Mortal Kombat: Shinnok's Uprising

A/N: After a long hiatus, along with some random brainstorming, I'm back with another installment of my Mortal Kombat fanfics! You guys voted I shall continue on from Shaolin Monks, Part II, but...this was a tumultuous work..!

The thing was...I wasn't into MK4, and it was my first fallout with the series; I never cared for Deadly Alliance, Deception, nor Armageddon. And yeah, 1997 was indeed the Mortal Kombat Dark Ages per se. And this one in particular was uninspiring, it felt awkward, and it just shunned me out, amongst other things that kept me occupied such as Diddy Kong Racing, Starfox 64, Dante's Peak, my first year being introduced to Toonami, and....Anihillation was a sort of guilty pleasure. Actually, I really thought it'd provide finality to the series...till THIS came into existence...

Needless to say, I want to get this project outta the way ASAP, thanks to the votes on my online polls and my mind never shutting up! So...on with the uprising, but I need to cover a prologue to patch things up..!

Prologue

Two years had passed since the events of the Earthrealm invasion led by Shao Kahn followed by Liu Kang's victory winning over the Konquerer. After the cursed Champion decided to leave the motherland in hopes on finding more recruits of a new generation of Shaolin Monks, he left Kung Lao to care for their legacy. He and Aiko went on their first date and soon met up with the Elder God of Wind, Fujin, who wished to increase Lao's potential as second-best Champion and even surpassing his ancestor.

Since then, Kung Lao had been training periodically under Fujin's tutelage at the Wind World advancing his aerokinesis. Lao's and Aiko's relationship continued to blossom and Nightwolf had installed high tech surveillance throughout the Wu Shi Academy to prevent any future disasters contrary to the sudden and deadly Tarkan attack. Liu Kang ocassionally visited his people along with the newly enlisted members of the Shaolin; he also visited the neo kingdom of Edenia and much like his successor mingling with Aiko, he'd hang out with Princess Kitana in his downtime via the infrequent portals conjured by Raiden.

At one time the Special Forces caught wind of the state-of-the-art ingenuity involving the Dragon Jet that their agents, Sonya and Jax, possessed, creating more capable fighter jets and thusly increasing America's defenses, while also having Clinton's presidency, as dreaded by Aiko, winning the war over Somalia and against other foreign countries, rather than for other realms.

Kuai Liang along with his surrogate brother, Tomas Verbada otherwise known as Smoke, were still in the process of reforming the Lin Kuei. With the Grandmaster and his promising assassin, Sektor, deceased, the ninja organization began to crumble. It was then that the process of becoming cybers gained a reputation on being unorthodox and inhumane, nearly costing lives of the participants. However, inspired by Nightwolf's success on reverting Smoke human, they'd initiated a different program enabling volunteers to wield both their organic and metallic portions, with the internal organs remaining untouched. The surgical procedures shortly fell out of favor, as not too many subjects participated even though it wasn't only optional, but also expensive to the Lin Kuei's finances and safety. Since then, only Smoke remained as their topmost agent in both fashions! Cyrax hasn't been spotted as of yet, though the topmost warriors believed he'd still reside in Earthrealm.

The promising royals of Edenia were still in the process of regaining all the resources and territories they lost during Kahn's 10,000-year-old conquest. About a third of Outworld was restored and separated from the bustling kingdom. Thanks to their new advisor, Sheeva, the Shokan rapidly took on the side of peace rather than kombat. Upon Motaro's curse, the Centaurs had been reducing in numbers; very few members had actually allied with their bitter rivals. Since then, the process of restoring neo-Edenia were slow but very successful. And Kitana herself was going thru peace talks involving both warmongering races.

With vague visions of war involving the Elder Gods, Fujin took charge and trained Kung Lao who was willing to enhance his prowess and aerokinesis. Aiko also decided to come along as well; during Fujin's sessions, she somtimes figured it was best to stick with the Wind God as she no longer had to worry of her astraphobia.

In one session during a heart meld within the Temple of Light, Aiko noticed she withdrew her heart abilities as she aged and had a lot of bitter experiences with incompetence, abuse, and neglect. She once assured Jin he would grow up to be a great warrior like his uncle and must carry on their legacy of the Great Kung Lao. The 8-year old had enlisted in a karate class and attended all of first and second grade well; sometimes he'd have Aiko as a personal tutor. It was thanks to the Kungs, and the monks' lessons on elightenment, that enabled her heart and mind to open like an egg.

All that mattered was using her mind, as well as her heart; however, all her abilities required a great deal of stamina. And each moment left her breathless. She and Kung Lao noticed her powers had limits, and she couldn't use it on certain kinds of enemies, such as Shadows, the undead, or simply those that were too resistant like Kahn's generals, though Sindel was a slight exception. Raiden mentioned in the past the Queen was still a living being and Edenian thus disabling her devastating shrieks while the Kombatants were infiltrating Kahn's Tower.

Recently, the Monks and Nightwolf invented her own battle armor in multiple shades such as crimson, lime-green, and bright cerulean. She also attained her own club detached from a tail of an Ankylosaur statuette constructed by the best artisans! She'd been practicing on all assets of kombat, even some basic hand-to-hand by Lao.

Things seemed to have gone well for each of the distant Kombatants, those earthbound and no. However...cracks began to form, within the subconscious of a few unfortunate victims.

There were some late evenings in which either Kung Lao, Aiko, or even Nightwolf would have some disturbing nightmares. They happened to have similar sinister elements to them, including a tall, ominous man in dark colorful robes with a matching hat and blue skin, holding a powerful staff and sneering down at one of his prey, though they could never tell what the stranger would do. They'd also be standing outside a massive temple of sorts, or sometimes inside a chamber with exotic innards of fire in decorative frames. At the exterior, there were endless downpours; the onlookers felt as if there was a war raging in the sky which was accompanied by sudden storms! The one that was terrified the most was the cardiokinetic, as she once remembered seeing that same silent maniac in her dystopian future with the undead legion of former heroes!! She'd grown paranoid she'd be one of his many victims...

She did mention that mysterious man to Fujin in Lao's most previous session. The Wind Elemental identified him as Shinnok, the fallen Elder God of death and destruction who was imprisoned in the Netherrealm several millennias ago. He, Raiden, and other beings of higher power had their hands full, and even many Saurians were wiped out during the scrimmage when it invaded the heavens, Earthrealm, and Zaterra respectively. The elementals gave off all their strength and since an Elder God can never die, he was instead sealed within an ancient amulet.

At first, Aiko figured Shinnok was the father of Raiden and Shao Kahn, with the latter two as brothers.

"Where did you hear that!?" Kung Lao exasperated in disbelief.

Aiko simply rubbed the back of her neck bashfully. "Eh...let's just say a certain movie inspired by the tournaments would mess up their backstories a few years from now." The monk just dismissed it as he rolled his eyes.

"Regardless of its...inaccuracies, I can't help but foretell those night terrors must be bad omens of what is to come," Fujin stated.

Lao became anxious. "Of what? You think they have to do with a war, a rematch with the fallen Elder God?"

"Verily, the three of you has felt it. All the realms seemed to have gotten unnerving before the inevitable konflict. If they happen to be forewarnings, I fear that after so many centuries, Shinnok may have risen again."

This put both Kung Lao and Aiko Krackle on high alert. "What..must we do?" the former wondered aloud.

All his new mentor did was stare into the sky, seeing a large dark mass evergrowing! The disciples weren't sure if either they felt sudden, sharp chills down their spines, or if the air suddenly dropped! Fujin's eyes grew wide showing its white irises. "Oh no..! It can't be! It must be Shinnok! After all these centuries??"

Aiko was scared and speechless. "Fujin! There must be something we can do! Let us assist you!" Lao coaxed.

All the elderly man did was face the duo and raise an arm, "No!" He looked as if he was going to blow them off the balcony! "You two must not get involved! You must return to the Wu Shi Academy!"

Before the cowboy-lookalike said any more objections, he and Aiko were silenced while they were warped almost instantly by a funnel blinding them!

All Fujin did was gaze onto the bloating mass, until it too burst into lightning, thunder, and torrents of rain. The same omens that were in the heroes' dreams...

"It has begun..!"

A/N: I guess the intro to Final Fantasy IV: The After Years would play in the prologue with Choose Your Destiny from MK4 afterwards. Enter Ganondorf chimes as Shinnok has been spotted! So too would the Great Deku Tree theme as Fujin breaks the bad news. The Bomb Ring from Final Fantasy IV plays when Fujin noticed the enormous cloud. The Title theme, MK Meat, would play afterwards.

MK4 wasn't really all that special to me, ever since I was around 10-ish. As I stated, there were several other factors that got my attention, and everything seemed lackluster and dull. Nothing seemed inspiring, and it didn't feel as high-octane nor immersive as the original 3 games were. I wasn't sure where to go with this, and I never knew GOLD existed till it was pointed out by 616Entertainment's History of Mortal Kombat; I felt unconfident as he said it's mediocre, slow, dated, the staff was experiencing fatigue and Mythologies complicated things even more.

The light at the end of the tunnel was the video I found recently, MK Temple's Mortal Kombat's History Part 8. That one vid about the Netherrealm War was a lifesaver! Otherwise I'd be lost and I wouldn't have made this story happen, so thank you immensely for that!

At first I was disappointed that Kung Lao wasn't featured, till GOLD came out; everyone stated the N64 version was best for some odd reason on my poll. Speaking of the Shaolin, I'd see him train under Fujin, Raiden's younger brother and Wind Elder God; I wish the devs had some inspiration to have them function as a student and sensei in order to empower his aerokinesis! That would've been an awesome idea,even if it should be more like Yoda training Luke, since the Family Guy/Star Wars trilogy inspired me for that!

With the characters all caught up from their two-year break, it's time to move onto the actual story!

Con't I - A Second Invasion

"Thousands of years ago, in a battle with the fallen elder god known as Shinnok, I was responsible for the death of an entire civilization. To rid all realms of Shinnok's menace, I waged a war that plunged the Earth into centuries of darkness and banished Shinnok to a place called the Netherrealm. Now, after Shao Kahn's defeat at the hands of the Earth warriors, Shinnok has managed to escape his confines of the Netherrealm. The war is now being fought once again, only this time, it can be won by mortals." - Raiden, beginning of Mortal Kombat 4/GOLD

As perpetual peace lasted within the realms, Raiden, with the help of Fujin, were looking for a more proper reversal of Liu Kang's immortal curse. In the past couple years, the monk and his allies figured death wasn't the only option, yet still no reversal has ever been found, nor were any negotiations has been made. It certainly remained true that the Elder Gods were petty, ignorant, and hardly cared for lower beings, even those more inferior than the Gods themselves.

Even so, the Thunder God stationed a couple heroic fighters within the Jinsei Chamber that had been slain, victims of Kahn's savage assault onto Earth and Outworld. For the previous couple years their inanimate bodies were suspended and gradually being healed from the hefty damage they'd sustained. Raiden hoped they would be fresh and ready, especially when a sudden gale of wind nearly knocked hm off his feet! The sky almost instantaneously churned opaque, as if night turned from day within minutes. Radical lightning and cracks of thunder loomed, then a sudden cyclone descended as Fujin stepped out!

Raiden ran to the precipice of the Sky Temple and lifted Fujin by the arms. "Brother! What news brought you here?"

The Wind Elemental looked spent and replied breathlessly, "Ergh..! He has returned..! Shinnok!"

Raiden's eyes grew wide! "Shinnok?? He must've broken free from his damned shackles of the Netherrealm! Where in Earthrealm did you know it was him?"

Fujin was lifted onto his shaky feet. "At my sanctuary, in the Wind World, connecting Earthrealm into the heavens. I witnessed a dark mass as I was putting Kung Lao thru training."

"Ah yes, the Shaolin Monk. You were hoping to enhance his skills in hopes on being stronger than his ancestor the Great Kung Lao."

"Indeed. But I had sent him and Aiko back to Earthrealm in the Wu Shi Academy."

"We must not let Shinnok invade Earth! We need to warn our brethren and the Elder Gods!" Just then, a stray lightning bolt struck the top of the Temple! Deafening thunder roared! "Come! We must hold Shinnok at bay!"

Fujin nodded in affirmation, and the two teleported leaving the comatose mortals behind...

Liu Kang arrived back on the Honan banks of the Yellow River in China. The grand Temple of Light towered in the distance. From that humble sight, he knew he arrived back home after being away for a couple years. Only this time, with a smile, he knew in his heart he shall stay with the Order of Light as he was weary on leaving for so long and he felt he was done at the moment for searching and training a new generation of Shaolin warriors.

He escorted another fellow monk wearing a crimson uniform complete with gi, headband, and was actually a middle-aged brunette, but not quite an Oriental, contrast to numerous others.

"So, this is the legendary Temple of the Order of Light," the new monk in town said in amazement as the Temple nearly shined with the setting sun behind the majestic tower.

"Yes. It is indeed," Liu addressed to the newcomer, taking in the scenery he awaited so long for as he stretched out. "It feels so good to finally be home..!"

Seconds later after they gathered their bearings, Liu led his partner and mingled with the other Shaolin Monks greeting him with open arms and smiles. Especially his grandfather in his frail, though glad, self. Everyone was ecstatic to see their Champion alive and well, even with his sidekick. "Who is this fresh young man?"

"This is Kai. He's been my most promising disciple I'd been training with. Who knows, perhaps he can rival me and Kung Lao one day! Though Kai still has a lot to learn. Where is Kung Lao by the way?"

Before the elder explained, the monks were astonished on beholding a thin funnel descend!

Liu Kang followed their gaze, bewildered. "What..? There's a tornado at the Wu Shi Academy!?"

"No!" One of the other elders spoke, "Fujin must had landed. He has been training young Kung Lao!"

"Fujin... Raiden's brother? Why would an Elder God be here?" As devoted as Liu was, he had been studying the ancient tablets reading up on the legends of the Elementals, and he knew right then Raiden had a sibling he hardly mentioned. He also knew from the get-go that the Elder Gods were always passive over the denizens.

Just then, the crowd grew alarmed once they fixed their eyes on a bright streak of light descending rapidly toward the ground! Thankfully, it was several miles away, but the impact made the ground quake! Liu then grew worried. "Raiden...?"

"What is it?"

"Kai, with me?"

"Of course, Master." He bowed before he ran off with the Champion climbing up the hills instead of traversing through the river yonder.

Somewhere inside the compound, the shaman, Nightwolf, was punching around his spanking new motherboard. The large LCD screen displayed the rivers and everything seemed normal.

"So far, so good. The sensors are processing quite nicely," he stated with pride. There was clearly no other Matokan that was skilled in ingenuity as he was! "Not too shabby for a shaman if I do say so myself!" He reached down and petted Kiba panting.

Suddenly, an alarm flashing red went off! It was the same type of security system he installed while advancing that subterranean base before it was flooded at the start of Kahn's invasion. "Hold up, Kiba! We got some disturbance in the air!"

At first he was suspecting a large, neon red portal, aka a rip as he'd call it, in the Earth's dimensional fabric. But it was nowhere near what he expected as he silenced the alert. Instead, sensors picked up a ray of light dropping and slanting from the vermillion sky. "Going in for a close up."

The camera zoomed in and expanded the sight. Then, in Nightwolf's keen vision... "Wait! This isn't some ordinary comet! It can never waver its trail like that! Switching into infrared! I'm losing it!!"

As the streak blasted onto the distant landscape, the compound felt the aftershock. His pet yelped and growled. "I don't blame you, Kiba. This is not some ordinary phenomenon. Luckily there's been some minimal damage. Hang on, maybe I can rewind and pick up the anomaly." He did just that and the sensors had shown an unusual, blurry shade inside the tip of the ray of light! The shaman's face fell.

"This.. might belong to one of the fallen Gods. Raiden..!"

Kiba let out a high-pitched whine in distress.

"I can't agree more. Something just doesn't feel right. This is no act of nature." He stood up from his wheeled chair. "C'mon, Kiba."

They both ran out and followed the trail to the landing site.

At the Lin Kuei ninja headquarters, consisting of a multiple story poganda, Sub-Zero and Smoke witnessed the same streak of light descend, only they were just fifty miles away from the Wu Shi Academy, so the impact was slightly closer! The cryomancer ordered his partner to stay put while he went out to investigate. Unlike last time he joined the heroes, Sub-Zero no longer felt ashamed on hiding from his once corrupt clan; he decided to wear his usual vial and uniform, and the scar was fully healed. It's as if he looked like the spitting image of his elder brother, Bi-Han!

At that same time, the funnel dropped Kung Lao and Aiko gently onto their feet. And following their uproars calling out for Raiden and Fujin, Nightwolf and Kiba ran up to the duo. Aiko was ecstatic to see the beloved pooch again, though Kung Lao was less fazed. "Nightwolf, had you seen Fujin around?"

"No, Lao. But we just saw a large streak of light fall onto the land several miles south, across the Yellow River. I believe one of the Gods must have fallen. I sense there's grave danger involving Earth's atmosphere."

"Shinnok..."

"What?"

"Fujin has warned the two of us about Shinnok. He thinks he's risen from the Netherrealm. It could either be him or Raiden involved in this..." He lost his train of thought.

"The motion detectors picked up the unusual occurrence. We should proceed to it."

"Right," the monk and the cardiokinetic nodded.

"We can take my Dragon Jet and fly to the designated area. I'll be the pilot and guide it to that location."

"Let's go." With a turn of his razor-rimmed hat, Lao and Aiko chased after the shaman and wolf.

Near the Bayan Har Mountains, a smoking meteorite was shown, and Liu Kang and Kai were the first to arrive on the scene! The crater was just steep enough for the duo to see a group of otherworldly monstrosities mauling someone.

Just several feet above, the Dragon Jet was heading to the same location. Nightwolf followed the shiny dot on his Doppler, "There it is!" The aircraft flew over the huddle of Onis, Kung Lao recognized. "Liu Kang! He's down there!" Aiko startled as she sat up.

"Fasten your seatbelts! I'll be firing our phasers."

With a clear shot one of them was smothered! Then the monks pitched in as they leapt down! "Remember everything I taught you, Kai! Your spirit must be pure, and your body must be ready for anything!"

"You can count on it!" They put their dukes up and easily fought off the Onis. At times, the Dragon Jet swooped in just to make another direct hit on the demons. After it landed, the trio stormed out of the cockpits, while Lao guided Aiko carefully down the rough walls of the crater. With the ganging heroes, the Onis were down and out within minutes, and seeing the unconscious victim, the cardiokinetic managed to drain some of the Onis energy onto the unfortunate man in hopes of reviving him.

After the brief showdown, Kung Lao and Aiko ran to his side. "Fujin!"

"Are you ok?" The monk took off his hat allowing the unconscious Fujin to rest on it.

"What's happened...?" Liu queried.

Before a reunion would transpire, everyone heard a sharp clap of thunder and a flash of light. By the time their eyes cleared, in stood Raiden behind the group!

He urged them to spread out while he tended his brother's wounds. Fujin moaned as he began to stir, and the Thunder God was relieved he wasn't in the brink of death, or at least weakened to a lower state of existence. He stated as an Elder God lost its vitality, it would sometimes be reduced to a lesser being, withering closer to death.

Raiden then hurriedly explained, "The Army of Darkness must have followed Fujin here. The heavens are under great assault! Shinnok, the Elder God that fell from grace, is currently wreaking havoc. That crash land you saw was my brother..." He silenced for a bit before he found his words. "Shinnok has also threatened to take the heavens for himself as revenge for his banishment into the underworld many centuries ago. And..." He lowered his head. "Liu Kang....I'm afraid Edenia is also in peril and is being invaded by his Netherrealm army as we speak."

The gang was stunned, but only Liu found his words. "Kitana!"

"Yes. I am unfortunately weakened from the last battle. But the Elder Gods and the elementals may not hold Shinnok off for long. There's not much time, I had sent a messenger down to warn of the upcoming threat. Johnny Cage shall pass on the intel to the Special Forces, that is if he's healed well enough."

"Johnny Cage??" Aiko was surprised. This startled Liu, Nightwolf and Lao as well. "He's alive from his fight with Motaro?"

Raiden nodded. "Time is of the essence. I shall return to the heavens with my brother shortly. For now, you must gather as many of your comrades as possible to save Edenia and stop Shinnok. We must prevent him on invading Earthrealm. Our victories are in our hands!"

Their mentor held onto his wounded brother before they disappeared to the Jinsei Chamber in another blinding flash.

A/N: I know Annihilation was a critical failure, especially since it received shockingly low ratings, but I can't deny it's decent soundtrack! It's not quite as good as the original's, but I'd still include a few songs from it. First, Kahn and Shinnok shall play during the opening lines when Raiden describes his past conflict, like in the game itself.

I also find the OST of Metroid Fusion to be useful as well, even though it seems to be time-irrelevant since this was made later than MK4. But I don't mind, and Environmental Tension shall be included as Fujin broke the news to Raiden. The Stairway theme from MK 95 would play as Liu reunites with the monks and sees the sudden funnel. The Wu Shi Academy theme from Shaolin Monks would play when Lao and Aiko returned. Defenders vs. the Lin Kuei Cyborgs from Paul Unfaces' Defenders of the Realm OST shall play during the first major battle as the heroes fend off the infantry of the Army of Darkness, even the subtle parts as Nightwolf analyzes the fallen God. Kitana's Abduction from Annihilation shouldn't be a shabby choice.

I too find Defenders of the Realm just as underrated as Annihilation is, if not more since it had only 13 episodes like the infamous Zelda animated series, even though it's twice as better!! So, I kinda figured the battle theme'd be most appropriate for the warmup fight. Unfortunately...since I never got into 4 very much, I hardly knew Kai; I kinda see him as the lesser monk compared to Liu and Lao, albeit has the same level of strength. Hopefully, it'll become better next time around.

So, stay tuned for Chapter 2, the second half of the invasion, at the doomed kingdom of Edenia.

Add in:

Kahn and Shinnok (Mortal Kombat: Annihilation)

Environmental Tension (Metroid Fusion)

The Stairway (Mortal Kombat 1995)

Wu Shi Academy (Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks)

Defenders vs. Lin Kuei Cybers - Paul Unfaces (Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm)

Kitana's Abduction (Mortal Kombat: Annihilation)

Con't II - Edenia in Peril

In the restored palace of Edenia...

