time they both hit something again that caught them before the wall did.  When she looked back.  She saw that this time it was Mist and her mother.  Then she Saw Sub Zero and Smoke coming up behind them.  The two men stopped and helped them all up.
        
“Were going to give you a distraction,” He said to Cyan, “make sure you take it.”  What Terra saw next shocked her more than anything she had seen so far.  Enenra had the ability to assume a humanoid appearance, but it was not their true form.  When Mist and Smoke leapt toward Shinnok, followed close behind by Shean, they assumed their true forms.  Somewhat humanoid, shrouded in smoke, with long black claw and a maw of black dagger teeth that made them look like something from her blackest nightmare.  The Cryomancers soon joined in the fight, adding their ice as the enenra leapt in to bite and tear and claw at Shinnok, only to be thrown back off and to jump back in while Korren and Sub Zero battered him will blasts of ice.  She felt her hand on her shoulder, her mother’s hand.
        “We can do this, you and I, together we are the only ones who can do this.” her mother said.  Terra was reluctant she knew what her power could do, but she also knew what it was doing to her.
        “No, I can’t,” She looked into her mother’s grey lit eyes, for a moment the swirling battle didn’t matter, for a moment she was just with her mother.
        “I know it can be terrifying at first, the power of a primal, but trust me, you can.”  So the two grey eyes stood side by side, and as the enenera and Cryomancer battled in front of them. They gathered their power focusing them together and releasing them like a bolt at Shinnok.  He took it square in the chest and it launched him out of the melee and slammed him into the wall where a bloody smear marked the place he had struck it when he hit the ground.  They all crept closer.

        “Terra,” Korren said, “I think you just killed an Elder God.”
        “Fallen Elder God,” Sound corrected.  In the ferocity of battle Terra had forgotten he was even there.  He leaned down to inspect the body.  “He is alive, though if not for the power of all the souls he had collected you might well have.  You have much more power than you even know young Grey Eye.”  They all turned to look at the two Grey Eye’s.  Terra felt surprised, and powerful, also humbled, did she really have such power, that she could strike down an Elder God.  Not only that, but sounds words were not derogatory, or sarcastic, but impressed, almost, admiring even.

        “So we won?”  Terra asked.
        “Yes, you have, though here is still some work to be done.”  His hands began to crackle with power, then he placed his hands on Shinnok, and ten thousand scream souls were released in a spinning tornado, that leapt out with almost enough force to knock them down.  In but moment it was over and they were gone to their rest.
        “Well done scions of Outworld,” he said to Korren and his father.  Then to the others, “And to the outcasts and inheritors of Had’ra’din as well. To the inheritors especially for breaking the back of the fallen Elder God, without out the others you would not have done it, but without you they would never have defeated him.”  He then turned and left.  She found herself wondering if this was all part of some design, that Sound was at the very least aware of if not a designer off, or perhaps it was just an accident.  Sound’s manner made it hard to tell.
        “He was wrong; you are not outcasts.”  She turned to face Smoke, “Sound was right, John Travis, our people are strong apart, but I think we were meant to stand together.  Ages ago my people may have failed when called, but I will answer it now.  As Long as I hold sway over my clan, you and your kin have my protection and my welcome to join us in Had’ra’din” Smoke took back his human shape and stepped forward he dropped down onto his knees and almost kowtowed, to Terra’s great surprise.  Cyan got down on her knees and pulled him back up to his feet before offering him back his blades, he shook his head and stepped back.  He was given her his blades, for Terra and Cyan’s people that was as good as a blood pact.
        
“The time for celebration is not now,” Sub Zero said, “We still have one more fight ahead of us.”
        “Two,” Said Mist.  They all looked her way to see the wraith warrior, Scorpion, standing in the Arena with them.  His arms were crossed in defiance and his eyes, a smoldering white, looked on with defiance, but not violence.
        “Watashi wa kyoo ni tomodachi janaidesu.  Demo, teki wa janaidesu.”  Then he descended into a portal of fire and was gone.  The Earthrealmers were all silent. 
       
“What did he say?”  Terra said.
        “He said I am not your friend today, but not your enemy either.”  Said Sub Zero, “Considering the recent events I have a feeling that he and Quan Chi have had their final falling out.”  Then silence fell again, if Quan Chi had met his final end, who would be running the Neatherrealm from now on.  At the moment though it didn’t matter, they had one, they had defeat Shinnok.  Terra looked down at her hands, and she now knew that her power was more than destruction, whatever it is she would learn to use it wisely.  She looked at those around her, she would do so with new allies at her side.   

 

Epilogue

Four Months Later

        Taryn emerged through the portal into a forest, with light filtering through the trees and a light breeze blowing.  She heard Smoke inhale deeply and exhale.
       “Reminiscing John,” Taryn asked.
       “It’s been longer than you know,” He replied I have a few things I need to take care of, give my regards to your fellow Grey Eye’s and my deepest regrets for the delay.”  Then he whisked himself away as a grey cloud.  She walked with her husband and son next to her, she had a feeling of butterflies in her stomach, it was not just because their second child was on the way either, though she had not told even Ye-Jun that yet.  All this seemed too good to be true, that the mystery of her origin’s should be solved after all this time.
        “So you really met these people, and you really thing there mine?” she looked to her son, “ours.”
        “They are,” said Ye-Jun, “Indeed without their help we couldn’t have defeated Shinnok and Quan Chi.”
        “That reminds me, you’re never allowed to go with Korren to any tournaments, ever.”  She said seriously.  He had died this time and been luck that Sound was there but she wasn’t going to test her luck again.  Her mind drifted to Sound and Khameleon, remembering them from all those years ago.  Despite the deal that had been struck they had not materialized as of yet.  Unfortunately, the deal was that they would arrive when it was convenient for them, which could be tomorrow, or a thousand years from today, there was no telling.
       
The trees gave way to a glade and they found themselves entering a village.  In the village stood a tall man who reminded Taryn of her father, not in his looks but his bearing and the way other seemed to react to him.  He was someone very important.  Slowly they got closer.  They were only a few paces away when she felt something warm on her arm.  She pulled up her sleeve and found that a red mark, like irritated skin, had appeared on her harm.  The man had noticed and approached her, holding out his own arm.
       
He rolled up his sleeve and smiled down at her.  “My name is Amadek, I am the guardian of Had’ra’din and I am your parent.”  She turned her hand over and shook his.
         “Taryn, called Shadow by the Lin Kuie, it is my pleasure to meet you.”

         It was at the feast that night to celebrate the return of Amadek’s daughter that Terra found Korren.  She waved to him to get his attention and then beckoned him over.  He followed and when they were outside the tent she kissed him.  He blinked in clear surprise.
         “Don’t think too much of it yet,” She warned him, “I’m just saying thanks for the tournament.”
         “Well if that’s the way you say thanks I will have to help you more often.”  He joked.
         “Well if you stick around you will have a lot of opportunities.”  He smiled at her, warmly but sadly.
         “I would love to, but you know I can’t right now.  Earthrealm is my home and the Lin Kuie are my family.”  She returned the smile. 

         “I know, but I had to try, and she certainly hadn’t given up yet.
         The banquet went on almost to dawn, then they slept off the wine and the food for the rest of the following day before starting again.  The enenra didn’t return until the fourth day.  Something to do with funeral rights for his people, he didn’t expand on it and no one pressured him to.  For several more days the Earthrealmers stayed until final they decided it was time to return.  Amadek was sad to see his daughter depart but understood she had other duties and she could not simple drop them.  So they party of four prepared to return, but Terra was determined to be the fifth member of their party.
         “Hey!”  She shouted after them and ran to catch up.  They stopped and waited and she slowed as she reached them, panting for a moment before bowing low.  “My mother gave me permission to go and train under the Lin Kuie of Earthrealm.  I humbly ask to be allowed to return with you.”  Ye-Jun and Taryn looked at each other.
         “You realize that our head instructor is John Travis, Smoke?”  Said Ye-Jun.
         “She grinned, all the better.  I may have hated him but I could never deny his skill.”

        Taryn waved Korren and Terra away then she talked with John and Ye-Jun for a moment.  The matter was a little sensitive as the clan did not often except outsiders in for any reason.  John had been allowed to join the clan as an instructor because if his supreme skill and long relationship to the clan.  Not to mention his connections made him very useful when acquiring contracts.  Silene had been let in only because of her young age at the time and a long standing debt owed to her family.  Even to allow someone to train among their ranks was very unusual.
        "You may come with us and the clan will consider it.  To be honest they will probably just send you back here rather than allow you to train."
        She nodded, "I will take the chance."
        "Step up than."  Terra stepped up and Taryn nodded to her husband.  He finished pouring out the powder.  Then the portal engulfed them and took them back to Earthrealm.     