Sindel was sitting proudly in her throne when she heard what she believed to be a scuffle of feet. Her eyes fixated to the colossal windows that were slightly opened behind her perch and noticed a group of foreigners outside clustered together. Barely covered by the darkness of the night sky, a man and a younger woman lead the group towards the palace gates.

Sheeva broke in and alerted her friend, "We have visitors, Queen Sindel. According to our Shokan Royal Guard, they appear to be refugees belonging to the new realms. We believe they're finding a more stable world compared to those that were corrupted by Shao Kahn...!" The new advisor nearly spat as she always loathed saying the former Emperor's name of the power-hungry ruler that always believed her race was inferior since the fall of Goro.

"Very well, Sheeva," she spoke with authority as she stood up from her perch. "Bring the stragglers in."

The eagle-like Edenian, Asgaarth, walked toward the tall, arching double doors and bid them to enter.

Through the shadows, one of them turned out to be an elderly man in tattered clothing, and the other was a shorter female, though she appeared to be more distinctive with her tanned skin, yellow bra and trousers, as well as a long, opaque ponytail.

As the group bowed, the pair climbed up to the throne and knelt as they introduced they were from one of the newer realms; it was always considered that since Kahn's conquest was thwarted, there'd be a better chance to discover realms that hadn't been explored yet.

The old man, known as the ambassador of Edenia spoke first, "Your majesty, my daughter. Tanya, was contacted by another realm that is being oppressed by an evil ruler."

The young woman looked toward her hapless people, and pointed to them, "They seek your wisdom and guidance."

Sheeva and Asgaarth came to her from each side. With her more comfortable security handy, she then accepted. "You may approach. I would like to hear your story."

"Thank you, Sindel." The father replied. "I come from the realm of Triche. We were a peaceful realm known for our devotion to the arts, until two years ago when Triche was invaded by the evil sorcerer, Shil Kaad. He quickly conquered our people and forced us all into slavery."

Every one of the royals began to mutter in strange tongues. Sheeva, specifically, gave off a stern look. That unusual name left a bad impression. "Shil Kaad..? Conquering your people? Would you mind explaining yourself?" She folded her upper arms while her lower arms laid on her hips in disdain. Her hissy voice sounded intimidating as a few of the escapees backed up.

Sindel took her advisor's retort into account. "I've never heard of Triche nor the sorcerer Kaad." Although...this name and motivation sounds oddly similar... "If your realm is known for its fine artistry, why have we not heard of you?

Tanya's father spoke once more, much to her bashfulness always standing very close to his side, "We are a quiet people, your Majesty. But I have brought you a gift made by our most talented artisan. It will give you your heart's desire once you gaze into it."

The ambassador handed over Sindel a large opal as big as his palm. It shone with a dim light which nearly illuminated the gem as the Queen held it. He stated it was an offering of peace.

As she looked into it, followed by Asgaarth, Sindel was awestruck of its beauty and soft light emitting from the gem, "It's so beautiful. I've never seen anything like it. I feel like I could stare at it forever."

Sheeva was taken aback by this rare, delicate jewel, though her instincts were still very high. She then looked at the ambassador who growled under his breath, "Just as I had planned..."

Five hundred miles away, to the south of Sindel's throne, Kitana was in the Shokan city, Quayton. She was at the center of a terrible quarrel between the Shokan and the Centaurs. One of the latter wasn't thrilled of the new rules instating the Shokan to reclaim their land while the Centaurs attempted to take it under Kahn's former agreements.

The Shokan and Centaurs had been in awful feudal conflicts for centuries, even before Shao Kahn became the usurper of Edenia, Outworld, and the former realms surrounding the growing territory. Kitana once figured the two warring races would reach an agreement since Kahn, at times, has employed both sides. However, upon the loss of Goro during the first tournament, the Konquerer switched the goalposts and relied on the Tigerian subspecies, much to the Draconians' dismay. Then, after the Outworld tournament was a bust by Kahn's defeat of the pair of Shaolin Monk warriors, he immediately switched to another fashion, the Centaurs and enlisted Motaro as elite general. The Shokan, led by Sheeva, desired to rebel and orchestrate an insurrection of the throne; however, after Kahn regained his lost strength, he became more cold-hearted to the latter! Thus, making the two species wanting to rip each other to shreds!

The peaceful princess approached the ruined city to ease the konflict, but the pair of beasts were within breathing distance! Kitana was in the front and center. "Stop! Listen to me! This war must end! Too many lives had already been lost upon Shao Kahn's savage rule! We have defeated him, so there must be a way to maintain the peace amongst you."

One Centaur grunted, "We will make peace with the new queen if the Centaurians would return the eastern lowlands to us!"

"Never!" One of the Shokan roared in protest, "Shao Kahn promised us this land!"

Kitana raised a hand, "Queen Sindel and I do not honor the promises of Shao Kahn. It is only right that each race shall be allowed to live in their own homeland."

The other menacing Centaur retorted, "You, feeble mortal, are no different than Kahn. I've heard enough!"

Just before the stray Centaur was about to lunge at her, debris from the ceiling fell from above just a foot away from the clashing feud. The gigantic Shokan faced the quarrel, and to everyone's surprise, in jumped Goro!

Everyone was in complete astonishment!

"Wha..? It's Goro?"

"But Goro's dead! He was killed in Mortal Kombat!"

"His death led us to this war. If he is alive, what does that mean?"

Goro confessed to the altercation, "Silence! I have been in hiding for several years. I had been ashamed of my defeat in Mortal Kombat, and with Shang Tsung's banishment, I had been unwilling to serve the relentless Emperor, Shao Kahn. However, Shao Kahn is now gone. And I will reclaim my father's place as the proud leader of my people.

"So... this war shall end NOW!" His voice rose with a slam of his fist. "I will crush anyone who opposes me. If they can even try..!"

Kitana was hardly fazed by his threat. "I agree with you, Goro. You are right. This futile war must end among us. Everyone shall have the rights for their own homelands. No expansions nor constrictions."

Within a few silent minutes, everyone calmed down. Two arms elongated from opposite sides and Kitana immediately stepped away. Remarkably, she just saw the two clashing races make peace with one another by a firm handshake. With a grin, she thought, This is a great day for Edenia... Queen Sindel would certainly be pleased.

Unbeknownst to the hyper fixated races, someone with a bald head was watching from the rafters via a nearby balcony. An explosion rattled the city where the Palace was! Goro immediately dove over Kitana to cover her as more masses of debris rained down onto the hapless parties. "Princess! Watch out!"

As the dust cloud cleared while the dazed monsters were caught unawares, Kitana eventually stumbled toward a nearby broken window. She looked thru the frame and saw her beloved Palace had been demolished! She gasped, "Oh no! Queen Sindel is in danger!"

As the Palace shook the orb in Sindel's possession turned out to be a hidden weapon which abruptly burst open into a spiraling portal! Upon its activation, the Palace was caught off guard in an explosion. Unaware, the Army of Darkness consisting of numerous demons along with Shinnok, Reiko, and Scorpion escaped and began to ransack the place!

The terrified denizens then heard a vehement tone as his blue head and opaque hat emerged, sneering, "Yes... At long last I've made it to the realm of Edenia." Momentarily, his whole body emerged, revealing to be an intimidating sorcerer with a matching wardrobe and pointed staff in his right hand. All he did was let out a maniacal laugh as his cronies did the damage!

Sindel, with her heart racing, identified the culprit. "Shinnok! You have escaped from the Netherrealm!"

"Yes, indeed I have, my dear Queen!" His lips curled while his perfect teeth gleamed.

Another figure with the same bald head walked up to him. He was also covered in fresh face paint around his sinister eyes! "Heh, heh, heh..! Our plan has come to pass, thanks to little Tanya here!" He patted the treacherous woman and she gave a low curtsy in gratitude!

"What? What's going on!?" Sindel was hapless as she watched her precious kingdom be demolished, and the Royal Guard were of measle match compared to the demonic squad!

Shinnok revealed that one of his men acted as the elder striking a deal with the Edenian's ambassador's daughter, Tanya, to allow safe passage from Outworld, aka the false new realm of Triche, to Edenia, whle Quan Chi mentioned that he was eavesdropping on Kitana's peace treaty in the Shokan city, Quayton, and Goro confessing he'd been in hiding over the last few years recuperating by his two defeats; the first in Shang Tsung's Island by Johnny Cage, and his second loss at the Wastelands of Outworld as he was injured by the two Shaolin Monks, Liu Kang and Kung Lao, before he was punched in the groin again by the same assailant. With Goro's presence, the peace talk became more smoothly with the Centaurs, although Motaro never shown up due to his humiliating transformation a couple years earlier.

Shinnok raised an arm and added, "Enough Quan Chi! Edenia is just my passageway out of the Netherrealm. My goal has always been to reach into the heavens and confront the Elder Gods. And now, I have my chance!" He made an ironclad fist clutching his long staff before he led the assault onto the hapless Edenians!

In Shanghai, the top Special Forces agent, Gen. Sonya Blade, was chasing down the last surviving member of the former Black Dragons, a fugitive named Jarek. Although she and Jax still work with their US military agency, they eventually decided to call it quits, despite their CEO being convinced of the existence of other realms due to the ransacking around the world and the loss of Johnny Cage a couple years ago. Word got out of Jarek's whereabouts and Sonya, while still vengeful over the deceased Kano, decided to finish the job!

She was lucky the Outworld Investigation Agency coexisted with the Special Forces due to those tragic events.

Unfortunately, Jarek managed to kick Sonya in her fragile ribs while she was chasing after him. He cackled, "Screw you, wretched woman! You may have nailed everyone else, but you will NEVER catch me!" He left off with another demoralizing giggle. He simply leapt to his nearby stolen motorbike and drove away!

Sonya just stood up and immediately received a message, "Damn it, Jax! I almost had Jarek!" She winced at times due to her sore ribs. On the wristwatch reprogrammed thanks to Nightwolf, her close partner briefed her in.

"Worry about your vendetta later, girlfriend. We got bigger fish to fry. The Outworld Investigation Agency monitored some interdimensional fluxes over southern China and you're our closest agent. We just dispatched a chopper en route to pick you up."

"Roger that, Jax. Ergh," she held her poor ribcage again. "I hope it has a trauma kit in there. That bastard, Jarek, nearly got to me." She ended the call and awaited for her escort. Soon enough there was a rotor going! A neon blue spotlight swept over the bay and bridge and instantly shone on the female agent. She shielded her eyes as the chopper began to land.

She ran to it and gradually stepped into the cockpit with her aching ribs. She immediately sat down, desperately scrambling to find the nearby first-aid kit. Before she found the medical equipment, though, she heard a male voice amongst the shadows.

"What's up, Sonya! Long time no see!"

She turned toward a tenor what sounded to be like another agent, but recognizing the shiny sunglasses in which he took off was...

"Johnny..? I...I thought you were dead! What in God's name are you doing here?" She retorted.

"Eh heh heh. Kind of a shocker to see me alive, eh?" Cage responded with a grimace. "I can explain on the way."

"Who authorized this dispatch?" Sonya asked in an authorative manner.

"Jax said he can come along, as long as he doesn't touch anything." Cage replied with his hands raised at the last remark.

"Heh. That won't be a problem."

Cage's mind then flashed back inside the Jinsei Chamber. He suddenly woke up, not inside a hospital like he was expecting, nor in some heavenly plane with clouds and angels... Far from it! He met up with Raiden inside his own Sky Temple, breaking the news as he awakened that the fallen Elder God, Shinnok, raised all Hell onto the heavens, and even Edenia.

To the former celebrity, he vaguely remembered the name of the kingdom since his trek with Liu Kang through the Outworld Wastelands to save Sonya's butt from Shang! As the storm was looming closer outside the Temple, Raiden made post-haste and urged Johnny to meet up with the chick, he said. So, in a moment's notice, the Thunder God teleported Cage from the Jinsei chamber to where she was! Cage was kind of impressed on handling a chopper, though. With a few swift moves, he managed to snatch one thanks to some close buds belonging to the Outworld Agency! Although he was disappointed he never got the chance to meet a sexy lady clad in green in what seemed to be a ninja of sorts.

Sonya didn't mind the sudden flirtation. "Well, anyway, it's certainly glad to see you." She really meant it as she broke out a grin.

"Really! Wow, that certainly leads a good impression." He smiled back and the agent was thrilled Cage's body was fully healed and his head didn't look like it was not chopped off!

"How's your head?"

He made a few twists, and it still stayed firm between his shoulders. "Ergh, not bad. I never thought I'd actually see my head on again. That Raiden did a spanking job!"

"Where are we heading to anyway?"

"To the Bargon Har Mountains. I've heard that's where the Temple of Light is nearby."

"Then let's head straight to it!" Sonya commandeered.

Minutes later, the wooded area was also opaque under the starry sky, although the beautiful scenery was interrupted by that same surfing bird! Liu, Lao, Kai, Nightwolf, and Aiko beheld the blinding blue light as the black chopper descended! Out popped the duo of agents, and even the quintet were flabbergasted on Cage's sudden resurrection! Nevertheless, he did make some handshakes with a few buddies. The chopper soon left and the two Kombatants gave them the scoop.

"Edenia is also in deep peril as well." Liu chimed in. "Princess Kitana and Queen Sindel are involved in Shinnok's upbringings. This isn't good! Both the kingdom AND Heaven are at his mercy!"

"The honorable monk is right." In came Sub-Zero after he slid off an ice trail. "Shinnok is definitely an evil incarnate!"

"You know him as well?" Lao was baffled.

"I think that my elder brother, Bi-Han, had some sort of an encounter with Shinnok. It may be what caused this entire calamity!" Remembering his doomed sibling, he raised a fist. "It is now up to us to put an end to all of this!"

"Let's do it!" Liu Kang said with a nod of affirmation. "Now we've just got to figure out how we should get to Edenia."

"I can help you there, Liu!" Everyone gazed at Sonya. NO ONE believed she of all people would have that kind of ingenuity, let alone the skeptical Special Forces! Even Aiko was thrilled believing they can be just as strict as all of the US and Chinese militants!

"My team known as the Outworld Investigation Agency, led by Jax...can finally create a portal that would allow us to reach Edenia directly!" Sonya added with enthusiasm. She then took out a tiny gizmo from her side pocket of her white quarteroids. "We had been able to emulate interdimensional portal distortions, kind of like what Raiden does. The only problem, though, is that it requires a nuclear generator."

The heroes were all taken aback. The last thing they wanted is to use something environmentally hazardous, as if coming from a powerplant.

But Nightwolf, as crafty as he was, beat them to the bunch. "I can help you with that." he replied with a wry grin as he raised a hand. He volunteered with one of his soul weapons and empowered his tomahawk. "I hope this produces enough energy for this thing. Everyone get back!" He knelt close to the bot as he fed power to it. Through the axe, the invention began to illuminate with the same shade! "C'mon...almost there!"

He stood up with the axe still next to Sonya's contraption, until it erupted with neon green light! Seconds later, it blasted away and eventually formed a wormhole! "Ha ha! We got it!" Sonya chirped. Aiko then followed her excitement with a couple stims!

"Hurry! The rip won't stay open long!" The shaman urged the gang as he picked up the stray tomahawk.

"Edenia, here we come!" Liu declared. He was the first to leap into the portal, followed by Kai, Kung Lao, Aiko, Sub-Zero, Nightwolf, Sonya and Cage!

The portal then collapsed on both sides, after the Kombatants made it thru, and onto a more devastated frontier!

The sky was all in dark crimson, as if it was covered and bleeding like blood! It was even more terrifying when it mixed with the usual violet hues of Outworld. All the buildings below the steep hill looked war-torn. Good thing everyone was geared up, as they knew someone definitely beat them there.

Liu Kang was impacted emotionally by all the damage the beautiful kingdom endured. He prayed that he hoped they won't be too late... Everyone became just as somber as he was. Until a voice boomed with laughter over the decimated landscape. They could hardly see the translucent face emerge over the distant, opaque palace.

"Welcome, humans! Welcome to a Mortal Kombat you have never seen before!"

Kung Lao and Aiko felt their bodies become numb as they recognized the sinister warlock with the painted eyes! One of the vague figures they saw in her dystopian future, and in their nightmares!

But his Shaolin partner spatted out as he broke through, "We accept your challenge, sorcerer! All of us! We shall never let you rule all of Edenia! Where's Kitana and the others!?" To him, Lao, Aiko, Nightwolf and Sub-Zero, he looked oddly familiar...

Quan Chi just raised his head as he sniggered. "They are with me inside the royal palace. My generals and our hellish armies would revel to have a taste of your flesh! Enter it, if you mortals even dare..."

Everyone made a battle stance as they watched their tormentor fade into oblivion with his peal of laughter... Johnny just remained behind the team muttering, "This is not good..!"

A/N: Songs in this order include The Wastelands/Pit II from the Mortal Kombat II Arcade version, Evening Bells from MK 95, the Demon Mist theme from DBZ which was a horrific fit for the invasion of Edenia as well as Shinnok's rule, Bleed (courtesy of Ferocious Wraith since he suggested that song once as a huge Nirvana fan!), Johnny Cage's theme from the first Mortal Kombat film, Staff Cavern from Starfox Adventures as the portal to Edenia is activated, and Garlic Jr's Theme with the appearance of the evil demon sorcerer, Quan Chi! He and Shinnok shall be such intimidating opponents later on in the story!

Now you may have noticed that some of the info and dialogue was inspired by the limited-edition comic, the prelude of Mortal Kombat 4; I'd managed to find a YouTube video highlighting the story though some elements had been changed from the stories I made prior. Like, Liu was supposed to be an orphan but has his grandfather, Sub-Zero was supposed to seek out the Temple of the Elementals but he was stationed at Lin Kuei headquarters as he spotted the meteor. Contrary to the comic, Sonya and Jax are still part of the Special Forces as they'd been reinstated since the CEO now believed in otherworldly threats by the invasion of the Centaurs and murder of Johnny Cage, yet still decided to forge the Outworld Investigation Agency, so they wouldn't work for the military directly. Also, Sub-Zero was implied to be the main protagonist to stop a threat his brother caused involving Shinnok, with Liu as not since he only went to save Kitana, but things are different this time around.

I don't mean to confuse the audience, this is just a different interpretation; I recommend the prequel comic and character bios for accuracy, as well as MK Temple and The4thSnake.

So far, only Liu, Lao, Aiko, Nightwolf and Sub-Zero had some vague familiarities with the sight of Quan Chi. More'll be explained later.

A/N: If anyone notices I'm missing something about Kai, please let me know. I wasn't thrilled over MK4 nor the later installments, and Kai was one of its debuts. All I see is nothing more than one of Liu Kang's monk trainees he found; aside on journeying from eastern Asia for enlightenment, I don't really find him to be all that special... So, lemme know what you think.

Con't III - Rallying up the Raptors

Before Liu Kang ordered his troops to march forward, Kung Lao and Aiko just stood still as statues, or more like frozen by Sub-Zero's cryokinesis.

He turned and faced his two comrades. "What's wrong?"

"That face we saw." Lao spoke, "Something seems eerily familiar. Aiko and I...he appeared in our nightmares, and our visions of her dystopian future."

"I think I know who he is, Kung Lao." Nightwolf added. "He's the demon sorcerer, Quan Chi. I know him from anywhere. He was the same enemy that possessed the gem of Tetsurri and infected your souls, remember?"

"I...can hardly recall what happened then." Sonya said, struggling to remember that aforementioned incident over two years ago. Liu Kang and Sub-Zero felt the same way.

"What, who're you talking about?" Johnny added impatiently.

"Quan CHI! I thought I recognized that name!" That triggered that same memory to Aiko. "He was the demon sorcerer from the Netherrealm! Fujin, Raiden's brother, warned us about him! And even I can remember that incident Nightwolf mentioned; he and I were the only ones who weren't affected by the evil gem!" The brutal fights the Kombatants had against each other flashed into her mind, while Nightwolf was struggling with Quan's pet snake trying to talk some sense into them.

Until Sub-Zero broke her reverie. "Quan Chi. I thought his name sounded familiar. I can hardly recall that gem quarrel. But I think my brother, Bi-Han, was once involved with him. He and Scorpion were hired by him, despite having rival clans. He wanted the best ninja assassins to help him retrieve a sacred, magical amulet. Alas, my brother died trying by the likes of that vengeful wraith obsessed with malice." He tried to resist memories for the death of his sibling during the first tournament. "I will avenge my brother, someday. But I can't help but feel the sorcerer has something to do with it."

"Hm, guess we all have an agenda with that creepy looking scoundrel." The Special Forces agent was still unsure.

"Ok, so we are all...somehow connected with this punk!" Johnny spread out his arms as he faced the team.

Liu nodded. "Yes, and there's no telling what he has in store. Kitana and the Edenians are in there, and we must save them." His words restored their determination and they marched down the hill.

But the arrogant celebrity wasn't quite buying it. "Is he still lovestruck over her?"

Sonya snickered, "Heh, you have no idea."

"Maybe we can work some things out between us since I'm back in my suede self, hm?" Cage flirted with his tongue in his cheek.

Sonya went irritated, "Johnny?! We have a duty to uphold here!"

"Kombat alert! Something's coming through!" Everyone took fighting positions at Nightwolf's words of alarm.

"Time to see what you can do, Kai." Liu faced his disciple.

"Of course, Master," he replied with a bow. He was beside him as he and his sensei fought off several Shadows emerging from the ground.

The Onis came out too though they were easier to deal with, even for Kung Lao. His moves seemed more swifter and stronger than a couple years prior. His signature Whirlwind Kick was twice as fast and deadlier as well. "I guess all that training with Fujin is finally paying off!"

At times, Aiko used her cardiokinesis draining the enemies' health and carried it over to the Kombatant who needed a refill; it was like a magnetic pull of sorts as she sensed who was fatigued or hurt. Whenever a demon shall get close to her, she'd whack them with her club!

Johnny volunteered to cover his so-called mate with his own martial arts, while Sonya grew a bit jealous he was doing all the sweeping. Though she was prepared if any monstrosity should invade her space, especially the Shadows which took her by surprise.

Actually, those sneaky subterranean creatures were the most difficult to deal with since they'd always hide beneath the ground and were too quick on emerging! Sub-Zero's ice blasts were a lifesaver once he made his mark, allowing other fighters, mostly Nightwolf, to vanquish those pests!

Eventually, as the Onis were wiped out, more of the jet-black demons came forth! This made the fight more tedious, and Nightwolf cried, "We have to attack them while they're vulnerable! They need to be solid!"

The ice ninja did just that as he froze each one!

Aiko was having the most difficult time with them, as she kept on missing her targets and they had no problem dicing her with their scythes! Kung Lao often came to her defense, just as Johnny did the same to Sonya, and remained the closest to her, even while she was distracted upon healing herself.

Taking in the shaman's words, the other warriors had little to no effort with the undead legion, even while being exposed to Sub-Zero's ice blasts!

"Whew, those fanatics certainly were a good warmup," Kai swiped sweat from his forehead.

"Well done fighting them, Kai. Not bad for a novice." Liu commented. His partner seemed to rely on brute than anything, so he was more like a ravaging tank!

The guys were a little sore, though they pressed on till they finally descended from the steep, opaque hill. With a firmer footing, their moves became direct as they had a slightly easier time with more Onis and Shadows. They all became more vicious as they broke out their lethal moves such as Liu's Flying and Bicycle Kicks on the Onis, or his pyrokinesis onto the Shadows. While Kung Lao utilized his guillotine hat more often, along with Aiko's club, Sonya's energy rings, Johnny's amazing Shadow Kicks, Kai's brute strength, Nightwolf's soul weapons and Sub-Zero's slides.

Thanks to Aiko's abilities to absorb energy from enemies, not only they became immobilized thus vulnerable to onslaughts, but she also functioned as a medic rejuvenating the heroes!

"Is that all you got, sorcerer!?" Cage boasted once the field was clear. Sonya retorted on his ego which never changed since before his resurrection, and perhaps that was why he was at the mercy of Motaro.

Kai couldn't help but feel just as confident as him, though Liu warned it'd be too easy, as this was only Quan Chi's infantry.

"Still, we must keep moving--ergh!" Lao was struck by a dart! In came some of the minions he and Liu recognized! The Demon Archers and Wards emerged from the shadows, and the fight was now tougher than ever!

"Here come their commandeers! Kombat time!" Sonya declared.

This time, the Kombatants relied on closer combat, even using their provided shields to block their lethal projectiles. Sub-Zero conjured and formed an ice shield, while Nightwolf encased his chest with a green, deflective field. Aiko utilized her club while Lao took advantage of his razor-rimmed hat both as a distant weapon and blockade! The other warriors simply blocked, though with the constant impacts, their bodies became weaker.

It wasn't long before the Demon Warmongers stepped onto the plate. "I wish we had reinforcements right about now!" The general stated, rattling the warriors since every one of the Edenian guards had either been imprisoned or killed. Either way, no one was coming to their aid while the perimeters of the Palace remained deserted!! Obviously, the Demon Warmongers were definitely the Army's biggest threats, next to the Demon Generals as Liu and Lao recalled back in their journey thru Outworld, specifically the Foundry! They could have sworn that the military continued to grow rapidly with other enemies such as the Onis, Shadows, and Archers!

The Demon Army was starting to overwhelm the heroes! Liu Kang declared they needed to split up and infiltrate the Palace on all sides instead of directly! Kung Lao and Aiko drove some of the demonic forces away and were chased into the Living Forest to the west! Sonya and Johnny Cage wound up with each other as they headed east, as did Liu Kang with Kai to the northeast, and Nightwolf with Sub-Zero northwest.

With their formation, both Lao and Aiko escaped to the cooler and moist jungles. The exotic agriculture greeted the duo as the demons continued to chase after them! At times, Lao looked back and attacked the enemies incoming from the rear, and the vegetation gave them slight cover. The army continued to form, and the monk hollered, "Aiko! Hide in that cave!"

She obliged and some of the demons followed while Kung Lao focused his energy, wound up, and rapidly spun like a vortex! Numerous militants were caught in the funnel like helpless prey sticking into a spider web! Each one had an unfortunate death whether it'd be getting impaled on the jagged branches of the trees, or being caught and eaten in the mutated trees' mauls, or having their bodies splattered! The other assailants that were after Aiko decided to retreat into the shadows!! She was impressed of all the strenuous training thanks to Fujin.

She congratulated him when the F0 Tornado dissipated, "Great job, Kung Lao! I guess all that training with Fujin has finally paid off!"

"Ergh, yeah, I guess so," he muttered exhaustingly. "We should chance some rest at that cave. Might as well before those evil trees shall hinder us." Aiko couldn't have agreed more.

Just then, the Chinese warrior spotted a silhouette covering over the walls. He braced himself until the figure revealed herself. "Kitana!" They both chorused in astonishment.

"Man, are we glad to see you!" Aiko embraced her tightly.

She was taken aback by the sudden hug, while Lao simply bowed. "Ditto, Aiko. I spotted that temporary tornado, despite the clear sky. Then I figured it was you, Kung Lao." She then switched gears. "I WAS hoping to find Liu Kang as I noticed the Palace was invaded by the Army of Darkness. But I guess you two would suffice."

Lao explained of their predicament and the princess wasn't surprised. "With just you mortals and no army, we can never survive. Especially against Quan Chi and Shinnok." She smacked her fists recalling the captors of her people, including her mom and royal guard.

"There are those names again..!" Aiko startled. Kitana was impressed they knew them. As they stationed themselves in the nearby cave and a small fire lit, they discussed their unfortunate experiences, even those while training with Fujin at the Wind World.

Kitana mentioned it was best to attack without being detected, never shaming them of their sudden separation. She stated she struck a peace treaty between the Shokan and Centaurs when she noticed the explosion at the Palace, although the Netherrealm forces were too much, then she was divided from the gathering two beastly tribes; she hoped that Goro would rally up the cavalry.

"Goro! He's still alive!?"

"This is not the time for revenge, Kung Lao. He's been in hiding from Shao Kahn as well as healing his wounds. We have a greater threat to worry about for now." Lao calmed himself.

She then mentioned that while on the subject with his ancestor, he was once involved with Quan Chi as well. This topic really got the monk's attention as he shifted closer to the bonfire...

The Edenian summarized that the demon sorcerer, 500 years ago, had a dormant presence in the Netherrealm. Working only for himself and to gain immense power, he sought to disgrace Kung Lao and claim his soul on his own terms. Quan Chi was approached by Shang Tsung to combine their sorcery in a brief deadly alliance to end the monk's life in a hellish parallel universe. By the Earthrealm's Champion's prestigious efforts, they were undoubtedly intrigued! Alas, when Shang Tsung turned renegade, Shao Kahn employed Quan Chi to eliminate the treacherous sorcerer. This was certainly no surprise for Kitana, Lao nor Aiko. Although a fierce battle occurred between the two warlords, neither was victorious. Quan Chi also hired three female Netherrealm assassins, whom he had revived from undead souls encased in their living flesh named Siann, Mika and Sora. The three girls were often sent to do his bidding in Earthrealm while the sorcerer was not capable of directly interfering. Though his necromancy and black magic was just potent enough to influence Earthrealm indirectly. Although the succubi used their prized beauty and deadly fighting skills to their advantage, none were successful in slaying Kung Lao, his friends, nor other enemies of Quan Chi. He has usually mistreated the three girls, but Mika in particular looked like she had deep feelings for him, perhaps just their infatuation playing a role, and he seemed to return those feelings. Later on, after Lao lost his life at the hands of Goro, Quan Chi was sealed in the Cobalt Mines of Shokan by Shao Kahn's rampaging Shadow Priests. Legend had it that those native minerals nullified his powers, and he was slain and sealed back into the underworld.

"Until Sub-Zero's brother was employed by him, and started that intense, never-ending feud with Scorpion," Lao added.

"Your ancestor was just lucky he had comrades to back him up, and so should we. We shall rally up the Raptors native to the Living Forest and Zaterra. We will need to have the other tribes join our flight too, including the scattered Shokan. None of us can possibly be Champion alone."

Hours later, the trio woke up from their slumber. Aiko and Kung Lao followed Kitana through the Living Forest; they knew she'd be an essential guide to them since she had plenty of experience as part of Edenian royalty. She even helped them traverse through the quicksand swamps, fending off the soul-infested trees, more Imps and Shadows, and venomous snakes.

They soon arrived at what almost seemed to be a marsh, only there was no water, but the slippery, spongey silt still remained. Numerous live trees surrounded the spot, and each one constantly groaned as soon as they saw the trio which made Aiko unnerved. Due to her handy stilettos Kitana had little to no issues traversing thru it, contrary to the duo's more flatter footwear! The gang kept following her, trying to never mind the creepy trees continual moans!

A lone ninja blended into the thick canopy as he watched the three unsuspecting wanderers...

"This place leads to the Zaterra ruins," Kitana said. "We should be close to the lost Raptors' stronghold."

They continued onward until that same olive-colored assassin ambushed them from above! He immediately turned and spat acid onto Kitana's face!! The duo ran to her, tending her wounds. "Aiko! Stay with Kitana! I'll handle this sneaky reptilian."

The enemy immediately faced the heroic monk who simply greeted with an arm motion attempting to make peace with the Saurian, "I have no quarrel with you."

He just stuck out his crooked tongue as he hissed, "I will tear open your flesh!"

Lao switched into a fighting stance, "I now have a quarrel!"

Thanks to his previous encounter with two other Saurians, Lao memorized his past strategies. He kept his distance to avoid his corrosive spits. At first he was caught off guard by his opponent's own spear similar to Scorpion's which dragged Lao over the silt effortlessly; however, he was able to break free as a free hand sliced the rope apart by his deadly hat! Vulnerable, the Zaterran vanished but Lao knew he wasn't done. After a moment's silence, he used his spinning kick and got his assailant unawares and into the air. The Saurian was more nimbler than what Lao anticipated, and resilient. And the monk's main disadvantage was indeed the mushy silt! One time, he was blinded by acid, though he dropped and rolled to minimize the irritation. Before the enemy made his next move, Lao played keep-a-way as he teleported till his vision was clear enough. He threw in his hat as the Saurian wasn't looking, and he even used his own Teleport Kicks to knock his opponent down! In a desperate attempt, the Zaterran was more vicious with his invincibility, that was until Aiko conjured her cardiokinesis, squeezing his heart! With another direct kick, the Saurian was incapacitated!

Lao towered over the poor reptilian as he begged for mercy, though he wasn't falling for his "twisted trick." He raised his hat and prepared to slice him into ribbons.

"No!" Kitana came to with her arms spread out. "We need to ally ourselves with the Raptors! Killing one would set a terrible example. He must be one of its generals. Do you pay your allegiance to Shinnok?" she retorted.

He replied with contempt, "I serve no one! My will only belongs to me and to my dwindling clan."

"Then why did you attack us!?" Lao countered.

"We are very territorial. We get very many enemies here, fleshling. We have a right to preserve our race."

"Aren't all Saurians aggressive?" Aiko challenged.

"They may seem to have violent tendencies, cold-blooded as reptiles. But it's only to defend themselves against their intruders." Kitana reasoned. "Our progress on restoring Edenia to its former glory has pacified some Saurians, but they're few and far in between. They challenged us in battle at times, but we usually win over them, and so we've proven ourselves by their code."

"So, they go by trials of kombat. Great..!" Aiko was irritated, and Lao felt the same.

"Identify yourself, Saurian." Kitana coaxed. The rebel went by the name of Syzoth. After their match, which to Lao didn't seem so honorable, offered to escort them thru the deadly forest to their ancient ruins. Needless to say, the Saurian guards weren't thrilled to see those different from their race. The general assured they're not here to fight, but rather rally them up for the war against Shinnok. Even to them, the name sounded familiar and alarming.

The kingdom reeked of mildew and overgrown with vines. There weren't many inhabitants, the heroes noticed... There were lesser mutated trees than usual, but enemies still ran amok; Kitana stated they lost many Raptors while restoring the swamps. Some decided to join the cause since they remembered the legends surrounding the first conflict of Shinnok centuries ago.

Before their home was corrupted by Kahn and Shang with his souls possessing the trees, the Raptors became just as aggressive as their deceased elitist, Reptile. The swamps were once a part of Edenia and the benevolent rulers had tumultuous, harsh times restoring it as several of their men perished trying. Aiko and Lao believed that all Saurians were as bloodthirsty as Reptile, but Kitana said it wasn't always the case. She then recalled the incident of Tetsurri which it triggered bad memories of the Gem involving her first encounter with Quan Chi! Tetsurri was their first ruler in the new realm but was very tyrannical, thus leaving behind its crystallized heart as a valuable, though corruptive, artifact. Kitana recalled herself and her team being manipulated by it, as Quan Chi's magic erupted its evil.

As the three Kombatants found a sanctuary to rest in the Zaterra swamps, the Shaolin Monk queried to his companion, "Aiko...you said you knew about this gem of Tetsurri, but you and Nightwolf weren't affected by it. He said he destroyed the crystallized heart cuz he wasn't affected by its infectious influence. Were you resistant to it?"

The cardiokinetic just shook her head. "No. I was actually distracted by something else."

"And that is?"

"Eh... You remember when I mentioned that there were other realms involved in the rips of the dimensional fabric, before Kahn regained his lost strength?"

"Yes?"

"Well...one in particular was the one I missed so much. They came from a different realm, but I forgot what it was. Nine creatures, err mutated dragon-turtles known as Koopas, had entered Earthrealm and decided to help out. Bowser was their king, but he appeared weak in defending his turf. It wasn't long he and his eight Koopalings had a change of heart. They realized Kahn was a stronger threat than them.

"One day, when I went with the Kombatants to the Carribean Rainforest chasing after a portal, the Koopalings kinda got in trouble and one got caught in a thornbush. I helped them get one of their kin out, while at the same time, the Kombatants met a refugee offering a gift to them, which in turn sorta enchanted them and the boy left their souls being darkened by hatred.

"And that was the treasure of Zaterra, the gem of Tetsurri! Raiden said this was a myth, never believing to be true. I guess since Zaterra was neglected for so long... Nightwolf said he destroyed it and Quan Chi just got away!"

"So THAT was how you two met him!"

"Exactly."

Lao took a breather, trying to process all that information. "I think this place is connected to my ancestor too. The Zaterras...they seem to be just as vicious as Reptile. I don't think there's any chance on pacifying them." He doubted Kitana's words on doing so with the Shokan and Centaurs.

He and Aiko were still surprised as Syzoth stated that they were the early inhabitants of Earthrealm, until his kind managed to escape to another realm, Zaterra, which neighbored Edenia, but was neglected and forgotten; rumor had it that Raiden aided their escape as he and Fujin, along with the Gods, kombatted Shinnok for the first time, which resulted in the extinction of their species and enveloped the world in darkness for centuries.

"So...lemme get this straight." Aiko was dumbfounded. "The Zaterrans were originally from Earthrealm and they were its earliest inhabitants, which means they'd been around since the dinosaurs existed..! Yet they had been moved to another realm as Raiden and Shinnok were fighting each other which caused their cataclysmic extinction millions of years ago??"

The Zaterrans just murmured in confirmation.

"God do I feel sorry for you guys!" She held her head.

"No wonder you're always on high alert, defending your kind and all."

"If only our realm hasn't been abandoned for so long." Syzoth despaired.

"We'll make it up to you when all this is over. But...your tribe is doomed if you should venture in alone. We must recruit the Edenians, Shokan and Centaurs. And maybe the Tarkans if we're lucky."

The mentioning of the carnivorous outcasts made Lao and Aiko grimace.

"If possible."

"If the other peoples are willing to unite with us against Shinnok, then maybe there can be an exception. Our lives depend on it, and I certainly don't want our land and civilization be enslaved again."

"It shall be done, Syzoth." Kitana declared. Word got out and the other Zaterrans decided to honor their breed, and perhaps find a way to repopulate their species without the horrific results of necromancy. They were once humanoids much like the Edenians, after all.

While the pacifiers slumbered, Syzoth marched out to one of the balconies overridden with overgrowth and sneered, "Yesss... Everything iss according to plan. Sssoon the Zaterranss will reclaim what is oursss and take revenge on the other realmsss. We shall fulfill the will of Shinnok..!"

A/N: I'm not sure if this is correct or not, but am I the only one who thinks that Shinnok has been inspired by Jafar in Aladdin?? I mean, seriously, his ominous colorful robes, the matching helmet, the tall, menacing staff and the fact he's a sorcerer wielding the black arts...! If NO ONE ELSE has/would make that connection, like they ignored Ganon and Shao Kahn being inspired by each other, I'm going to lose it!!

As you noticed, there were some elements from Defenders of the Realm and Conquest, connecting with Shinnok and Quan Chi. I made Kitana and the Saurians reference those events cuz, just like Zaterra they'd been long ignored. Everything's connected with these two foes, and these two pieces of media should be explored more often and NOT be left as non-canon! Seriously, with story elements like these, they SHOULD be important to the overall plot!! Those asinine creators always abandon so many elements that have so much potential! The fans should be listened to and take charge of all games, movies, shows, etc. Fuck those ignorant corporate bastards!!

This is what MK4 should be, a war that required the unification of all the peoples in Edenia, before jumping from Kombatant to Kombatant! This is the one game that's been starving for a remake aside from Shaolin Monks! But Ed Boon and his pathetic developers, even the higher-ups in Warner Bros, don't care!

I threw in the Koopas cuz a long time ago when I was around 9-ish, my mind was going wild while I was watching DotR! I kinda figured all those random ideas were just those from various realms that assisted the heroes temporarily, before they'd been sealed away permanently after Kahn's failed insurrection, aka the final episode before being canned. Thus, Aiko's forced resignation and the rips in the dimensional fabric can cause all those anomalies. The Koopas, I felt, were the ones that held up well, especially involving the evil gem of Tetsurri. More can be explained in my MK Retrospective; just do a little digging and it can be found.

I was also shocked that Raiden and Shinnok's first conflict triggered the extinction of the dinosaurs and the Saurians!! I feel so sorry for them and Aiko's quote was my exact impression on that! I wish they'd apply more real-life events into the MK universe! And I just loved Kung Lao's challenge over Reptile in MKX, my all-time favorite since Underdawg Gaming mentioned it in his vid, the Greatest Downfall in MK History! :D

At first, I was gonna pick the Battle theme from Final Fantasy X for the first battle, but I'd changed my mind and found Fight scene 01 Alternate version from Defenders of the Realm to be more suitable! Just after the Wastelands Battle Theme I from Shaolin Monks. Bill's Thene from Starfox 64 shall chime in whenever the Kombatants receive a reinforcement/reunion with another hero; Starfox 64 was made in the same year as MK4 anyway! As would Join the Party from FFIV like in Shaolin Monks, Part II! The Woods from MK4 was one of the few memorable tunes in the game so of course it'll play as the trio traverses to the Ruins of Zaterra. Snake would play when Lao faces off with Syzoth, Quan Chi's theme from Conquest would play as the Saurians and Kitana would recall the tragic events, and Shang Tsung's theme from Paul Unfaces shall play at the end.

So, Kung Lao, Aiko and Kitana recruited the Saurians, but what is Syzoth's ulterior motive?

Con't IV - Into the Cobalt Mines

Johnny and Sonya were still running away from the gathering Army of Darkness! Climbing from hill to hill, the Special Forces Agent took out her machine gun over her shoulder and managed to shoot and obliterate several Shadows and Onis. They were reluctant to scatter and run away from the fray, but they had very little choice as the odds were against them!

The Brotherhood of Shadows in particular were giving them the most trouble as they strategically covered beneath the ground while Sonya shot the gathering generals. One actually managed to trip the poor lieutenant as it gained up and reached for her kombat boot! She tripped and the sudden grab made her tumble and roll down another hill! Johnny screamed her name and dove after her, but just as he was about to lift her, the ground gave away!

They slid down some loose soil before they reached a sharp edge! Johnny went and grabbed for his partner, but her rifle wasn't so lucky as it detached, and the strap fell around some jagged rock with the flashlight still on!

Both Kombatants regained their footing and composure. "That was close," Sonya stated with relief.

"Ergh, good thing those creepy bastards didn't find us. They must think we're dead." Their voices echoed as they bounced off the void and distant cavern walls.

With their sore bodies, they sat for a few minutes before they stood up slowly. They both figured it was too risky to emerge into the surface, until Sonya's keen vision spotted a narrow path to the right of the landslide. She took the lead and Cage followed, till their eyes beheld flickering, bright lights refracting from the rock walls. Those firings belonged to some forgers as if they were structuring weapons or armor. Turned out the alchemists were none other than the four-armed beasts they were too familiar with, the Shokan!

Each one was assigned different tasks, whether it'd be hammering a piece of metal flat, shoveling dirt into a burner, sculpturing, heating and cooling, lifting heavy equipment with all four arms, or grinding a piece letting out an irritating screech! Even though it seemed like a factory making equipment manually, the atmosphere was surely creepy counting the chains hanging and all the deadly weapons lying around!

The pair suddenly heard thumps beside them and in walked a male Shokan which was twice their height, including Johnny's!

He queried, "Do you have an alliance with the overlord, Shinnok?"

Johnny immediately made a striking pose as he noticed the approaching beast looked very similar to an old enemy of his... Before a fight should break out, Sonya replied, "We belong to Earthrealm and we just escaped from that army of demons."

"Hmm... You speak of the Army of Darkness. You two shall be lucky escaping from an unfortunate fate. Our kind had borne witness to an attack upon the Edenian Palace fifty miles away, while we were at the subterranean city of Kuatan. During a peace treaty with the Centaurs, the new princess, Kitana, became distraught, but we hid away here as well, while the rest of us escaped into the darker corners of Outworld."

"Where's Goro!?"

"Johnny!" Sonya became nervous that the celebrity was about to instigate and raise tension. The last thing she wanted was to become a victim to merciless slaughter by a group of the monstrous Shokan!

"He has hidden himself after several years, too ashamed to show his face upon his consecutive defeats in the previous tournaments."

"He'd better stay away, especially from the likes of me." Johnny pointed at himself.