        On the other side Taryn took Terra before the council so she could make her request to train with them and present any credentials her clan might have sent her with or answer any questions the elders and grandmaster had before they deliberated.  Before they could reach a decision though something happened.  Sound and Khameleon showed up.  A winded watchmen came in and delivered the news and they all went out to see.
        “So you are the Lin Kuie,” Said Sound in that tone of impatience and mild annoyance that Taryn remembered.  “If you will show me to the clansmen I agreed to repair.”
        Silene stepped forward, “I behalf of the Lin Kuie I welcome you and thank you for your generous assistance.”  She bowed with that Endenian regality she always carried herself with.  Sound bowed back, with patient formality, and probably restrained irritation, from what she remembered and had been told Sounds had a personality that belied easy toleration.  Whether it was intentional or not, it seemed to only ever be restrained by the prodding of his partner, Khameleon.  Silene gestured for him to follow and the warrior, his better half, and the train of Lin Kuie followed him down to the cryogenic storage room where the stored clansmen were kept, though Terra and some of the others were told to remain outside.  Taryn shivered when she stepped into the room, but not from the cold.  The long line of cyber initiative ninja, reminding her of what had been done to her brother, her father, and her husband and it was enough to make her shiver at the memory.  Her brother, for the first time in decades she would see him, it was bitter sweet thought though as she had no idea what he would think of the Lin Kuie as it was now.  She loved her brother and she was sure he would come around, but he might not be so pleasant to begin with. 
        “If you would all please vacate, I require technicians to open the pods and maybe one or two of you to lead them out but that is all and the rest of you will only be in the way.”  All but two of them left, though it was partly from a desire not to remain where they would be insulted and returned to the council chamber to finish deliberating over Terra.  They were about to give their answer, when a boom was heard and the building trembled.  As quickly as before everyone rushed out to see what had happened then watched a handful of cyber ninja took off toward the exit tunnel.  Taryn dashed off after them.  She wondered where the others were, Ye-Jun, John, Lin, any of them, it was only her, Silene, and another councilor known as Toxin that raced after the cyber ninja.  They were fast though, and had a head start.  When they realized it was pointless Toxin went to organize the search while Taryn and Silene went to cryo-storage.  Outside dozens upon dozens of her clansmen sat dazed and confused, the results of Sounds work no doubt, but where was he?  She went looking and found long rows of bodies Korren among them and her heart stopped.
        “They are unconscious,” Taryn looked back and saw it was Khameleon, “The ones in that row are alright, those behind you are dead.”  She looked at the row behind her, it was just as long and almost in a pattern laid cyber ninja and flesh clad blood clansmen.
        “What happened?”
        “One of them was much more lucid then he should have been when he awoke.  He used some kind of wireless command that opened all the other pods and woke up all of your cybernetic clansmen and woman.  They started to kill and slaughter and there were too many to disable before they took a terrible toll.  Sound created a shock waved that killed most of them and knocked out plenty of the rest.  I’m sorry but if he had not the carnage would have been even worse.”
        “No, he was right to do it.  She looked out at the many corpses.  Then her eyes wondered around and looked at the dazed clansmen.  She settled on Sound for a moment, in the process of remaking an unconscious cyber ninja.  Then her eyes fixed on John and Ye-Jun. Ye-Jun’s hand was pressed tightly over one eye and she could see the dried blood running through his fingers.  John was walking up and down the rows and even more blood ran from his left arms, it appeared to have been shattered and hung limp and dead next to his side. he waked over to them.  Beside Ye-Jun lay Frost, his sister.  “Is she.”
        “Dead,” Said Ye-Jun.  She sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder., then hugged him.    