"Enough, Mr. Egotistical. What is going on here?"

"This is the Cobalt Mines. We are currently using alchemy to create armor and weapons made of that sacred material. We believe in this legend that the demon sorcerer of the Netherrealm, Quan Chi, had his magic negated by making contact with that same compound."

Sonya continued to interrogate, "How do you know so much of our enemies, or this place?"

Over five centuries ago, Shao Kahn used this advantage and made Quan Chi turn against Shang Tsung once the Konquerer sided with him. This took place when the sorcerer attempted to end the Great Kung Lao's life, but he often failed.

The Cobalt Mines of Shokan was a location originally in Outworld which was often used as a prison for "the lowest scum of all realms" by the Konquerer and the Shokan race loyal to him. Interestingly enough on account on being productive with four arms, their special abilities and tremendous strength, these warriors were the reason why they were named as such. These mines were special containing pure cobalt embedded into the rock walls, and noticing these peculiar caverns, the cobalt was blue in color rather than silver in Earthrealm, much to Sonya's amazement.

Shang Tsung was once imprisoned here by Shao Kahn after his defeat at the hands of the Great Kung Lao. He kept the Kreeyan princess, Vorpax, who was also a prisoner in the Mines for lying to others, and to herself, as his personal slave. Taja was manipulated by the Kreeyan princess into thinking that her long-deceased father was still alive and was a prisoner in the Mines, only to all turn out to be nothing more than a trap for the Great Kung Lao.

Sonya then questioned the Shokan general of the hanging chains, and he mentioned that the Mines contained an execution and torture chamber. At the end was a wrought-iron sarcophagus containing a worm-infested rotting skeleton, but it was eventually obliterated after Kahn's defeat; once the Shokan occupied the Mines, they wanted to destroy its violent past. Legend had it that Shang Tsung's powers couldn't be unaffected by the cobalt in the mines, since he has a human heritage, but to outsiders, the cobalt poisons or weakens them, believing Quan Chi to be one of its many victims.

Johnny asked, "If this place was truly a prison, then what the hell do they eat down there? I doubt there's any livestock here."

The Shokan stated that food was usually either some kind of basic soup or stew served in a clay bowl, but Shang Tsung ate something that seemed to be close to shrimp; he then complimented he must've great hunting talents to exceed the more common delicacies.

Neither Sonya nor Johnny appreciated this, nor how prisoners had been treated so cruelly; thankfully the Mines had collapsed causing the burial and destruction of a lot of its disturbing denizens and scars of the past thanks to that sudden invasion!

"Ever since Edenia had been restored, we were in the process of reformation until the meddling Centaurs complicated matters! As we speak, they're awaiting outside guarding this place. There's a better exit than that slippery slope!"

"Whew, that's a relief," Sonya perspired.

"Because of the heavy safeguards by the Army of Darkness, we must approach it discreetly. As miserable as it may, we must traverse thru Jade's Desert."

The two humans gave an irritable sigh. They were NOT expecting to go over a scorching wasteland, let alone expecting that Edenia even had one.

"Jade...? Why would even she own a desert?" Johnny asked sarcastically.

All the general did was shrug, it was baffling to all the Shokan! He appreciated if the two Earthlings would become allies to their cause, even if they would put aside their jealousy and insecurities regarding the Centaur; they reluctantly accepted.

As the general suggested, they headed to the barren, abominable sands, though he heeded they must approach thru it before the sun should rise and irritate the blistering earth even more. Luckily, each of the Shokan as well as Sonya and Johnny were able to take naps upon the Centaurs backs; they weren't as unsteady as they thought while they pranced onto the loose and merciless dunes. They all were very wary if there should be a lethal haboob popping out of the blue.

At one point during their trek, Sonya was awoken by a sudden jerk of a Centaur's mount. Her eyes cleared almost instantly, then it spotted a yellow robot sticking out of the surface! At first, Sonya thought it was an illusion, as deserts had a tendency to allude the mind, or maybe she was still restful, but her transport kept on trodden away from it, never wavering.

She signaled the beast to halt, and he commandeered the others to do the same. Some even grunted as the sun was quickly rising! Sonya ran toward the lone cyborg and realized it was one of the Lin Kuei cyborgs, Cyrax! Johnny awakened soon after when his mount abruptly stopped.

Sonya shouted for the armies to help her pull the half-dead cyborg out, which didn't seem to move nor respond. All it did was let out some faint staticky noises before he was carried onto one of the half-horse's backs. Sonya mounted her perch again before they continued on their journey which they had alerted to speed up into canters before the sun should show its merciless, dehydrating face! It was as if they were running as fast and hard as a herd full of wildebeests!

Thanks to approaching and evacuating from Jade's Desert early, Sonya and Johnny eventually made it out, although the heroes still couldn't understand why it'd be hers; deserts in general were very unsettling and they just couldn't favor Cyrax being stuck in the sand.

They soon arrived at a swamp of sorts and the temperature was a lot cooler as they felt the refreshing air emitting from a nearby lake, much to their relief.

Out of the corner of her peripheral vision, Sonya noticed a familiar man wearing tattered clothing and tan skin with a thin, brown beard and crewcut. She signaled the Centaur to halt, and he looked over. "Wait. I need to take care of some unfinished business. It's Jarek!"

"Jarek?" Johnny asked, dumbfounded.

"He's the last member of the disbanded Black Dragons. I was chasing him in Shanghai earlier."

"Black Dragons... You mean Kano?"

At the sound of his name, Soyna quickly dismounted from the beast's back. Johnny bickered for her to stay but she still went straight toward him!

Soon enough, the fugitive looked up and saw her assailant. All he let out was a wide grin, just savoring on killing his woman victim.

"It's over, Jarek! You're coming back with me!" Sonya challenged as she walked up to him.

"Never, Sonya! I agreed to myself I'd defeat Shinnok. Not turn myself in to the Special Forces! The Black Dragons live on!"

Despite the threat, she still put her dukes up. She countered, "The Black Dragons died with Kano! You're the last one, Jarek! Surrender or you will perish!"

"Never!" He ran up to her like a raging bull, though the Special Agent was always quick on her feet as she sidestepped away at a moment's notice! She then heard Jarek wail in a hilarious manner. She then picked up her communicator.

"Come in Jax. This is Lt. Sonya Blade. Jarek is dead, and the Black Dragons had finally fallen-"

All of a sudden, she was grabbed by the leg from the same strong black biker glove! Jarek used all his strength to drag his enemy down! It was just enough as she got pulled off the precipice! She began to fall towards the lake just fifty feet below! Her legs and arms were flailing about-

Until she was abruptly caught by someone else who was airborne! His firm grip was about thirty feet up and Sonya nearly startled while she was caught unaware! She had her eyes squeezed shut, then she noticed she was on more firmer ground, then brought down softly as she held onto his shoulders.

Her eyes opened and she recognized her hero! "Ah-Kung Lao!"

"Surprised to see me?" He replied with a sneer. Then his face fell. "What happened here? I heard you scream as you fell, and-who is this guy?" He pointed to the tip of the precipice in which their eyes blurred as they looked up in the bright sunlight and the long distance. They barely saw a muscular man grab him by the throat and had his feet dangling just a few inches up.

"Going somewhere, Jarek?" A deep voice intimidated the criminal.

"Jax! I thought you were going to-"

"You thought I was what, dead? Like my partner you just tossed off the cliff?" The Agent dragged him to the tip of it.

"I-I'm sorry, Jax. Please. Don't drop me! W-wait, I promise-"

"Too late, Jarek!" His grip grew a bit looser, as he couldn't wait to drop the last surviving Black Dragon to his demise.

Still, Jarek continued to beg him for mercy, "You can't drop me! You have to uphold the law! You have to arrest me. Wait, wait! This is brutality! You can't do it!"

"Wrong, Jarek! This is not a brutality! This is a FATALITY!" With that statement, Jax finally let go of his trachea and the doomed criminal simply fell like a large rock! Kung Lao, Aiko and Sonya simply watched from within the shade beneath the cliff's edge. Jarek's holler grew louder until his body smacked onto the lake's surface as if he hit cement! The trio shielded their eyes, and they were lucky they never saw his battered body ever again! Some thin red streaks broke away, though.

They sighed with relief. Especially Sonya knowing she wouldn't have to deal with the accursed organization anymore. Unless if there should be more stragglers scattered around the world, or in other realms.

"Finally...!" Aiko perspired. She can never forget her obsession on killing nor arresting Kano since he was responsible on her partner's death; she recalled bits and pieces as Jax was highlighting the lethal invasion in an apartment complex as Kano rigged it, during that time of Jax's story, the Kombatants were having a wild globetrotting goose chase thanks to deceiving Nightwolf's equipment!

The trio marched up the path toward the top which wasn't very steep.

"Hey! What's been goin' on up here?" A tenor greeted Jax and was astonished to see the formerly deceased celebrity!

"Johnny! I thought you got your head ripped off!"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Nah, I'm good. I don't know how he pulled it off, I can't understand, but uh...Raiden resurrected me."

"Did he?" Jax's eyes grew wide.

"Yeah, he said it took two years to recuperate."

"Right... Listen, the rogue Black Dragon, Jarek, I just tossed him off a cliff and-"

"Jax!" He heard Sonya march up to him and he nearly tripped over his own shoelaces from his black combat boots as he embraced her! Johnny just gave them a dirty look, but the Agents didn't notice.

"I thought you fell flat off the cliff."

"I would have if it wasn't for Kung Lao here!" She pointed to the monk; he tipped his razor-rimmed hat in greeting. "Look, Jax, you can't stay here. There's so much heat with the fallen Elder God, Shinnok, and his apprentice, Quan Chi."

Jax's eyes narrowed, "God, why does that name sound familiar?"

"Nevermind. You gotta get outta here. Can you make a portal?"

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks to those new hefty gadgets. Why?"

"It's Cyrax, one of the Lin Kuei cyborgs. Johnny and I found him in a desert, stuck in the sand."

"The Lin Kuei? You mean all those robot ninja assassins?" Jax never liked the sound of that; he won't forget the lethal scrimmages he saw involving Oniro and Sub-Zero.

"The Lin Kuei has changed, Jax. You need to hurry; he might die if he doesn't get the proper treatment. He won't survive here!"

He rose his hands, "Ok, ok, chill, girl. I can create a portal back. It's gonna need some work, though."

"Thanks, Jax. Do whatever you can." He nodded and she marched toward the trio.

"So, you finally got rid of Kano's thugs?" Johnny remarked.

"Yes, Cyrax will be taken to headquarters. He should be fine."

Lao wasn't so thrilled as he saw the gathering army full of vicious beasts. "Sonya. You rallied up the Shokan and the Centaurs? They'll tear each other apart limb from limb! They can't break their vow on not being friendly."

"They're both fine. The Centaurs helped us traverse thru the desert and retrieve Cyrax. Kung Lao, they can help us win. Even they despise having their lands conquered."

"They also created armor containing cobalt. I still don't know how that's gonna help against Quan Chi."

The former monk remembered the same tactic involving his ancestor, but he thought it was just a rumor. "Shang Tsung used to be banished there."

Aiko changed the subject, "We have the Saurians on our side, too! We kinda decided to take their customs on camouflage. I guess it really works."

"So that explains the weird getup." Johnny noticed Aiko's and Lao's dark olive-green and black warpaint on their bodies, even several stray leaves as they once wore them for cover.

"Like a soldier in kombat. Good call." Sonya complimented. "I can't believe Kitana was able to meet up with you guys and lead the rebellion! Look, we should get moving. Hopefully we'll meet up with more of our allies."

They all nodded in confirmation and mingled with the rest of the group. Surprisingly, there were no confrontations between the Saurians with the Shokan and Centaur forces.

A/N: I first heard about the nefarious Jarek as well as his demise by 616Entertainment as he described the terrible voice acting in MK4. He said it's very close as being as abysmal as Resident Evil's, Mega Man 8's and House of the Dead's; even though I never played those games, they were often used as very flawed examples! C'mon, Boon! Do Tobias and us a favor and remake the damned game! Shaolin Monks may need it, but MK4 is starving for a massive makeover!

Also, I have to admit that Cyrax, as well as the cyber warriors, was one of the highlights of MK3 ever since I was young, so just like Motaro, I didn't want to get rid of him. And concerning MK Gold, they had him play a minor role and I liked his ending video when the Special Forces rescue him from Jade's Desert and have his humanity restored much like Smoke thanks to Nightwolf in my previous epic thus making him as a valuable ally to defend Earthrealm.

The Master from The Time Machine (2002) will play when Sonya and Cage reach the Cobalt Mines. The theme from MK: Conquest would chime in during the flashback involving the Great Kung Lao. Jade's Desert shall sound when they find Cyrax in the sand as the Centaurs help them through. Rain from MK4, the arena not character, plays during those infamous Jarek scenes. And Dark Ice Mines Surface Caves from Starfox Adventures'd tune in during the respite. As would Join the Party when the team reunites.

As you can see, I took some inspiration from MK: Conquest and MK Gold. It's criminal that Gold was considered the ugly duckling out of all the ports, since it had extra characters and their own cutscenes. Even though having Cyrax was a nice Easter egg introduced in UMK3. I just can't wait to get rid of Jarek and recruit the Shokan and Centaurs on the Kombatants' side! I'm trying to unite all of Edenia here! Damn I wish MK4 would explore more of this concept and Edenia like Shaolin Monks did as it linked with Earthrealm and Outworld! And no, I'm not taking any elements from the pathetic Special Forces, so another scrappy eliminated!

We're halfway done with the separated teams. We still have Nightwolf and Sub-Zero's formation as well as Liu's and Kai's. I hope I'll have the inspiration and motivation to do more; things had been at a crawl as of late. Sorry for misspelling Kuatan, btw.

Con't V - An Unlikely Ally

With their team dispersing, Liu and Kai continued to fight off the Army of Darkness diligently; they were reluctant on running away from the tremendous wave of Shinnok's followers, and they refused to turn tail. However, circumstances were not in the Shaolins' favors as they were still overwhelming them despite the more even footing contrast to the steep hills as well as the Champion's unbeatable prowess! At times, Kai managed to mimic and master some of Liu's legendary maneuvers, including his Flying and Bicycle Kicks, yet still it was too much for the esteemed protégé, as he was mostly specialized in close combat including the use of his own Ghurka Knife.

Seeing his close friend in peril, Liu spotted an opaque hill in his peripheral vision. He then faced him and spoke, "Kai! Duǒ zài nà zuò shān hòu mian!"

Kai nodded in confirmation hid into the hills while Liu was still in the endless fray! He blocked his face as he conjured up his pyrokinesis skyrocketing his body temperature! He shot open his eyes which churned into bright pupils and moments later, his body elongated! The merciless demons hesitated as they saw the awe of his Fury! Liu simply just vanished as the olive-green mist encoated him! And the serpent itself simply reared back its head and let out all its fatal fiery breath incinerating the waves! Hell, even the elites at the rear were caught in the crossfire while they collided into the immobilized demons making the volley larger!

As the thick smoke settled beneath the burnt earth, Liu was back to his human self. Kai couldn't help but feel enthralled on what his sensei could do! This was the first time he witnessed his master's greatest potential yet! He was so fixated that he was knocked to the ground from the side! One of the generals managed to evade the wildfire, though it wasn't long for Liu to burn him to a crisp! This was just the relief the monk truly needed after the Animality, soothing his ardency.

He offered Kai a hand in which his partner took. Kai was fine physically, yet still he was despondent hanging his head. He couldn't help but feel envious as he was defeated while his partner was still standing. All he did was shake his head and exasperated, "Damn it, Liu! I'll never be as good as you! You being the Mortal Kombat Champion and all..!"

He calmly answered with a raised finger, "Remember what I've told you, Kai. There's more to martial arts than just fighting. You must become one with your inner spirit. Only then can you summon your real inner strength and have that power that you've only dreamed about."

Kai just let out a defeated sigh, then a firm hand laid on his broad shoulder. He looked up and Liu pointed to a distant structure with a dome top, "We should head to that tower. We'll gather our bearings and infiltrate the Palace from there. I doubt it's likely the army would be suspecting us." Perhaps Kitana's trapped along with the fallen Edenians...

Liu and Kai reached the upmost floor without incident. The violet and scarlet sky continued to make a dim light into the circular morgue. Liu used his pyrotic skills to light the distant torches, making the space more manageable for their strained eyes. They saw numerous coffins surrounding the center, and they hardly noticed a fallen warrior on top of the altar at the backwall.

"The decor in this place stinks!" Kai retorted, holding his nose. Liu couldn't agree more.

"Yet still..." The monk's eyes examined the area. "I see no signs of any of the prisoners here, let alone Kitana. Someone must've beaten this poor Edenian here," he mentioned the lifeless humanoid. "Somebody has definitely reached this place first, but who..?"

As if on cue, a deafening clang was heard very close by! The arched exit was barred! Then, the sarcophaguses began to move! Lids popped off. though they didn't belong to some bony nor decaying hands! Instead, more of the Onis and generals came out of hiding and surrounded the heroes! Liu commandeered Kai to go back-to-back and their eyes covered more ground. They braced for the worst! Then a tiny shriek was heard from above. Kai looked up and noticed they were covered overhead by a massive shadow.

"Look out!" He tackled Liu aside as he staggered when an immense block caved in from the ceiling! It also had massive spikes underneath that seemed to belong to a Tyrannosaurus' incisors! A flexible, opaque warrior leapt and flipped from the top and landed with a thud toward the group!

Kai and Kang unshielded their eyes and they barely made out a a male adult with glowing blue eyes and black markings on his face. The monk could've sworn they looked similar to Shang Tsung's. The stranger's grey and white hair at his temples and wrinkles were barely noticeable in the dim light, giving him a somewhat stern and sinister appearance. He looked like the standard ninja with a maroon sheen, although lacking the traditional face cover, but his spiked shoulder blades made the Champion cringe thinking he was a younger version of Shao Kahn!

"Who're you!?" he challenged with his dukes up along with Kai's.

The intimidating man declared proudly, "I happen to be one of Shinnok's most prestigious generals, Reiko! You two fellow warriors are just in time for your elegy, so it seems!" His smile curled, "Ah, no better time as I see the legendary three-time Champion in my midst!"

"You're one of Shinnok's cronies? What have you done with Kitana and the others?"

"Hmph, glad you asked, feeble mortal. They barely have time to spare. My master would be pleased if I should rob the lives of both of you. You do well to hurry, if you value the Edenians' lives. Though it may be impossible considering our armies are perpetually massive," he chuckled with his shiny teeth baring. He clapped his hands, and the duo was surrounded. "You will both be joining them pretty shortly, humans!"

"I wouldn't bet on that if I were you!" Liu growled. "Kai, wǒ huì dài tā qù de!"

The tyro nodded as he kept the Onis busy, while the Champion went on the prowl against Reiko! The elite matched Liu's brute strength and nimbleness, only slightly with the latter since his armor tended to slow him down. He, at first, was thrown off by Liu's honed agility leaving him open for a millisecond. His spiked arm blades gave him the advantage on defense and offense while he caught Liu off guard when he got too close. With those counters, Liu strategized to keep his distance and unleash his streaks of fire, causing Reiko to back away a few notches. He did block another onslaught with his spiked arms, then took out his club, clobbering them! Reiko charged toward his opponent, before he made a jerk and threw his melee weapon toward the Champion! Luckily, his crackerjack thinking made him scrunch down and the club passed over, hitting a bystander general much to Kai's relief! He finished the demon off and wiped sweat from his forehead before he advanced to the other minions.

Reiko threw a few sharp Shurikens toward the Champion, two he evaded but one he abruptly blocked due to its closing distance and it sliced the side of his arm. He closed in with his Bicycle Kick which made Reiko falter, then he followed with a Flying Kick sending his enemy colliding his head against a stone wall! Reiko was stunned upon impact as Liu marched up to him. "Release our allies, Reiko!"

He slowly rose, "You're out of luck, Earthrealmer!" He then spotted the melee Kai was in, fighting a few remaining stragglers. He then dissipated thru the floor just seconds before Liu was about to mop the floor with a fist!

"Agh!" The monk's eyes fixed on Kai wrapped in one of Reiko's spiked arms in a stranglehold!

"SUCKER!" The crafty general stormed out as he leapt from a carved opening and dropped into the bleakness with the few stray demons! Liu was unable to catch up to the wounded warrior before he gave him the slip with his good friend at his mercy!

Silence fell over the morgue like the dead themselves. Liu never felt this hopeless nor this vulnerable! First, he lost Kitana due to the likes of Quan Chi and Shinnok, Edenia has fallen, he was separated from his friends, and he lost Kai too! He instantly recalled Raiden's words,

No one is Champion alone. If one of us is in chains, none of us are free...

This definitely filled him with doubt and regret. He only wished Kung Lao, a more skilled, seasoned warrior, was here...

He only sulked, and he hardly heard the soft pitter patter beside him.

"Are you...the Champion, Liu Kang?"

He perked up and saw a black face emerge. As it drew nearer, the dim light made out more features. Black wavy hair laid at its sides. It was a woman with a yellow and black leotard. Liu noticed that unlike the other female ninjas, she didn't wear a mask. "I am Tanya."

The cat certainly got Liu's tongue, or maybe it was just his tight throat preventing him to speak or was it her beauty...?

She stepped closer to the hurt hero. "I'm so relieved I'd found you. I escaped from the chaotic assault over the Edenian Palace. My village was invaded as it was close to it. So, I fled and looked for help. I'm glad I finally came to you."

"Uh, I'm...sorry for what has happened. I was looking for my friends, but we were separated, and my good friend, Kai, was captured."

"Hm...it seems both you and I are alone. We cannot breach the Palace unless we should approach it without being noticed."

He was full of doubt, "How? The demonic army, and one of Shinnok's generals, had caught us at every turn."

Tanya softened, "I was hoping to find more allies before I should lead them thru the subterranean tunnels. But I was gravely mistaken..."

"Underground tunnels... I'm sure that our enemies have occupied them as well."

"No! There are some secret passageways leading to the Palace. Fit for prisoners to escape under the former Konquerer's nose. I had managed to slip in and release only a few."

"Is Kitana with you?" Liu's eyes widened.

She shook her head, "I'm afraid not. I needed to hurry and rescue whoever I could. It's likely she's still there, if she's even alive, that is."

The monk became desperate. "Tanya, I must save her, and the other prisoners! Reiko said there's not much time for them."

"Alas, there isn't. Do not fret, warrior. I am an Edenian. I've known all the ins and outs since I was young. Shinnok's generals will never take me, I'm a survivor!"

He nodded, "Alright. I'm counting on you. So many are at stake, including my friends."

"Of course. I shall accompany you, then."

Tanya led Liu out of the unsettling keep and thru the shadows of Edenia.

She was proven to be an expert guide, as well as a decent Kombatant when she assisted Liu on countering the demon hordes with her boomerang, resilience, and her dual spiked sais from her sides. Other than a few random waves of enemies, everything seemed a bit too quiet. Until they made it to a stone slab which reminded Liu of the entrance to the sacred Wu Shi Dragon Grotto. Tanya brushed away some dead leaves and branches and unveiled the slab. She asked Liu to help her remove the heavy stone which he did with ease. She found a stray thick branch and asked the Champion to light it as a torch before they descended. Conveniently, there was a sturdy staircase leading into the tunnels, which settled Liu's mind a bit since Tanya's words were true on escorting prisoners away.

Even more impressive there was some intact stone walls and floors laid out! Liu was intrigued on the Edenians erecting such a place set for runaways! His fascination distracted him that he didn't notice Tanya who stopped at the center of an archway a few feet away.

She faced him, "Follow me, Liu Kang. Stay alert for any demons who dare to slip in. The prisoners and Kai should be just ahead."

"What about the others?" He said, puzzled.

"I hadn't seen them yet. I had only seen Kitana and Kai here. Those were the only warriors I had recognized."

He continued to follow her thru what seemed to be an abandoned tomb which had a natural, jagged stone wall in the rear shone by Tanya's torch.

"Wait!"

Liu was startled as she heard another female voice from behind! He looked, but there was no one except him! A green stiletto stomped on a piece of limestone in the ground which dropped! Suddenly, two metal slabs collided vertically iIn front of the duo!

"What!?" Tanya was astonished and irritated, and Liu stormed toward the trapdoor, failing to pry it apart! She was then impaled by a thrown Triblade! He then rushed to her aid.

"Don't, Champion! Don't!" There was that voice again. But another lit torch made out a female ninja clad in emerald!

Tanya continued to struggle until she tugged the weapon out of her leotard piercing her brown skin!

"Let it be..!" The green Edenian came close and ordered Liu to stand down. He just hesitated as he tried to register the familiar girl. "That voice..."

With her quick reflexes, Tanya threw the weapon back, but the other ninja knocked it away with a steel fan. "I should've known you'd be here!"

"I can't believe you're still alive!"

"Same to you! I will rectify this mistake!"

Liu just stood there, still as a statue while the two lethal women clashed! There was just no way he wanted to fight against a woman, even though he once fought against three when the green ninja jogged his memory... Nor was he sure whom he should trust. His mind was at an absolute stalemate, especially upon the failure of protecting Kai.

With her staff against Tanya's, the duel turned into an en guarde battle! Both of them slicing, blocking, and dicing every blow! That was until the jade woman outsmarted Tanya as she made a charge with the Blazing Nitro Kick which surrounded her in the same aura and reminded Liu of Johnny's Shadow Kicks. Tanya wasn't done as she made her own counters with her Human Cannon Drill, the Air-Fire Blast and Surging Blast, each move accompanied by swift kicks and pyrokinesis from her legs! The heroine kept blocking and charging at Tanya's legs, attempting to immobilize her. She then came up with the same strategy, "no different than with Kitana's! Always about the legs!"

"Kitana..." Liu was speechless, "Could she be..?"

Before Tanya got up, the green lady made another charge, only this time...her staff went thru the betrayer's body! She became limp before it collapsed into pieces! The victor twirled her staff getting rid of any drips of blood before she put it in her back scabbard. She headed to the stupefied monk.

"Long time no see, eh, Champion?" She offered him a hand and he shook it in a fish grip. "That woman over there was Tanya! You had been fooled! She was just about to lure you into a trap. Heh don't sweat it. She's always a traitor anyway."

Liu finally found his words, "Jade..?"

"About time you recognized me." She folded her arms sternly.

She stated she was following the Edenian rebel, and averted Liu's death slaughtering the holier-than-thou backstabber! It wasn't uncommon on foolish, hapless denizens taking on Tanya's superficial charm and false intellect. Jade confessed she knew the monk whom he, along with Kung Lao, straight up murdered both her and Mileena a couple years ago on top of the Tower.

Liu just hung his head in remorse on making the mistake killing off Kitana's best friend-

"Shh! Don't say a word, mortal..!" Jade interrupted as she reached a finger to his mouth. "To be fair...perhaps I and Kitana were both brainwashed by Kahn... However, thanks to Raiden, I was brought back to life. Hmph, better than being in those vile Flesh Pits!"

Liu Kang figured something happened to the princess since Edenia and the Palace had been invaded, but Jade assured if there was something transpiring to her, she would've sensed something amiss... They'd known each other for millennia after all.

She was also well aware of the Elder Gods' crisis against the fallen demon, Shinnok; she hypothesized he employed the necromancer Quan Chi, and they'd be useless without each other.

Apparently, she saw Liu Kang as her soul was imprisoned in the Soul Tombs after her body was brutally battered by the two Shaolin Monks. He brought up the Tombs had been destroyed since the last time he and Lao faced off Baraka. Actually, she remembered after ascending waking up in a bright fountain, courtesy of Raiden. Liu concluded it had to be the Jinsei Chamber that brought her back!

Ever since her resurrection, Jade was anxious to reunite with her best friend once more, as was he aside from regrouping with Kai and his lost friends. She was impressed on how much Edenia prospered before Shinnok's invasion; thusly, this proved that Kahn had finally been overthrown and destroyed after ten millennia, and she knew from Raiden that Liu Kang was destined as the Chosen One.

"So... will you lend me your assistance on rescuing Kitana?"

With a low curtsy, she reassured, "Consider them yours, Champion!" She plucked out Tanya's discarded weapons, and they were on their way!

Minutes later, the metal slabs were blasted apart with extreme force as much as TNT! With a raised hand, Quan Chi stepped out of the would-be prison and noticed the chamber and stairwell were deserted, excepting for a bloody, decimated female corpse!

He clenched his hand into a tight, quivering fist! "You have failed, Tanya!" He looked into the dark void and vowed to destroy the Champion himself!

"You should be lucky Tanya hasn't used her deadly boomerang or be her next victim."

Jade led Liu Kang thru some thick brushes toward the Palace. And she described on who treacherous Tanya really was. "I've killed her before several millennia ago, after she tried to frame me wearing my garb as a disguise and accusing me on slaying fellow Edenians, though Kitana never believed it. Then, we sent her to the Netherrealm. I can't believe Quan Chi and Shinnok helped her escape from that eternal prison!"

Liu nearly tripped on a steep slope. "Wait-how did you know so much about her? Who is she?"

Jade stopped and summarized Tanya was a slender woman from Edenia. Originally appearing to be an apparent innocent, her main method was deception. Jade and Kitana witnessed she was quickly revealed to be corrupted by evil, a worshiper of Shinnok no less, and an ally to the Brotherhood of Shadow. Jade was relieved she killed her before she would serve the likes of the aggressor, Shao Kahn. She said that aside from her treachery and sexy appeal, Tanya also had facile beauty and smarts as she always claimed herself as a survivor more than anything else, justifying her choices as being the "right decisions." She and Kitana knew she was absolute malice as she prided herself on her superior knowledge of magic and diplomacy. Because of her frequent betrayals of the Edenian cause, she has earned the rivalry and bitter hatred of Jade particularly as well as others who fell prey to her duality and ferocious ways.

"Like I've said, Champion. You are not alone."

The ground shook and a large, deep boom was heard in the distance. The two warriors hesitated, and their ears soon adjusted to muffled shouts and war cries along with metal mingling with them! Jade tiptoed forward and looked over a hill toward the flickering lights beside the city below! "Kitana must've sent the cavalry. She had to recruit all the Edenians, including the..."

She silenced herself, trying to confirm her reasoning. Then, she left in a sprint.

"Wha-how do you know? Is it really Kitana!?"

"It must be! Kitana!" Liu desperately followed Jade toward the distant war!

A/N: I couldn't stand Tanya's ending while I was looking for ideas on this fic! It always bothered me how gullible Liu Kang was, even as far as his friends went. Just another Scrappy eliminated! I feel so vindicated here! Also...I tried using the polls on Twitter to see which faction I want to cover; however, they never gave me any relief to my indecision as both polls resulted in ties!

Sorry to any Kai fans out there for me trying to make him have a tad of potential but not enough. I just didn't have a lot of ideas for him considering he's a newbie. Plus, I wanted Liu to be more vulnerable as the Champion isn't always unstoppable; it was kind of formulaic on recruiting other races with the previous chapters. After all, it led up to the elimination of Tanya, and since she hates Jade, what can be better! I even thrown in some Chinese cues via online translator for lulz, just to prove that Kung Lao, Liu Kang, and also Kai can be bilingual characters; Kai has to be considering he's Liu's disciple.

Ok, yeah, it was intentional on allying Jade with Liu Kang, as it kinda followed the same idea from Annihilation which was made in the same year as 4 and Mythologies, but what the hell. As we all know, there are worser installments out there, so Annihilation's like the lesser of several evils. On a side note, I can see 4 being similar to separating party members like Final Fantasy VI and Sonic Heroes; each faction having their own difficulty and style before reuniting for the climax, even though the former failed.

Bowser's Castle from Mario Kart 64 may be a nice addition, especially with the dark macabre of Edenia that was formerly Outworld. Eternal Palace from Mortal Kombat: Annihilation fits well with the intense part during Liu's Multality and the calmer parts before they got to the Tomb, while it gets tense again when Liu and Kai are trapped. This random idea hit me hard as I thought and listened to Force Your Way, the Dissidia rearrangement, to play during the boss fight with Reiko; he seems intimidating as he's very similar to Shao Kahn in looks and skills, and this battle song fits very well especially considering I was never into Final Fantasy VIII! Leave Your Fear Behind from Annihilation may fit nice with Kai against the minions till he's captured anyway. Animality may be a decent choice upon Liu's vulnerability; every hero needs a moment like this since they aren't invincible. The Main Theme from Shaolin Monks can be good as a subtle track with Liu and Tanya till she's ambushed by Jade with Panik Kontrol, and finally closing things up with Kitana's Abduction.

Whew...only one more faction to cover, this time with Sub-Zero and Nightwolf!

A/N: This was definitely the hardest faction I had to make!! I swear if this was made into a game with each separate scenario, this would've been labelled as Difficult, hands down! I hope I'll feel sooo much better once this is done!

Con't VI - Bloodstained Hands

Nightwolf and Sub-Zero continued to fight off the Army of Darkness while they lost the other Kombatants in the melee. It wasn't too long before the waves of enemies began to overwhelm the duo. Kuai tried to keep at it with his skilled cryokinesis allowing him and Nightwolf to land several targets, however, the stampede was able to breach thru the ice blockade making the warriors retreat. They still looked back and took out any foe that was closest to them, yet still, the endless barrage kept drawing the men away, and into a nearby abandoned granary.

Sub-Zero was about to form another, though larger, ice block covering the outer space...

Until, their eyes adjusted to the shadows, making out a silhouette of a monster with a blade protruding from each of his two arms. He slashed thru every Oni, general and demon with minimal effort, and kept letting out those monstrous hisses all the while. As if he had an insatiable appetite of flesh and blood! He never fed on the enemies, though, just sliced right thru them! The oncoming melee began to ease up afterwards, and Nightwolf and Sub-Zero braced for the worst as the stranger sneered at them!

It wasn't entirely unexpected as that mutant lunged to the group! Nightwolf took on the battle, with his soul weapons clashing against the retractable arm blades! From the dim lighting, the heroes made out the assailant, baring fangs and all!

"It's a Tarkan!" The ice ninja exasperated.

"Could it be Baraka!?"

The shaman continued to clash with him, and the carnivore's only drawback was relying too much on close combat! The Matokan remembered fighting Sheeva and keeping his distance, so he did the same; he was fortunate the enemy didn't have a lot of body armor, so the Indian had clear shots! He then decided to throw in his tomahawk, impaling Baraka in the chest! Once he was vulnerable enough, the warrior closed the distance and klobbered over him! While he was down, Sub-Zero froze him up to his neck, which actually caused the axe to slip out!

"This should staunch your bleeding! Suffer from your pain! You're not going anywhere!" The ninja retorted.

Baraka just let out another disgusted hiss while the heroes walked up to him. "Who do you fight for?" Nightwolf demanded. "We saw you hold back the Army of Darkness, then you turned on us! We don't work for Quan Chi nor Shinnok!"

"Obviously, you're obsessed on working for the next in line like you did with Shao Kahn, to quench your insatiable appetite of flesh and blood! That was why you massacred those innocent monks in the Wu Shi Academy! Your leader is finished and so will you!" Sub-Zero reached in and squeezed Baraka's neck.

He roared in protest then spoke in a softened snarl. Apparently, his defeat put an end to his ravenous and bloodthirsty ways.

Nightwolf and Sub-Zero weren't buying it, and they questioned as to why he decided to attack them after he got rid of the demonic horde. Then again, the Tarkans were known to have an uncontrollable urge to kill and sometimes devour their prey!

The monster stated, "I have known those slick demons from the Netherrealm. Me and my kind were once bred from those abominable creatures, or at least had our DNA mixed with their blood!"

With that statement, the process on creating Mileena from the Flesh Pits entered their minds and made them stutter.

"So, you were all classified as mutants, each with different abilities they had excelled, like different specialized hunters aside from being seasoned cannibals. Then you got your blood soaked with demons'!?" Nightwolf was in complete disbelief.

Baraka was relieved that Kahn didn't reemerge after his demise; he countered that he and his army were employed by the Emperor on causing that massacre at the Academy thus igniting the second tournament. While the invasion of Earthrealm was just out of spite! Baraka also knew of the many stragglers that managed to escape from the horrid plane of existence about a day ago, and he recognized some of them including the half breed, Mileena, to which he despises, as well as Scorpion!

Kuai was flabbergasted he had escaped... "What do you know of him!?"

"He only escaped, mortal! He was involved in the breach from the Netherrealm and invaded Edenia! I witnessed this incident and rallied up my clan till we were constantly being bombarded by those same demons! I cannot stand being konquered! And be treated like feral rats!"

Unusually, Kuai had no desire on killing Scorpion after finding out the truth from...

"Sub-Zero! Heads up!"

He looked up and the duo leapt away just seconds before a volley of fire burnt them! He let out his wrath like a dragon's fury, melting Baraka's icy prison! The flames created just enough light making out the assailant's eerie features, including his horrid skull and yellow and black attire!

"Scorpion!" Everyone chorused, including the Tarkan with the sore throat!

The assassin covered his face with the signature mask and was only fixated on Sub-Zero! "GET OVER HERE!" He stuck out two of the lethal spears from his left hand toward his bitter rival, in which he backflipped and created an icy statue to which it shattered into thousands of crystal shards!

Kuai closed in with some air kicks that knocked his opponent down, but he got up quickly! Kuai grabbed his kicked leg and socked him in the face, but Scorpion's reflexes were resilient enough to knock him off with a countered kick! A series of punches and kicks fluttered toward each other, until Scorpion suddenly dove thru the ground! Kuai hesitated, until he felt the sudden body heat from behind! He grabbed and tossed Scorpion over his shoulder, then Scorpion countered with a direct kick to his chest! This made him back away and left him hunched and sore. Vulnerable, the assailant did a roundhouse kick to Kuai's face, pummeling him to the ground! He unveiled his skull and breathed fire again and countered against Kuai's ice blast, even backing it away! He dodged the volley, but was caught off guard from Scorpion's teleportation kicks, both on the ground and in the air! The hapless ninja was caught in each merciless blow, till he was slammed back into the ground, with his lethal impact creating a small crater and fissure.

As he slowly rose, he spoke, "I do not wish to fight you, Scorpion! I did not kill your clan, and neither did my brother!"

Scorpion held his rival down with a heavy boot on his chest! "You and your sibling are murderers, Sub-Zero! You may be my killer's brother, but that doesn't make you innocent, and yet you still have my clan's blood in your hands! You shall perish and suffer for eternity in the Netherrealm just as I did!"

"No! I'm not responsible for your family's deaths! Quan Chi framed my brother! He killed them himself!"

"You're LYING!" Scorpion roared into his face.

Still stunned on his back, he implored, "I can prove it! Nightwolf and Smoke reprogrammed a leftover data chip of Sektor, one of the Lin Kuei's cyber assassins!" He should've known that Scorpion wasn't quite aware nor around when Oniro declared the advanced and soul-wrenching program and transformations.

Baraka hissed again crossing his blades from the distant shadows, urgent to slice open that demon limb from limb! "I will annihilate that hell spawn!"

Nightwolf just stuck out an arm, preventing the carnivorous mutant from progressing! "No! We have what we need to prove him otherwise!" He dug into his side pocket and pulled out the shiny data chip! "Scorpion!"

The cursed ninja turned and saw the shaman walk out of the opaqueness, ready to pounce on him like hapless prey!

"Smoke and I managed to reprogram Sektor's data! This chip shall show you what really happened! Quan Chi has lied to you all this time! I will prove it to you, but you must fight the darkness that is consuming you from within your soul! Resist the manifestation!" He stuck out a hand as the ninja continuously marched toward him! He kept on the incantation which seemed to grind the curse-bearer to a halt!

"Fight the darkness, fight the darkness!" As if he was speaking into the undead's mind, if he actually had one.

With his free hand, Nightwolf activated the data chip which flashed a neon red and opened a hologram over what transpired. Through the fuzzy surveillance which would've been as clear as the Virtual Boy, it shown Quan Chi in a recording of a conspiracy. He was discussing with the former Grandmaster inside the Shaolin Temple at a circular throne room which was the topmost floor. Bi-Han was received with gratitude as the thief was successful on his deeds eliminating Hanzo. Quan Chi had in fact offered a map which was said to lead to the Temple of the Elements housing a powerful amulet. He hired Bi-Han to retrieve that aforementioned artifact, and he dumped a series of fallen bones and skulls, spilling them onto the floor in order to give the Lin Kuei his payment. Through the fuzzy screening, there were three skulls, one smaller as if belonging to a young child!

Scorpion's soulless eyes widened as an image of a little boy still in flesh close to his mom flashed before them!

The words in the chip were muffled, but the conversation between Quan Chi and Bi-Han ignited between them, symbolizing their bitter service to one another.

It then shifted in clearing static to the footage in which Bi-Han laid wounded as Scorpion towered over him, about to kill the cryomancer for vengeance, until Quan Chi stepped from the shadows and even mocked to Hanzo that he was indeed responsible! Quan confessed in front of the doomed ninjas that he not only killed the Shirai Ryu by himself, but also created Scorpion from Hanzo's corrupt soul after his death, turning him into the vengeful specter that compelled him to unfairly blame and kill Bi-Han during the first tournament, and had been the curse-bearer ever since... In his rage, Scorpion ran into the demon sorcerer while his head was flashing, before they both dissipated in thin air! The chip went blank after that.

Nightwolf gasped. "Hanzo's corrupt spirit... Just like Takeda's... The Great Kung Lao fought off a wraith possessing him, and churned him as the demon, Scorpion...! He was the one who burned Jen inside the Temple of Light! This must've been the acts of Quan Chi's necromancy!"

"Actually, that was by Shang Tsung." Kuai Liang, who rose gradually by Nightwolf's assistance, blamed Quan Chi's treachery for Scorpion's downfall and Bi-Han's death, holding no grudge against Hanzo.

He held his head, trying to process the new intel which contradicted his own actions believing Quan all this time. "Why...why was I so consumed by hate...!" While doubtful, his voice sounded different, more human, no longer having that unnatural echo.

"You finally regained your senses, then." Nightwolf noticed. "Do you remember your son's name?"

"My son. His name was Satoshi, and my wife, Harumi."

Both men were stunned. Instead of Baraka's, as he just hid himself from behind one of the rear pillars before he slipped away.

"Where's Baraka?" Kuai queried.

The shaman looked around, "He's gone. He must have escaped while Scorpion exhaled that fiery stream."

The yellow ninja pointed a finger up, "Hanzo, please."

The pair marched up to him, and Kuai hesitated before he offered a hand.

"But...why?"

"It was not your fault, Hanzo. You weren't responsible for my brother's death. Just as we didn't massacre your own clan, despite us being blind rivals. As that wraith inside you brought despair and darkness to yours, and mine."

"You were being manipulated by the all-evil power of Quan Chi. Your dead vessel by Bi-Han rendered your soul to be an easy target for Quan's influence and bound your thoughts to his. This...wasn't the first time, as Sub-Zero here was one of his victims as well while he and my comrades were infected by the Gem of Tetsurri manifested by him.

"I had heard stories of the Great Kung Lao, and Shang Tsung tried on multiple occasions to keep his soul for himself, even Quan; one of those times was when he used a wraith possessing Takeda, a promising friend of Baron's, to kill Jen, before his body rotted. It was all that impure spirit, all along."

"We both were played with by the Quan Chi, and we're on our way to finish him. But...with the overwhelming army, we can't do this alone. Blame Quan Chi, and together we shall restore all our clans."

Kuai flashed back to the times when his elder brother served Quan Chi. At one time, before he lost his elder brother, Kuai remembered a talk he had with him concerning the Temple of the Elements.

"What is the Temple of Elements?" Kuai asked.

Bi-Han responded, "It only exists to protect Shinnok's sacred amulet. That amulet that keeps him trapped in the Netherrealm."

"I do not understand..."

"It is protected by the four elements: fire, wind, water, and earth. As long as that amulet remains on Earth, Shinnok can't escape the underworld."

"What has happened here, Brother? I came here to make peace with the Gods of the Elements that you fought. But they're all gone! Which means the Temple is unguarded."

Kuai's mind returned to the present, confused as to what the undiscovered amulet was and why was the sacred Temple unprotected. "Unless Shinnok drove them away..."