        Terra woke up and stretched.  She bathed and dressed and began to walk to the training grounds.  The sun was just coming up, or rather brightening.  The strange thing of magic that was the sun in the middle of the mountain grew brighter or darker to mirror the time of day.  Despite the events of the last few days had to carry on and she had been given permission to train with the Lin Kuie.  She arrived and stood in a line with the few other advanced students.  All of them younger warriors like herself who were trained and now were studying to learn new techniques and perfect the old.  They all stood in the line still with their backs straight.  Their trainer, although called Smoke while on missions was simply called Instructor Travis here, an unusual sensation for her to suddenly be referring to her old enemy, now teacher as John Travis instead of Smoke.  They days training should have started ten minutes ago but still none of them moved.  Travis was always late to test them, but how late he would be was always in question.  Even if he wasn’t there he expected them to be ready and waiting as if he was there the moment training should have started.  After about fifteen minutes she noticed Shadow and Sub Zero, or rather the Park’s as it turned out their name was.  It was so unusual to be on a name bases with these Earthrealmers.  She noticed that he had not asked Sound to repair his eye, even though he was now blind in one eye.  Why she did not know, it seemed stupid to her, he was a lesser warrior now for it.  She didn’t realize that her eyes were follow him until she felt something smack her in the face.
        “Eyes front!”  They shot forward, Instructor Travis was standing right in front of her.  He managed to sneak up on them almost every time.  She got the feeling they only ever noticed when they did because he let them.  He was not the only one either.  Taryn and Ye-Jun Park, Councilwoman Silene Travis and Councilmen Yamada Takori, even at his age, could sneak up on her without even trying it seemed.  “You are wondering why Park Ye-Jun left his eye as it was?”  She gave one quick nod.
        “Maybe one day you will figure it out but today we start advanced infiltration not philosophy.”  He started to step away from her and address the group.  “Terra here is probably the best one of you, not that that’s saying much.  She would have smiled, considering that Shean and Korren were both there, but then he would have them squatting for an hour as punishment.  “Any member of the council could still sneak up on you, even Councilmen Kim with that loud stick of his.” Councilmen Kim was known for noise metal topper on his staff, “we’re going to change that though aren’t we?”
        “Yes Instructor.”  They all said.

        In the great fortress Palace of Shao Khan, in Outworld, Princess Kitana and her lieutenant, Jade, sat on their knees in a relaxed seiza next to the throne of Shao Khan and waited patiently for whomever her father had allowed an audience with him.  Shao Khan had been upset at late because of recent developments in the NeatherRealm.  After a short, but bloody civil war, as all parties interested vied for the throne left vacant after Scorpion ended his former master, the wraith Saibot had emerged the victor and now ruled the NeatherRealm.  This new leader was not as diplomatic as the former and started his rule by sending for a representative form ever realm Quan Chi had deal with.  Then sending back their heads and bodies, separately, with the warning that all contracts were now void nailed to them.  His next step was to take a much more aggrieve posture than the NeatherRealm had in recent centuries and creating a great many more wraith warriors, handpicked to be an elite and loyal core of lieutenants. Shao Khan no longer sure about where he stood with NeatherRealm.  Many of his best warriors were now dead after the events of the last Mortal Kombat Tournament, some having even become wraiths in Saibots service, her father, though he wouldn’t show it, Kitana knew was concerned that this would make him weak, maybe even worried.  The mighty brazen doors slowly opened as wheels and chains turned under the strain of many slaves.  Two men with metal instead of flesh entered the room and dropped to one knee before inclining their heads.
        “Great lord Shao Khan, I wish to propose a partnership that you will find suitable.”  Said the one whose metal skin was red.  Then he began to talk, and the longer her did the brighter the wicked light of joy in her father’s eyes grew.  Kitana locked eyes with her lieutenant.  This was not good, now they would have to move up their plans.
Once every thousand years a great tournament of Mortal Kombat is called, not to decide the fate of reams, but to gain an audience with the Elder Gods themselves.  Things will be different this time,  old enemies will meet, new alliance will be formed, and a dark power will arise.

This series was commissioned by cryomancer1993 please go check out her stuff and special thanks to her for the cover art.

The Mortal Kombat franchise and it's properties are owned by Nearthrealm Studios and WB Games.  I make no claims to any of the characters or lore associated with the series beyond my own intellectual contribution through original characters and stories.  I do not claim ownership or rights to the MK franchise.  Please support the original release: www.mortalkombat.com/

About the Japanese:  I am far from fluent in the language so there might be some margen of error.

Part 1: Mortal Kombat: The Tournament: Part 1
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
Isaiah 6:8
Prologue
        Korren sat with the rest of the Earthrealm contingent, waiting patiently for last members of the party to arrive. Several of the Lin Kuie were going to compete in the tournament, they clan had dispatched only the best of the best to represent it. Himself, of course, Sean, son of Smoke and Councilwoman Rain, also known as Fog, as well as Nim and Tomire among others.  Warriors from the Shaolin temples and many other from around the world had also collected, which included the wayward daughter of the Lin Kuie, Len Travis, better known as her call sign Mist.  She was as skilled, probably more, than almost every other member of the contingent, excluding the two men Raiden had Selected to lead it.  His father Park Yo Jun, Sub Zero to many, and the enenra John Tra
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