"To think we were all connected by this madman, even the monk that defeated me twice in the Netherrealm," Hanzo recalled both kombats, even though Kung Lao was an honorable opponent.

"Your chance to redeem yourself and bring peace to your family is now. I can't help but feel this was by my brother's own doing, bringing the sorcerers back from Hell. I should bare this burden. But...what of this omnipotent amulet?"

Before Hanzo peeped, footsteps shifted at a distance. There was a tremendous array of shadowy figures with pointed edges, which the guys thought they were concealed weapons. Baraka stepped forward and hissed again. The crowd roared with their retractable blades raised!

Nightwolf grinned, "So you all came here to fight, eh?"

"We cannot wait to slice Quan Chi down to ribbons! We had been manipulated for the last time! We are the wild Tarkans and shall not be tamed!" Baraka's motivation caused another uproar.

"The Tarkans are willing to fight alongside us... Figures, especially since they rave for killing and destruction. Typical nomads," Hanzo summarized, shaking his head at the last statement. "If I'm correct, Mileena should be in your midst." This made Baraka spat out profanities.

"We hold our own allegiance! I'll be more than happy to sic that weak half breed into a blood sprinkler, just like Quan Chi!" There'd been some rumors from the Edenian invasion that she has returned from the Netherrealm, so they took the fight to fangs and blades!

While mostly neutral, Baraka said the Tarkans still functioned as hobos, carnivores and scavengers in the Wastelands yet decided to work with Sheeva and Kitana, since Mileena was out of the picture, and he was glad to no longer loathe the half-Tarkan. Until now!

Baraka and the Tarkans ran straight for the Edenian Palace, clearing the way for the heroes... All they did was face each other and shrugged in disbelief before they followed them.

A/N: Most of the inspiration for this chapter was from TrueUnderdawgGaming on the Biggest Loser in MK History, that being Baraka! Ever since MK2, I was enthralled by that deadly general! Underdawg himself stated he used to be a mutant, till the term Tarkan was made official in Deadly Alliance and were merged with demons. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to be as different as him nor Mileena, sadly. I'm also so damned sick on having Baraka be a punching bag like Kung Lao, especially in the Nether Realm games AND his own ending in MK4!

If you guys remember on my last epic, Baraka only fell into the water as he was knocked off the Bridge by Liu Kang; at least he wasn't slain like Mileena! I thought he was cool in Annihilation as well, even his kind depicting in Defenders of the Realm.

Ok, it's gross that his fangs were made from fingernails, and he was roughly inspired by Wolverine, but Baraka deserves a fair shot!

And yeah, I included Scorpion's end scenario from MK4, depicted as winning over Bi-Han, and there was a reference to the MK4 prequel komic, but I had to add them somehow. And if there's a thing I liked about the Nether Realm games, there's the moment in which Kuai analyzed Sektor's data and presented it to Scorpion, err Hanzo, thus bringing peace to both clans! I thought this was the best thing X had covered! :DBesides, with Nightwolf and Smoke part of the team, how can I pass it up?

Smoke's theme from Annihilation, played as the Booster remix, shall be at the start when Nightwolf and Sub-Zero face off the army. The Boss Theme in Majora's Mask would chime in as the former deals with Baraka, the Boss Theme in Ocarina of Time would play in the fight with Scorpion, Shaolin Temple from Mythologies would sound in the distant flashbacks, and Secrets Revealed from Austin Powers in Goldmember would sound when Scorpion looks over Sektor's data, starting at 0:45. Neat on how there were 2 New Line Cinema properties in one soundtrack! God how I wish they'd continue, or rather Warner Bros, with the Austin Powers series, especially the origins of Dr. Evil.

I finally got all the factions outta the way! I'm so relieved, especially since I'm close to the infiltration of the Edenian Palace! I disliked how I needed to be out of my comfort zone, particularly Kung Lao and Aiko. Can't wait to do the next chapter!

Con't VII - The Edenian Melee

As Jade was chasing after Kitana, whom she thought had rallied up the Edenian cavalry, she and Liu were cut off short by more of those lethal generals which took the duo by surprise! The pair was quickly surrounded by the Army of Darkness, even the Onis conjoined with the Shadows. Liu was taken off guard by a wave of enemies while Jade kept bashing thru with her staff! Her agility and swift moves provided a better advantage, though the monk wasn't so lucky.

Meanwhile, the Saurians hid within the shadows, blending in wearing their disguises consisting of branches, leaves and opaque warpaint. The onlookers wouldn't even see Kitana, Aiko, and others mingling alongside the cunning Raptors, despite wearing blue armor made of cobalt from the mines Sonya and Johnny encountered.

One distant warrior wrapped in stray leaves and branches came in and kicked the assailant off of Liu Kang's chest! He looked yonder and tossed his razor-rimmed hat which decapitated a nearby enemy, and another when it returned to its user. He swiped the rim free of blood as he tossed his stealthy cover away. He teleported behind the nearby warmonger and his kicks clashed with his lethal, blunt weapon, before he was covered in spat acid! Vulnerable, the shaded celebrity took off his glasses and finished the job.

"Heeeey!" Another tenor waved and ran to the stupefied duo. Out came Johnny! "Looks like we got here just in time! Who is this hot chick?"

Jade shrugged off the remark and noticed the Tarkatans beaten the reinforcements to the punch, or rather more precise, by their fatal blades as they let out their hisses and roars!

"The Tarkatans blew our cover. I'm not sure how we would be able to infiltrate the Palace discreetly. At least not have Quan Chi and Shinnok noticing..." From her peripheral vision, she noticed one of her past assailants, the one that brutally cut her into ribbons back on top of the Tower in Outworld! "Nice to see you again!" Jade retorted to Kung Lao. "Let's see if you can lop MY head off!"

He felt the same repercussion as he recognized the "spy for Shao Kahn!" He faced her with a battle pose.

Liu broke the quarrel with outstretched arms. "Hey! At ease, Kung Lao. She actually saved my life from a lethal trap set by one of Shinnok's generals. She, however, was resurrected by Raiden."

Lao went dumbfounded, "Raiden!?" He noticed someone was amiss, "Where's Kai?"

"...He was kidnapped. By another one of Quan Chi's warriors. He said there's not much time to save the prisoners..." Kitana briefly entered his mind, making him preoccupied of her welfare, as well as her family's... That was until her dark blue Edenian garb caught his eye! "Kitana! You're ok!"

Liu suddenly wrapped her in a tight, warm embrace! Kitana returned the pressure, and he whispered he shall never let anything happen to her! Johnny rolled his eyes and Sonya gave him a sudden love tap with her backhand.

As they broke away, her vision spotted, "Jade!" The ninja hesitated before both women slowly treaded to each other and gave a tight hug as they snickered like playful sisters. She settled once she saw her awestruck friend, almost breaking into tears.

"Another couple together at last..." Aiko murmured, relieved for the two as Kahn was out of the picture, with the two women free from his iron shackles and no longer forced to serve him...

"We must destroy Quan Chi and retrieve that amulet!"

Everyone saw the trio consisting of Nightwolf, Sub-Zero and...

"Scorpion!" The group chorused as they put up their dukes and muttered amongst themselves on assassinating the undead ninja!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy!" The shaman raised his hands silencing the heroes.

"Hanzo is on our side! He's willing to turn the tables against Quan Chi!" Kuai added.

"Hanzo...as in Hanzo Hasashi!?" Lao had an abrupt flashback on fighting him in the underworld, barely surviving the ordeal.

"This is not the time for vengeance, Kung Lao! Hanzo's the key to saving all realms. And I thought I was the only one consumed by this hatred..."

"We have no time. We must enter the secret passage leading to the subterranean prison cells. We need to save my mother, Sheeva, Asgaarth, everyone."

"I'll lead you to it, Kitana." Jade said. "It's a relief that your mom retained the throne of Edenia and restored everything Kahn has-"

The group was interrupted by the sudden uproars heading to the Palace! "Here comes the cavalry!" Johnny declared.

"Let's go while the Edenian army is keeping Quan Chi and his forces at bay!" Sonya obliged.

Scorpion hesitated, then by observing the bloody feud and overlooking the palace, he spoke under his breath, "I must get that amulet...!" He stuck out his spear and swung like Tarzan to the distant tree it latched onto!

"Hanzo, wait!" Sub-Zero ran after him.

Nightwolf held his head, "Does that vengeful wraith learn from his past mistakes...?" He went after the cryomancer.

"Nightwolf, Sub-Zero!" Aiko yelled, though Lao held her back.

"They'll be alright! We must escort the prisoners before Shinnok arrives!"

Liu Kang nodded, "Right! Lead on, Kitana and Jade!"

The Edenian women did just that as they led the heroes to a hidden stone slab, which to the monks and Aiko reminded them of the entrance to the Dragon Grotto back at the Wu Shi Academy. With a tricky combination, the heroines unlocked the slab and lifted up the hatch. Liu was the first to descend a wide staircase made of limestone and even used his pyrokinesis to light the way before Jade closed off the area.

"Everyone stay alert! Shinnok's generals may still be down here, and these cells could be rigged." Kitana stated.

They obliged, although they soon came at a trifecta. Liu Kang still went with the Edenians, while Kung Lao and Aiko took another path, and Johnny and Sonya took the third one.

"Hang in there, Kai..." Liu Kang whispered.

At the topmost floor, the opaque throne was occupied by the demon sorcerer, Quan Chi, who just lounged while his followers got their hands full of the Edenian Army. He then heard a hiss, and his keen eyes made out a figure with elongated swords protruding. "Enter!" he boomed.

The shadow was only the Tarkatan general Baraka; contrary to other factions, he never bothered to equip the Cobalt armor. He peeked out from a tall pillar as his cover was broken.

"I should enter you, Baraka. Have no fear. Our betrayal is nearly complete. I have dealt with mortals once loyal to Shinnok. This victory shall soon be ours!"

"You bested your newfound power on the throne of Queen Sindel. While I am forced to hide in the shadow," he bore his fangs crafted of toenails.

"Who is it you're hiding from? The Elder Gods are dead. Raiden and Fujin would follow suit as nigh as the domino effect. And thanks to you, SHINNOK will soon be dead!"

"EVERYONE will soon be dead!" The Tarkatan repeated in affirmation.

"Yes. Everyone in this forsaken realm, shall FALL under our own supremacy!"

As Baraka kept closing the gap, he sneered, "How do we rule the realm with no one in it?!"

Quan casually rose a hand, "This war...was not holding accord to mortals. It was about attaining power! I now possess that power...with this!" He took out the sacred amulet of Shinnok which shined in the dim light.

Baraka had heard rumors of that said artifact, as the all-powerful relic created by the fallen Eder God. His skin began to crawl. "And I am forced to live out my existence in a dead realm with a madman!?"

All he did was sneer with a nod.

"Now, sorcerer! You will pay with your life!" The ravenous general ran toward the throne in which the assailant just remained still like a statue and only shook his head in disbelief! Baraka impaled his chest with both sickles! The dead man just let out a low growl as Baraka gleefully buried his arm blades in more and more.

"I am defiant to give you anymore..." Quan Chi's voice echoed all around the throne room!

"WHAT?" Baraka abruptly turned and faced the sorcerer who stood behind him! He hissed bloody murder as he closed in for the kill!

But Quan Chi's amulet glowed, and he used his free hand to suspend Baraka in midair! He walked up to his hapless victim who couldn't even scream in terror! His hand ascended higher making the carnivore's shell quiver and ignite in a bright, scarlet hue!

Quan Chi wasn't expecting a spear wrapping around his neck like a constricting noose! His trachea was being blocked, disallowing any oxygen while he was pulled backwards! His two hands kept attempting to rip the hold, but it only made it tauter! Quan's tongue stuck out as his body buckled!

"GET OVER HERE!" Scorpion hollered, commandeering his roped spear, strangling him and attempting to rip his head off! He did just that as it popped off, while his rotted corpse collapsed in a heap! Hanzo took off his vile which unveiled a skull with flaming eyes! He almost instantly unleashed his fiery breath onto Quan Chi's hapless corpse along with his severed head!

He stuck out his spear again, only for it to pull away the Amulet from Quan's burning body!

With the crippling barrier permanently disabled, Baraka fell onto his stomach and was stunned on impact! He got up slowly, disoriented, when Sub-Zero and Nightwolf ran up to the doomed Japanese warrior. "Hanzo!"

The artifact glowed in his left hand. "You have the Amulet." Nightwolf observed.

"Yes." He looked at it and noticed the sudden weight and its luster. "This is definitely the genuine artifact. Shinnok must never have his hands on it. With Quan Chi dead..." Everyone was flabbergasted from the lifeless vessel.

All of a sudden, there was a large boom heard in the distance. The trio figured it was only the melee from outside that drew nearer to the Palace, making them uneasy. A flash of light blinded them and when they cleared, they were all speechless on seeing Raiden!

"Lord Raiden!" Nightwolf and Kuai bowed.

"No time for formalities, warriors. Hanzo, you have Shinnok's Amulet, I trust?"

"Yes, I can tell this is the real deal."

"Then we don't have any time to spare! Shinnok shall be heading to Edenia, chasing after us! You must return to Earthrealm and restore it at the Temple of Elements!"

"The Temple of Elements...?" Sub-Zero's mind drifted several years into the past, involving his brother as he described to him of the secret, frigid location.

"Your brother, Bi-Han, was responsible for causing this calamity. He defeated all the Elemental guardians, allowing Quan Chi to attain it. I teleported him to the Netherrealm and he was successful; however, it was later unveiled Quan Chi made a duplicate and gave it to Shinnok, only keeping the REAL amulet in his possession!"

"It's possible he might've used that amulet to manipulate that gem one time..." Nightwolf recalled.

"Stand back!" Raiden stretched out his arms and lightning bolts protruded from his digits creating a rip! "This portal shall lead straight into the Temple. Hurry and give back the amulet! As long as Shinnok is separated, he will be powerless. He doesn't know of the sudden switch. He will remain trapped in the Netherrealm as long as it remains on Earth! All the realms depend on it! GO!"

The two ninjas nodded to each other before they leaped into the dimensional rip. Raiden stuck out an arm before it closed. "Nightwolf! You need to stay and assist the Edenian army. We will need all the power we can possibly get! Only the two ninjas shall redeem themselves if they are successful."

Grey Cloud nodded and ran down the Palace, before Raiden electrocuted Baraka, incapacitating him. "Not this time, Tarkatan." He then looked into the sky as if he sensed something troublesome. "He's here..."

Meanwhile, Kuai and Hanzo landed with slippery feet onto the ice. The Temple of Elements greeted them as it towered over the pair. It stood as massive and opaque as a titan! They entered the gloomy structure with little hesitation, especially since they noticed it was left unguarded thanks to Shinnok killing off the Gods in the heavens.

As they trekked thru it, Hanzo explained more of the Amulet as to why it was so omnipotent; as a messenger of Shinnok and Quan Chi, and veteran from the Netherrealm.

The sacred Amulet of Shinnok was the relic still worshipped as divine within the twisted religion of the Brotherhood of Shadow, because it was the malevolent Elder God's most precious treasure and his greatest creation functioning as the source of his dark powers.

Millennia ago, Shinnok created the amulet as a central focus of his divine power, in a bid to control all of the realms. He was narrowly thwarted by Raiden. For ages, the amulet remained mostly unknown and hidden deep within the Temple of Elements in Earthrealm. It was later retrieved by the original Sub-Zero, Bi-Han, after the Lin Kuei were hired by the demon sorcerer, Quan Chi. Quan Chi had delivered to his master Shinnok an exact duplicate, while he kept the original himself.

Hanzo was thankful he never saw his fallen family revived as zombies, which was something both demons were capable of...

"Why did you decide to assist us, Hanzo?"

"Shinnok and Quan Chi are only capable of death and darkness. If light should smile upon me, it will bring my family's souls and the realms, as well as myself, peace. And your brother may finally rest from years of torment and warping the worlds unknowingly while assisting Quan Chi..."

Kuai definitely liked the sound of that. Underneath the vile, Hanzo didn't know for the first time, he smiled. "Then, let's restore that amulet." They smacked their hands together before they progressed thru the tricky labyrinth!

Liu Kang and Jade remained silent as they continued to trek through, however, Kitana abruptly stopped.

She couldn't get Hanzo's mentioning of Shinnok's Amulet out of her mind. She remembered in a flashback it was Quan Chi that held the Amulet back in Kahn's arena behind the audience appreciating the Champions, Liu and Lao, after the Konquerer's downfall. Ever since Hanzo brought up the amulet, she now realized the demon sorcerer had the real amulet, while Shinnok only used the duplicate; if so, and if the blanch, bald man used it to revive Sindel, she believed there'd be a winning chance, but Quan Chi must be stopped first within the Palace! She thought that he's an idiot despite how intimidating he is, especially when she heard of Aiko's future. Liu questioned as to why Shinnok created it, she said he needed it to be absolute; since he's the Elder God of death and corruption, it symbolized great power, and it remained divine despite it being twisted by the Brotherhood of Shadow.

"Aiko's future...? How do you mean, Kitana?"

"She...traveled from the future, Jade." Liu answered.

"...Aiko is a time traveler? How?"

"We don't know. We can all think it was Raiden that sent her back." Kitana said. "But...I guess it's no different than traveling from other realms."

They all grew silent as they pressed forward.

"Sonya!"

She and Johnny Cage heard a distant tenor, soon came in Nightwolf!

"Where's Sub-Zero?"

"He's been teleported via portal by Raiden, to the Temple of Elements. Hanzo is with him."

"What the hell is that undead bastard doing there?" Johnny couldn't get his fatal fight out of his mind back on Shang Tsung's Island, even after he was teleported into the underworld, then returned by the Thunder God.

"To restore Shinnok's Amulet. Raiden said he'll be here at any moment, chasing after him and Fujin. If they're successful, then he's powerless and victory will be ours."

"What about Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Aiko and Kitana..?"

"I haven't found them yet. But I noticed the cavalry is breaking through. It should be easier now that Quan Chi's bit the dust, by Scorpion by the way."

Johnny was flabbergasted! "Whoa! Hold up! Did I just hear correctly that Scorpion, the undead maniac, killed Quan Chi? I'll be damned!"

"Yes, unfortunately, this path only goes to the throne room. You'll have to go another way."

Johnny just raised his hands and exasperated, "Goddammit!"

Meanwhile...

Kung Lao was rushing thru the halls, eagerly looking for the prisoners of war Shinnok held captive. Aiko followed him, however, he needed to slow to a crawl since she didn't have as much stamina as him; even after the vitamins of iron as well as the beets one of the monks' physicians offered her from time to time. They once suggested Aiko to take a blood test while Nightwolf was tweaking on making her new identity before she became a Chinese citizen upon her unwillingness on never returning to the States. It turned out she was Type A, the most common blood type, however, born as an anemic she was lacking a crucial, literal element, that being iron. And since she wasn't a picky eater, they decided on supplements and beets to keep her healthier and more active!

"Kung Lao, please slow down!" She was panting heavily, her body hunched over.

"You ok?"

"I just...need to catch my breath..!"

They then heard some distant and muffled voices, most of them were in high pitch, but Lao could've sworn they were shouting for help!

He followed the distress calls while Aiko continued to lag behind. Soon enough, he came across a series of small cells, some with bars, a few others with what he believed could be electric forcefields. To test one of them, he threw his hat toward the exit which, as he figured, shocked the rim as it spun before it dropped. "It's boobytrapped! Just as I suspected. No different than those crafty traps at Shang Tsung's Island..." He summoned it back, and before he felt irritated on being disallowed to face the sorcerer, Aiko spoke.

"Can...can you teleport behind the forcefields..?"

He faced the cell again, "I can try." He ordered the inmates to step back, though there wasn't a lot of wiggle room. He performed a successful warp from beneath the stone floor and wound up inside, much to the captors' surprise. "Hold onto me! I will get you all out!"

After a while, he was successful on retrieving each of the prisoners, and he decided to stay discreet instead of activating more traps nor causing any ruckus dicing the bars. The strategic monk eventually escorted everyone out, though he needed to hold a wounded Edenian over his shoulder.

"Our enemies, Quan Chi and Shinnok, may still be watching us." Aiko said, making the escapees worried.

"There must be somewhere they need to escape..." Lao's eyes widened at his epiphany. "I think I know where they can be!" He immediately contacted Sonya on his wrist communicator; the ones Nightwolf invented as a way to contact team members.

"Somya, can you hear me?" He said as her face popped up.

"Yeah, I read you, what's up. Kung Lao?"

"I need you to send a portal back to Earthrealm. I found several prisoners of war, including Sindel, Sheeva, Asgaarth and others."

"Great! Where are you?"

"I took the middle pathway and found each of the survivors. I hope it gives us enough time while the cavalry keeps our enemies at bay."

"Right, the path I took leads into the throne room anyway. Stand by Kung Lao."

Moments later he and Aiko were reunited with her, Johnny and Nightwolf.

"Where's Scorpion and Sub-Zero?" he queried.

"They went to the Temple of Elements to keep away Shinnok's Amulet. Without it, he can be powerless, and we may stand a chance." Nightwolf briefed.

The shaman powered up the small generator, and a rip was conjured! "This portal can only go to the last rip point. In Earthrealm near the Bayan Har Mountains."

"Good. I can escort the prisoners to the Wu Shi Academy, they'll be safe there."

"The Academy..? Are you sure?"

"Of course." Nightwolf added. "The able-bodied monks will protect them, and some can heal their deep wounds. As long as the two demon sorcerers are at large here, it's the best thing to do. Look, I know this'd be a first for us Earthrealmers, but we have no choice."

"This should definitely shake our bones." Johnny chimed in.

"Alright, the portal's open, hurry!"

The Shokan and Edenians went into the portal little by little. Even the wounded warriors like the fallen royal and their bodyguards. Sonya, Nightwolf and Johnny can only stand and watch until the portal closed.

Lao continued to carry the injured Edenian over his shoulder as he asked where he took them. He informed the prisoners as he escorted them to his training grounds, and as long as Shinnok is kept away from Earthrealm, they'll remain safe. As they got closer to the peaceful grounds, Lao shouted a message in Mandarin, alerting any nearby monks they must send in emergency care for some of the refugees. Lao eventually unloaded the weak Edenian only to be carried by two more monks.

One of them said in the native tongue they were intrigued with the inhabitants of four arms! Lao stated they're the Shokan race from the realm of Edenia. Sindel and Sheeva weakly added it's their home, and that other realms were real.

Liu's grandfather met up with the duo. "Kung Lao. You escorted otherworlders to our domain!?"

"I didn't have a choice. Quan Chi and Shinnok are still waging war in Edenia. We hadn't yet won."

"Liu Kang and Kai are still out there." Aiko added.

"They are? Then, you must finish this fight. Lord Raiden warned us about this oncoming threat. We'll be ready."

Lao nodded and the frail monk urged him and Aiko to finish the job.

Conveniently, the portal reopened at the same place where they escaped from. They took the rip back inside the Palace prisons.

So far, the cowboy lookalike didn't notice other prisoners he had missed from the rows of cells. The couple traversed further into the dreary place, until they wound up at a massive, circular area, to which Lao quietly figured this was the torture chamber and prison that kept the felons. His keen eyes examined the area, so far, all the cells remained empty.

The Prison itself was a large octagonal cell and at the center of the back wall was a large metal fan. The ground was made of cement with a large, square, sewer-like ventilation in the middle, surrounded by four metallic paths leading to the North, South, East, and West ends of the cell. It was enclosed by electronic metal doors to either side.

"Kung Lao. Look..!" Aiko pointed to a male who was hunched in a fetal position and laying on his side. Lao rushed to him, and he was the first to notice he was Kai!

His crimson clothes were torn, and it was difficult to tell whether or not he was bleeding. But he was indeed in bad shape as he moaned once Lao got to him.

He immediately knelt close, "Are you alright?"

"Unh...Kung Lao. Where's Liu Kang?"

"He went with Kitana and Jade looking for more prisoners. We've been separated. I'll get you out." He reached for his arms, which made Kai cringe more. He said they'd been broken by one of Shinnok's generals, the one that almost looked like Shao Kahn. Aiko pointed out a figure emerge from the back shadows. Lao tossed his hat toward him in which he easily swatted it with a club!

"Ha ha ha ha ha! I LOVE formidable opponents!"

Sure enough, he looked very similar to the Outworld warlord, wearing similar armor as well as the pointed mask. "Shao Kahn..?" Lao was dumbfounded with the attire, as he looked more like a middleweight, even skinnier than him!

"You wish, feeble mortal! I happen to be Shinnok's most esteemed general! And I had beaten this poor boy here! He didn't put up much of a fight..!" He snickered at his loss.

Lao faced his partner. "Aiko."

She nodded, knowing she was only on healing duties.

Seeing that Reiko had a club of his own, Lao commandeered to take the cardiokinetic's.

The fight was on!

Instead of wearing the usual face paint surrounding his eyes, he was shrouded in a similar-shaped helmet Kahn wore. Unusually enough, the eyes were gleaming. At first, they clashed club by club, till their fancy footwork outmaneuvered each opponent. They seemed to be evenly matched, so Reiko's strategy didn't suffice much. He then withdrew the club and threw out some shurikens to which Kung Lao deflected upon his Whirlwind Kick! It was difficult to see amongst the darkness, so he was stunned by a few ninja stars. His thrown hat managed to leave a mark onto the enemy.

They charged toward each other, though Lao teleported behind and made a direct kick from the air! Reiko threw more shurikens in which his razor-rimmed hat deflected, though Reiko was agile enough to kick it aside. By the time he retained it, the general took out a scythe.

Before he landed a hit, though, Aiko conjured her cardiokinesis disabling his breathing and giving him severe chest pain as green energy was transferred to the wounded Kai.

Reiko threw the scythe towards the vulnerable duo, till Lao jumped and kicked the blow after he teleported! His feet were very achy afterwards as he grimaced, then Aiko drained more of Reiko's energy onto her hero. The lethal warrior threw in more deadly stars in which Lao blocked, though one impaled his upper arm! Grinding his teeth, Lao tried to refocus his vision onto the enemy!

He turned to Kai and responded in Mandarin, to which surprisingly he obliged and told Aiko to move away from Lao.

His shaky hands grabbed her club and held the end with a tight clutch like an anaconda's. He spun as fast as he could muster, and his body conjured a miniature funnel. However, the weapon was rotating blindly with Lao as the singularity! Reiko was foolish enough, trying to counter the violent funnel with his kicks, but he was caught unawares by Lao's strong rotations holding Aiko's club, hitting the general directly! After several blows, Lao's last one hit him directly to his head, making his helmet fly off!

Dazed and disoriented, Reiko was helpless against Lao's headlock! He then repeated the same maneuver as he spun so violently, that it disabled Reiko's vision! Lao then tossed him diagonally up...

Into the large metal fan, which proceeded to chop him into bits and pieces and sent his head flying towards the floor, leaving a stain of blood on it!

Aiko and Kai couldn't bare Reiko's body splattering in multiple directions, even though gravity took advantage making it a shower later! The enemy wailed before his body scattered! Kung Lao made a pose relaxing his body and mind before Aiko unshielded her eyes just a tad as she drew the remaining vital energy into the two Orientals. Green streaks began to course thru their veins, restoring their energy while absorbed.

"Toasty!" A male brunette spoke in a chirpy, falsetto voice!

Remembering the random encounter from a couple years ago, Aiko yelped, "There it is again! What the hell!" Before she managed to see his face, only a blurry spot of bright peach disappeared.

Lao ran over to the stunned duo. "Kai, Aiko, you two ok?"

"Yeah, thanks, Kung Lao."

"Liu was right on finding a skilled warrior like you!" Kai remarked. The monk replied with a bow. Then, he pulled up the two newbie fighters.

"Kai, are you still willing to fight alongside us, against Shinnok and Quan Chi?"

"Of course," he replied with a bow towards him.

As they left the prison, Kai just remained still and watched them walk out, not even making a single movement nor sound. In fact, his face was blank, then made an unusual sneer while a hand dropped with his palm facing the two... Aiko suddenly felt her heart begin to pace faster, as if she was having a very nervous reaction. She hesitated as she heard it thumping in her ears. She let out a whimper which was more audible to Lao, he asked what was wrong.

"I don't know..! I just felt my heart speeding up..! Something, just...doesn't feel right."

The descended hand gradually clenched into a very tight fist.

Aiko began to get lightheaded, and her chest became to have a sharp pang! As if a knife stabbed thru it! She let out a holler and went down, almost as if she couldn't breathe!

Lao kneeled next to her, trying to tender her until he saw Kai raise another hand! "What..? Kai!?" All he did was show deep dimples as his eyes narrowed, and the monk crumbled! He struggled to lift his head, and an omniscient figure stood with bright blue flesh and a crimson wardrobe with matching hat. To Lao's and Aiko's horror... "It is you..!"

As Shinnok reached into their hearts, he drained their vitality while he began to read them. All their thoughts, all their fears, their being. After he let out a deep chuckle. "Kung Lao and Aiko..!" His voice was sinister enough to send chills down their spines, or was it the lack of oxygen...

"It...can't be..! This was all a trap!" Lao winced.

"Thank you, for gifting me the energy and the heart-bending skills I needed! And quite a rare specimen indeed, little Aiko." He twisted his hand causing her heart to feel like a fire poker! All she did was reach out a hand, begging for Lao to rescue her.

"Ergh, let her go, Shinnok..! If you've come to kill us-"

Shinnok stuck up a finger. "Oh no, I'm certain you have your reasons to join me, fellow mortals. I can see your future, your nightmares! You see, the heart houses your deepest desires and it can be as fragile and corruptive even more than the mind. I'd noticed you have visions of joining me on a path for power and revenge! As well as several of your compatriots. All I need is the Champion to make it all worthwhile!"

"We'll NEVER join you, Shinnok!" Aiko cried with as much rage as she could muster!

"I'm afraid you won't have a choice, my dear. Or maybe you will have one once I give you all a little persuasion. Now where is the Champion!?" He made the duo wail more as he searched their hearts for answers. Visions of Liu Kang entered Shinnok's mind training at the Academy. He sneered again, "Ah, yes... The legendary Champion of Earth. I think I know the perfect catch. On luring you all into the Netherrealm!"

The sound of that horrid plane of existence made their skin as pale as ghosts! Shinnok rose an arm to pull Aiko toward him like a magnet, and soon Kung Lao with the other arm! He, however, had more strength than the fragile autistic as he yelped upon each motion! Shinnok then dropped into his own rip of glowing vermillion and dragged his victims down! By the time his legs made contact with the sweltering heat, Lao desperately flailed his arms as he screamed!

Liu heard all the shrieks, and his ears followed them to a nearby chamber. He bashed thru the metal door with a Flying Kick, and he disregarded the pain. He came to the barren, massive prison only to notice a body scattered across the stone floor. Looking at his head, he recognized it was Kai, so Liu didn't confirm to be the cry. Replaying the screeches in his mind, he recalled it was Kung Lao!

Drastic, the Shaolin scanned the entire chamber but to no avail of his lifelong friend. All the Edenian women can do was stand in place with doubt and fright. Just then, a crack of thunder greeted them!

"Ah, Master Raiden! Where's Kung Lao and Aiko!?"

"Shinnok has taken them into the Netherrealm. Into his own damned palace at the heart of that accursed world! There's hardly any time. The fallen Elder God is capable of manipulating people's souls. I believe he would corrupt their hearts in order to bind them to his dark will."

For the first time, Liu was encased with fear and dread. If he's too late on saving them and all realms...

"Now's not the time to fret, Liu Kang. Shinnok is only luring you into the abyss. Fujin and I would chase after the warlord! As long as he doesn't have the Amulet, and if it's restored at the Temple of Elements, then there is a chance of hope. You must stay strong and prove yourself as Champion once more."

Liu took in a deep breath. "Alright, Master. I'll do it."

Raiden conjured his electrokinesis to form another rip. "This shall lead to the Netherrealm. Remember, I've no jurisdiction there, and if you fail even against Shinnok, you and their souls would be bound to him for eternity. You must not let your fears and doubts overtake you. All of existence depends on it." Liu nodded in affirmation. "You've traversed this path before. We will follow you in. Hurry to the Fire Well, and defeat Shinnok in Mortal Kombat. This will be your last chance. Good luck."

Liu Kang leapt into the opened portal, before Fujin appeared via whirlwind and followed Raiden in.

"Wait!" Kitana and Jade ran in. "What about us, Lord Raiden?"

"You two Edenians can only assist us indirectly. You cannot survive within this dead realm nor against Shinnok. However, you can still be of some assistance, seek out Nightwolf, he will prove himself useful."

The Thunder God was the only one left before he stepped into the portal making it close for good...

A/N: Unfortunately, I found out too late the Prison was actually a stage designated in the Netherrealm rather than Edenia, so sorry for the error. Also, I think Goro is fought there, like in his own lair, but I never encountered him personally. So, it was news to me.

Also, yeah, the scene with Baraka and Quan Chi was the former's ending in which he was killed in! It's so unfair to win an arcade ladder, only to have your main maimed! Quan Chi deserved his fate, as I always liked Hanzo decapitating him in MKX. Took him long enough!

The following songs may play here, but it can be subjective to change. Inflexible Determination from Final Fantasy X will play as the Saurians and other reinforcements gear up for battle, even with the Cobalt armor contrary to the wrathful Tarkatans. The melee starts with Sandstorm by Darude, followed by Elder God from MK4. This is Your Story from FFX shall play when Quan Chi freezes Baraka and Scorpion decapitates him. The Paladin from FFIV DS will chime as Hanzo finally retains redemption. Dark Ice Mines - Underground from Starfox Adventures plays as Lao finds the prisoners, Out of Control/Crash plays when he evacuates the prisoners, The Prison from MK4 shall chime in when he and Aiko enter it, Don't Be Afraid from FFVIII - Dissidia rearrangement plays when Lao fights Reiko, and Continue sounds as Lao and Aiko are dragged into the Netherrealm. The first part of the Eternal Palace from Annihilation will play as Raiden escorts Liu into it, and Defeat from Dissidia will sound at the end.

So, of course, the next chapter shall be the finale! I can't wait to be done with this, as MK4 has been a chore for me to attain all the lore and revamping everything! I hadn't gotten a lot of inspiration for it anyway, even when I as a kid. And for the record, it's not just research that makes works better, but also hands-on experience! Lately, MK4/GOLD were just meh to me, so I can't wait to get it all done! Stay tuned, loyal viewers!

Con't VIII - Showdown with Shinnok!

The Fire Well was surrounded by flames and its walls were decorated with the skeletal remains of defeated warriors. The skulls of some fighters even littered the marble floor, and hellfire burnt endlessly and deeply behind the creepy grates. There appeared to be only one entrance from a dark hallway. With the intimidating decor, the Fire Well was no doubt part of the hoary Netherrealm, as hellfire burnt endlessly and deeply, and the fallen Elder God Shinnok awaited his incoming challengers, eagerly to add to his collection of mutilated bodies as fresher additions to his army and worshippers. And with the Champion and the two Gods that shall fall and meet the same fate, when Raiden banished him from the heavens millennia ago...

Aiko was held captive and still comatose, as was Kung Lao...after they were both incapacitated by Shinnok's mimicry of her cardiokinesis by draining their vitality rapidly. They were entrapped in chains and shackles within the metal walls at the tower's epicenter as he was manipulating their hearts, feeding them with dark illusions of their dystopian future, and moreso towards the unfortunate autistic convincing that society has always used people like her as a punching bag! Thus, churning their hearts as well as themselves into his mindless slaves Shinnok had observed of his reign over Earthrealm. He grew quite intrigued that many heroes had fallen and served him and his treacherous sorcerer Quan Chi! If Kung Lao was part of his own Revenant army once, then he shall do so again with his soulmate by his side, reunited within the tempting darkness...

Shinnok kept feeding Aiko that all of Earthrealm was against her mental defects, and that only the hermit kingdom, the Order of Light, was her only salvation even for her flawed weak self. He promised it would soon fall once he'd reign over Edenia after killing the Gods and their skilled Champion. Kung Lao was also fed dark illusions of failing everyone and thus being churned into Revenants thanks to Raiden's negligence and betrayal upon his futile efforts; he must fight and destroy them in order to prevent this inevitable calamity. He also assured that his best friend would join his ranks as well.

At the same time, while Shinnok was manipulating their hearts, he was empowering their wounded organs utilizing his own blood and energy. Momentarily, their vessels took a jolt as they absorbed his essence and his conniving words... Until, finally as they gained enough strength, they gazed upon their new leader, showing their altered illuminous hues, while Shinnok completed applying blood around their eyes symbolizing their loyalty to the Brotherhood of Shadow...

Courtesy from the portal, it didn't take long for Liu Kang, Raiden and Fujin to traverse thru the Netherrealm and decimate any of the damned hindering them! Raiden and Fujin were slightly hindered being at a remote realm, though it was a little too simple for the godly brothers utilizing their strength.

"There!" Raiden pointed the twisted tower of about 150 feet, and it had very sharp and crooked ends, as if they'd been rows of devil horns protruding as steeples from a temple. "That is Shinnok's true domain!"

"Where he once encountered Bi-Han when he stole the Amulet...!" Fujin added.

"Where he's holding Kung Lao and Aiko...! I must go after them!"

"Liu Kang! Wait! We must enter through here discreetly. If Shinnok is still deep while trancing them..." The Thunder God turned toward the summit.

"Now...you know what you must do, my pawns."

Kung Lao and Aiko walked up to their new ruler and made a kowtow.

Shinnok took out his precious Amulet, knowing that victory was within his air-locked grasp...

"Kung Lao! Aiko!" The Shaolin Monk ran into the Well from the opaque hall. He was nearly out of breath, his heart reaching his throat upon his desperation and the horrid climate. He was cut short by force as he witnessed his friends face him with their eerie and nerve-wrecking looks; their eyes glowed as bright as the surrounding flames amongst the dark blood surrounding them!

Shinnok rose a hand, halting the duo.

"What have you done to them...?"

"Given what they always wanted. Their hearts desires were to exact revenge on the rigid, cruel societies that has betrayed them. I just fulfilled their true destinies, and they were willing to extinguish the light within themselves. All I needed was to give them a little beat."

Liu shook his head in disbelief, "No... Let them go. If it's me you want, to dissuade the Champion and rule all realms, I'm here! Take me instead! What do you want with them!?"

"The Elder Gods had enlisted the puny Gods and angels to fight for them. I was casted aside by Earth's guardian, that wretched Lightning God! But, unlike him, I gave these unfortunate souls a higher purpose... Once Edenia and Earthrealm are in my power, I will be infinite!"

Hearing some familiar screaming gibberish, Shinnok was knocked off his feet by an air tackle! He rose with a tad of effort, though he was gleeful to see his arch nemesis face-to-face after what seemed to be an eternity!

"Kung Lao and Aiko do not belong to you, Shinnok!" Raiden roared.

"Or do they...?" The demonic Elder God snickered and waved a hand, "Remove the shadow from the light; the shadow grows." He undulated his palm and thin black smoke emitted. "The legacy of life is death, Raiden. My followers do accept this and live on. You have robbed them of their freedoms as you did with mine! Now, just like everyone in this treacherous world, always suffering the same terrible fate as I...! They fight for me."

As if on cue, as if Shinnok communicated in telepathy in Lao's and Aiko's minds, they ran into the fray. The cardiokinetic activated her empowered abilities onto Liu Kang and Raiden, stunning them! While the Oriental charged with his hat drawn! He made an aerial kick with his hat leaving a nasty gash in Liu's chest! Without a choice, he unleashed his pyrokinesis, but Lao Teleported and sicced him from behind! He threw his fatal hat, wanting to decapitate Liu's head like he did with Reiko!

But it was immediately caught in a strong grip as Lao was blown a few feet away! To their surprise, it was Fujin! "Stop! You two don't have to fight each other! Shinnok has manipulated Lao's and Aiko's hearts! He's been feeding their dark desires exacting his revenge onto the Gods! To take all realms by force! He's been masquerading-!"

He was hit by Shinnok's umbrakinesis while he reached into his heart, disabling both his and Raiden's vitality! Fujin spoke to Liu in Mandarin, and he obliged.

While Shinnok was still distracted absorbing the Gods, Liu performed a direct Bicycle Kick onto his chest! His last kick was more direct and forceful, which caused the golden Amulet! "NO!"

Liu was about to reach for the magnificent relic, that was until Kung Lao Teleported just centimeters away from it! He snatched it up and spin kicked Liu onto his chest. "Master!" His voice was altered with a two-tone and he threw it back to the warlord's clutches! He sneered and commandeered Aiko to attack Liu's heart! With the Gods still weary, Shinnok used his telekinesis to draw him closer!

Meanwhile, at the Edenian Prison...

The team met up with Kitana and Jade, still shellshocked on the disappearance of the quintet. "What happened, where's Liu Kang and the others!?" Sonya cried.

"Raiden said that Kung Lao and Aiko were dragged into the Netherrealm by Shinnok." Jade replied.

"Yes, and Raiden opened a portal there, leading him, the Wind God and Liu to his twisted palace." Kitana added.

Everyone grew just as stupefied as the women. Then, the Special Forces agent broke the tense silence. "Well, I managed to open a portal into Earthrealm escorting the prisoners..." That set the Edenian princess at ease, knowing her family's safe. "Nightwolf. I can help form a portal with the generator leading straight to it!"

All he did was sulk as he made a facepalm. "I'm afraid it's not possible." That made the heroes more irritable.

"Why not!?" Johnny was losing his patience.

"The Netherrealm can only lead to the immense and eternal darkness that can absorb light and even time. It's literally Hell. Technology was never able to reach that far. It's a spiritual plane, only existing for corrupt souls. Unless a deity like a God or Elder God would crack it..."

His mind then flashed back to the lecture he had with Raiden, back when his base was dry and active before Kahn's invasion lost Earthrealm's stability thus destroying it...

"I've seen this happen before to many a mortal. Relying too much on technology and not enough on gut instinct." Raiden faced him as the alarm was going off. "You're a shaman. You got great inner tools." Nightwolf turned to his prized motherboard, in denial that his advanced toys had failed him. Raiden took out his staff, "Why don't you stop focusing on that, and try this!" He laid it on the Matokan's forehead.

He sulked for a short while, until it dawned on him. "It's been starting to get to me. Maybe it's time I should check it out for myself."

"I'll be happy to keep an eye on shop while you're away." Raiden grinned with his eyes sparking.

His mind returned to the present and faced to the Edenian. "Kitana. You have a close bond with Liu Kang. Maybe with your help we can access where he is upon metaphysics."

She obliged and sat across from him. "Here, take this." The shaman handed over the tomahawk empowered by his ancestors which ignited in a neon green light. It was warm on contact. "With this, we shall see Liu's predicament, as we can focus onto him. Of his trials, and tribulations, our memories and our loyalty to him." Kitana reached in without hesitation. Both of her and Nightwolf's hands held onto it like a precious memo. "Now, focus your thoughts onto him." They closed their eyes, and images of him appeared in their minds. They saw the Fire Well as bright and clear as day, Liu was struggling against Shinnok's hold.

Kitana shot open her eyes, "Liu! I know where he is! He's fighting Shinnok, and... we're losing him."

Everyone muttered in strange tones, mostly irritation. Nightwolf rose a hand to silence the warriors, "Everyone! We must focus our energies onto the Champion! We can still help him, indirectly, and give him some of our own strength. As long as we can focus onto Liu Kang and our memories and strong bonds onto him, maybe he'll stand a chance!"

The heroes gathered around the shaman as he conjured more of his spiritual energy, charging the tomahawk like a battery. Remembering what they'd done a couple years ago at the Balcony before he fought Shao Kahn, excepting Jade and Johnny, Nightwolf urged them. "And now, attempt to focus on your duty at the moment. All on the Champion, on his well-being. Think of him as someone...you care deeply for." Knowing that Liu is their only hope, there were several more spectators to join the meditation process, including some outside help that were involved in the melee!

Back in the Fire Well, Shinnok continuously absorbed Liu's heart, until his life energy abruptly changed into a lighter and more tranquil hue... Upon the drainage, the overlord began to have visions as he read the monk's heart, of all the peaceful and positive moments throughout his life. Including his cooperative victory over Shao Kahn thanks to Kung Lao, the brief reunion of his brother Chan after decimating Shang Tsung, to the White Lotus Society welcoming Aiko, to his rare and heartfelt moments with Kitana...

All those memories even flashed before Liu Kang's eyes, aside from his whole life, which made Shinnok cringe and back away in terror! Liu Kang fell on all fours as Shinnok looked at his empty palm! "Wha-what! What's going on! What is happening to his heart!?"

The same radiance restored the monk's strength little by little. Kung Lao and Aiko, however, remained completely unaffected by Nightwolf's spiritual schemes. They closed in on him, but Raiden beat the former monk to the bolt, conjuring a tiny zap in his heart! Lao's body grinded to a halt and quivered, before he lost consciousness. Aiko followed suit with little to no contact.

Shinnok looked around drastically. "What?"

"Brother, what's going on?" Fujin asked, clueless on how Shinnok was being weakened and Liu regaining vitality.

Raiden attempted to recollect his senses and retain the new intel. "It's Nightwolf! He is a shaman. The opposite of darkness and death, is the positivity of life and light."

Fujin gasped in awe, "Of course..."

"Now, Liu Kang! Attack him while he's still vulnerable! I will detoxify Kung Lao and Aiko at the Jinsei Chamber! Hurry!"

He nodded while the guardian warped the two comatose mortals back to their home domain. Shinnok was knocked off his feet after Liu landed a Flying Kick onto him!

He squirmed away and conjured an enchanted staff to appear! This ancient golden scepter known as the Amulet Staff or the Staff of Shinnok, was the only weapon of the fallen Elder God. The demon stated this Amulet Staff was used to amplify the already great power of the Amulet, in which he placed onto its tip. The amplification of the amulet's powers increased to the point of pure and virtually unlimited power, omnipotence even. The Staff of Shinnok was another treasure considered as sacred by the Brotherhood of the Shadow since it was created solely by the evil Elder God himself.

Without any fear nor dread, Liu Kang took the fight!

Meanwhile at the Temple of Elements...

Scorpion was successful on disabling traps, courtesy of his spear, teleportation and his fiery breath. Since he he had no one to fight, his wrath wasn't consuming him as much and never dissuading him from his mission. Kuai Liang was also decent on activating the defense mechanisms, though he wasn't as sensitive as Hanzo. Instead, he pretty much functioned as brute strength and close combat, while Scorpion was the distant sweeper.

At long last, they reached a spacious chasm, consisting of dark grey walls which stretched into the abyss. The crisp air and enormous height made their skin shiver, even the cryomancer's. Sub-Zero remained on his guard while Scorpion continued to follow the skinny pillar connecting to a small platform suspended aloft. There was apparently nowhere else to go...

"The Amulet. You need to relieve it here."

For some odd reason...the wraith hesitated after he drew it from his vest. His partner shouted, "Hanzo! You must restore the Amulet! I know you must be tempted to usurp it, but it's the only way to save our realm and our families!"

Scorpion still gazed upon the majestic item, desiring to use it for himself...

As if reading his mind, Kuai stormed and tackled him to make the Amulet fly out of their grasp! The two ninjas were petrified they'd lost it forever! Yet...

Somehow, it remained intact! As if that small platform was a magnet to it when it guided the relic safely and left it hovering! The Amulet rotated freely on that exact location, being imbued by a neon magenta aura! Till it stopped and darkened.

"The Amulet has been returned." Kuai observed. "Shinnok should be vulnerable now."

Scorpion was just speechless, before they heard a boom of thunder which nearly shook the vast chamber.

Shinnok kept on using his telekinesis to draw the opponent for close combat while he whacked Liu Kang with his Staff and at times drained his heart energy courtesy of Aiko. The monk did put up a promising fight, however, his stamina can only last very long...

He began to have his doubts, "How can I defeat an Elder God...?"

He was still hunched over when Shinnok stomped toward him and grabbed him by the neck! He raised him off his feet while his free hand conjured his staff, even saying a phrase Liu was all too familiar with, "Your soul is mine!"

The Staff illuminated its ornamental carvings as green as the numerous souls! He held the scepter as he began to absorb the heart of the heroic Champion-

Till something happened. The scepter flickered then darkened, and the gravitational pull was useless! Shinnok was alarmed, even when he tried a few more attempts, yet his weapon never illuminated again! He realized what had happened as for the first time, he expressed grief!

"You are powerless, Shinnok!" Raiden roared as he stepped toward the duo! "All this time you had been fooled by an exact duplicate! You may have assimilated Aiko's cardiokinesis, but that was only in your possession! Without the real Amulet that Quan Chi kept on his bosom, your conquest is finally over! You are finished!"

Shinnok still remained paralyzed as Liu Kang wound up with a screech!

"NEVER!"

He stuck out a hand again, only to have it be whacked away by Liu's infernal rage punching the living essence out of him, and making him back away to a certain, massive drop!

Liu let out a large war cry that can even deafen mortal ears! He hurled his arms back, only to be knocked away by Fujin. "Not this time, Champion!"

He nodded to Raiden who performed his own finishing move, conjuring as much energy as he can possibly muster, in which the gigawatts electrocuted Shinnok's body, making it light up like the sacred Jinsei fountain, before the magnitude tossed Shinnok down the well!

As he was hollering while flailing his arms, Fujin descended inside a funnel and forced him down blindingly fast by an elbow! Massive metallic spikes impaled all over Shinnok's body! He went silent instantly, as did the entire well, even while Fujin was still floating above the murderous blades! He barely saw Shinnok's body go limp, his head rolled to the side, his corpse shrunk into a skeleton while still wearing the colorful robes and hat, and the duplicate shattered into pieces.

Raiden and Liu couldn't help but grin at their long-awaited victory! Till their joy was broken by Fujin's funnel. He walked up to his elder brother and smacked their hands together!

"Well done, my brother!"

"Indeed. Victory is at hand, finally."

They could've sworn the eternal flames surrounding the well completely seized upon Shinnok's downfall.

"So, you two are the Champions now!" Liu pointed to the brotherly Gods.

"Yes, we are, Liu Kang. This was our war, and it is thanks to you and your compatriots that helped us succeed. We share the mantle from this day forward."

"Look on the bright side. At least you would no longer be cursed," Fujin pointed out.

"Is that why you stopped me?"

For the first time, the two uneasy Gods let out some chuckles. That was until a series of deep-throated moans interrupted the small jubilee.

"The damned are going to be restless without their satanic warlord restraining them!" The Wind God retorted.

Despite his aching body, Liu limped toward the open rip Raiden created, and the holy deity was the last to exit.

As soon as they saw the portal open at the backwall of the Prison, their comrades cheered!

Liu barely heard the squeals from Kitana who gave him a tight embrace of congratulations and thanking him dearly for saving her realm and her family! Nightwolf greeted him a job well done, even though it was technically the Gods who finished off Shinnok.

"I am sure Kung Lao and Aiko shall return to the light again."

That made Liu's eyes widened as he gasped. "Kung Lao and Aiko! I need to get to the Jinsei chamber!"

Within Raiden's sacred Sky Temple, Kung Lao and Aiko were still motionless as they were recuperating at the heart of the fountain. It still maintained its purity and white essence since it was never tainted by Shinnok; he only invaded the heavens and Edenia, leaving Earthrealm untouched.

Someone walked up to the comatose duo, and he turned Kung Lao's face. The former monk slowly opened his eyes, still as his groggy self and heavy with his weakened body. The bright light from the sun outside in conjunction with the illuminating fountain made his eyes flutter and squint, his vision was blurry making out a distorted body with a long ponytail. Momentarily, he knew it was only his mentor, Fujin!

"Is...is it over...? Have we won against Shinnok?"

He nodded. "We did defeat Shinnok and sealed him into the Netherrealm with the restored Amulet stationed in Earthrealm. It is done."

Kung Lao rose up slowly and when his head cleared for a little while, he looked over noticing his loved one still unconscious. Suddenly, in came Raiden whom his eyes saw and recognized almost instantly.

Lao was disheartened. "Raiden...! Shinnok...! He made us-"

"He made you...only see the darkness within your hearts. That's all." As an experienced and prudent God who fought off the evil overlord twice, he knew how his manipulation and corruption worked.

The conversation recalling Lao's thrall managed to stir Aiko awake as they heard a few groans. Her head tilted and her eyes opened slowly. Her voice was softened but not muffled. The first thing she saw amongst the heavenly glow was the Thunder God. "Raiden...?" He helped her up, though her face still hung, not just by the fatigue. "It was terrible. We were controlled by Shinnok. He used us, feeding us with fears, being vulnerable, powerless...neglected. And churning us into those Revenants I saw...!"

He assured, "It is all in the past now. Shinnok has been defeated, and he shall no longer invade the other realms. His chances on churning you both into the undead and the damned are long gone from this day forward. You have now changed your unfortunate fate."

"At least not for another millennia or so." Fujin muttered.

For the next several hours, Kung Lao and Aiko remained in the Jinsei chamber for detoxification from Shinnok's influence and recovered from it. Liu Kang and soon Johnny Cage met up with the duo. The monk forgave the doomed duo, though Lao wasn't whole. The celebrity said, "Hey, you alright?"

"Physically." Lao can only utter one word.

Later on, all the heroes returned to Earthrealm at long last. The monks were thrilled to see them thrive against the hellish Elder God, knowing that their home and Edenia are finally safe. Breaking from the large crowds, Kung Jin was excited to see his uncle after so long especially when always leaving without dropping a buzz during life-and-death situations. And Kitana reunited with her family who had vowed to restore all of Edenia and unite with the different tribes under a conjoined union. Though the Edenians wanted to stay near the Chinese province a bit longer, and Liu couldn't be more thrilled on showing his soulmate the rounds.

In fact, Jade wanted to make an offer to keep an eye on things while her best friend should take a break and spend some downtime with the former Champion. It was just a way to flourish their distant relationship after a few years hanging in the balance. She could've sworn she saw the would-they-won't-they couple kiss...

Raiden ascended into the tranquil heavens, which seemed 10x more peaceful than all the wars he fought, even with Earthrealm and Edenia put together. A massive full moon shone onto the valley within the rocky mountains and the Thunder God himself met up with a ginormous, translucent face! It looked blood-curdling with its placid complexion even with his white eyes and mouth as he spoke in an otherworldly, vehement voice...

"Raiden... For many ages you have protected Earthrealm from the forces of evil. You have earned your place among us. Victor is essential to become one of the Elder Gods. You must choose your successor to become the new protector of Earthrealm."

Raiden bowed to him. "With the aid of Earth's as well as Edenia's warriors, I had once again managed to defeat the Elder God, Shinnok and his minions. I shall choose Fujin! He will guide the mortals of Earth as they move to the next millennia."

"So be it... It shall be done..."

Explaining this to his children would not be an easy feat, let alone leaving them behind after several million years...

Fujin was at the center of an octagonal area filled with several doorways consisting of the faces of the Elder Gods. He never was once intimidated by the sight of those creepy-looking mouths which constantly changed expressions, even when provoked. Air seemed to escape from them as they breathed, much as open windows.

Beneath was a hard floor with red and white designs in the middle. There was also a dragon logo, representing the Mortal Kombat tournaments, with a glowing red eye on the center wall. To either side were short paths that lead to the bright blue, celestial faces that lit the room. On the far sides was a more easing sight as walls with blue stars sparkled. And opposite the center wall was a large, dark path sloping upward, with cerulean faces on either side of it.

Fujin spoke to one of the translucent faces, "Our forces of Light had defeated Shinnok. Now, I must return to my duties as Earth's Elder God of Wind."

The mouth moved normally as it spoke to him, "You have served your element well, Fujin. But we have a new mission for you."

All a sudden, there was a deafening clap of thunder and a flash of light! To the Wind elemental, it was undoubtedly his brother!

Fujin abruptly turned and bore witness, nearly sweeping off his feet! "Raiden!?

He nodded. "Our battle with Shinnok's forces is over. I must move onto my new position as an Elder God. And you, Brother, you must take my former position as the protector of Earthrealm."

For the first time, the younger sibling was flabbergasted at the sudden role reversal! He never thought, not even in his wildest dreams, his elder brother shall take on such a prestigious responsibility in his stead. He let out a bow as he joyfully said, "Raiden, it would be my honor to succeed you,"

Raiden's face softened, "Take special care of the mortals of Earth. They are a great people. But have the ability to self-destruct. Be patient and offer them your wisdom and guidance. For now, I must say goodbye to them..." He disappeared with that same fashion.

Fujin stood like a soldier, "Farewell, my dear brother. I will not fail you."

A/N: Final Boss from Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks would play as Shinnok opens Lao's and Aiko's hearts with pure evil, The Well from Mortal Kombat 4 would commence when Liu challenges the warlord, during the battle would be Fight with Seymour in Final Fantasy X preferably the fan made N64 remix, Forming the Genkidama from DBZ: The World's Strongest plays as Nightwolf gathers everyone's strength to overpower Shinnok's corruption, Flawless Victory from the MK 1995 film plays at 5:50 as Liu lands some finishing blows on Shinnok, the Continue theme in MK4 would sound as Shinnok meets his demise, the Spy Family Finale from Spy Kids shall sound as the heroes reunite. Maybe The Ends shall sound when Raiden meets up with the Elder God and promotes himself as such.

As you all know, I'm NOT good when it comes to fight scenes... Besides, it wasn't much about the battle, but rather the impacts that Shinnok had caused onto his opponents, even psychologically; he would've had his ultimatum met, but sadly he didn't have the Amulet. It's almost like those scripted final battles, like Mother Brain in Super Metroid. I really wanted a better outcome than the one we had in the NetherRealm games; didn't really liked the idea of sealing Shinnok in his own Amulet either, like catching a wounded Pokémon until it is released, and it goes haywire! No wonder NRS decided to reset everything in MK11 and 12; no different than in Sonic 06!

Also...I had to cut out Reptile's Lair, didn't find much use for it, especially since there was a better version in Shaolin Monks. Oh, that reminds me, I have to get rid of the stragglers...

At least I didn't screw up on the Fire Well's location, and I couldn't wait to show the scary Fatality at the bottom of THE Well you'd always see in the Continue screen! I was so damned glad that Shinnok met his maker there and no one else! And I really wanted Fujin and Raiden to have their taste of victory since...hey, it was their ancient enemy! It's NOT just Sub-Zero's epic as devs wanted you to believe! Shinnok is THEIR arch nemesis, and THEY needed their stories finished! No different than what the first TMNT movie did in having Splinter win over Shredder since all this was HIS end of the bargain! Besides, it was a relief not having Liu as Champion and to have his eternal curse reversed after Lao's. See my last epic if you want to know more.

Well, just like my other stories, the epilogue shall wrap up everything!

Epiilogue

A few days had passed since the end of the Netherrealm War. Kung Lao and Aiko were still in recovery after their psychological battles with Shinnok. Although Liu Kang and others offered them forgiveness and moral support, she was the one who recuperated the fastest. She found herself in a deep conversation involving her dystopian future with Sonya and Johnny, who were unsure what to do with theirs. Especially involving the shaded former celebrity who got his death handed to him during Kahn's invasion...

"What should we do with him?" Aiko asked as she was trekking with the couple over a red bridge covering a tiny brook. The trip stopped and the women faced him.

Johnny just wrinkled his face in contempt. "I'm sure he wouldn't want to go back into the heavens again. Losing everyone he knows..." Sonya replied.

"And losing you." He added.

"Well, why don't you live with us, amongst the Shaolin. I'm sure no one else would believe in resurrection, those in Hollywood anyway, as it's all like...trickery or smokes and mirrors." Aiko suggested. "I mean, Nightwolf left his clan to make a new better life, so did I."

"I would...but, I probably won't fit in. Unless maybe if I would consider Bollywood or something. I mean, if Bruce Lee can adjust...for a short while, so can I."

"Unless you would want to take a ride on the wild side and join the Special Forces...!" Just then, an epiphany struck Aiko as she had another flashback of the advent involving the Revenants. There were several Kombat Kids bound together by their losses by the two hell spawns that defeated them.

Aiko told both Sonya and Johnny they were parents in her devastated timeline, and raised a blond daughter named Cassie; however, they soon divorced since they were both obsessed over their distant positions in the Special Forces. As for Jax, he had a daughter as well named Jacqui, but forgot who the mom was. Although there were rumors on him going thru a downward spiral from alcoholism on account of her death. She also feared the same might happen to Cage if Cassie happens to be born, and her parents being separated...

"I think we can work things out." Johnny grinned. "I've seen too many sci-fi movies to know how time travel dictates. When was...our daughter born anyway?"

"About...twenty-five years ago, in my time."

"And Aiko said she came back in time by sixteen years," Sonya added to avoid confusion.

"Hm... I never knew this could happen for real," the dumbfounded celebrity said. "Then again, what else has Bill and Ted done. We can figure something out!"

The Special Forces agent hesitated, "We? You mean you would give us a try...? I don't know."

"Well, don't you think it's best to know the repercussions ahead of time instead of dreading over them?" the rookie Kombatant queried.

"Yeah..." Johnny laid a reassuring hand on Sonya's shoulder.

"What about Jax?" Aiko chirped.

"Yeah. What ABOUT Jax?" Johnny folded his arms.

"I... used to fall for him once I lost you. He's been a good help as a moral supporter for me, as was Kitana, during your absence. Before Kahn's invasion. I still don't know why Raiden didn't summon you."

"Me neither."

"So... would you join the Special Forces, then?" Aiko queried.

"Yeah, I guess. Better than being abused and agitated by those greedy, corporate bosses of Hollywood! Better than succumbing to being a prisoner in our own devices... Maybe I'll consider Bollywood part-time..."

For the first time since the end of the first tournament, both Sonya and Johnny looked at each other, and smiled.

Just then, a chirp interrupted their tender moment.

"Jax! What a surprise!"

"Is Earth saved from that battle with the fallen God?"

"You mean, Elder God, Shinnok. Yeah."

"You need to come to headquarters. It's urgent."

"On my way. Might as well take your chopper again."

Sonya and Johnny motioned Aiko bye as they climbed into the black hawk, the same one after the agent failed to catch up to Jarek.

Sonya met up with Jax at the tech lab where Cyrax was strapped. Johnny just stood by idly. After some playing around with a few switches, she announced, "Alright, Cyrax. All systems are go." The machines received a lot of upgrades, courtesy of the nerdy members of the Special Forces. Since it wasn't under Nightwolf's ingenuity, she hoped the process would work... "Are you sure you want to go thru with this? At this rate we might not be able to recover your main processing." Contrary to what the shaman did with Smoke...

"We'll lose you for good..." Jax expressed worry, even though it sounded like his groovy self.

Cyrax spoke in a digitalized monotone, "As you experienced with the flashbacks of my fight against Kuai Liang. I realized that my existence is unnecessary. I must undergo my full recovery of my human psyche. We must continue with the process."

"Alright, I'll begin the scanning process." Jax walked over to the large handle at the right of the motherboard. "Sonya? You hit the generation switch on my cue."

She went over to the identical switch to the left of the series of notches. "All set, Jax. Ready on your go."

"Sonya, hit the switch on 3." A neon green, rectangular bar soared over the test subject. "1...2. 3!" Both switches were thrown simultaneously and there was a translucent current descending onto the cyborg. His body still looked as if it was quivering from an electroshock therapy session. After 10 seconds, Jax gave the order.

"Ok. Power down, now!"

"Powering down." Sonya threw down the switch on her end, after Jax flipped his. The energy surge dissipated.

As soon as the scanning was finished, Cyrax's helmet popped up an inch. His hands were able to remove it, revealing a black and astounded complexion.

He responded in his gruff tone as his opal eyes looked at himself, "I... I am human...! I feel like myself once again, and I remember everything." He looked up to the agents with gratitude. "Thank you so much. I am forever in your debt. I will not return to my Lin Kuei actions of assassins. I instead choose to fight on your side, for Earth."

"Well, that's good news." Jax said. The duo marched up to him, with Sonya smiling again and her voice more chirpier than her usual stone-cold self.

"Let's get you out of these harnesses. You'd been trapped long enough!"

In the rebuilt Edenian throne room, Nightwolf was immersed in a pep talk with the royals. Sindel and Asgaarth unveiled on the sudden invasion...

"I was naive, Nightwolf. There was this new realm named Triche, and the refugees offered me an enchanted opal, thus shattering into a portal from Netherrealm and allowing Shinnok and his generals to escape."

"Um, Sindel...!" Jade added in irritation. "You do realize that there are only SIX realms in existence?"

She sulked, "Yes, I know now. Raiden informed me there are only six of them created...ever since the One Being was separated as he warred with the Elder Gods."

"One Being...? As in the Great Spirit?" Nightwolf was dumbfounded.

"If you...want to put it bluntly." The green ninja clarified.

Suddenly, their ears perked up as they heard malicious snarls coming from underneath the floor. "What's going on down there?!" The shaman spoke in alarm.

"The Tarkatan, Baraka! Reunited in the prison!" Sheeva spat out. "They seriously jeopardized the mission, always being reckless and bloodthirsty, rushing into the Palace without any strategy!"

"They are a very difficult race to maintain..." Asgaarth added.

Jade laid out the meat and potatoes on what transpired recently. "Kitana was here, but...she met up with her twisted sister, Mileena. I still can't believe I used to work with that disgusting hybrid!"

Baraka came to from Raiden's electricity, and as soon as he did, he was reprimanded on him and his kind blowing the cavalry's cover by the monarchs! They wished to ban them to Outworld on a permanent basis, yet still function as scavengers in the barren Wastelands. They should be lucky most had survived since they weren't wearing any of the Cobalt armor like Kitana and Sonya suggested, otherwise Quan Chi wouldn't have been neutralized and throw himself into the mix utilizing Shinnok's Amulet!

The Tarkans had been warned if they slip up and decide to attack the Edenians now united in one faction, they'd be slain.

Nightwolf mentioned the Tarkan invasion in the Wu Shi Academy a few years ago, hence enforcing his surveillance over it.

"As for Millena, though..." Jade summarized all the gory details...

After Kitana first stopped inside the Edenian throne room to give some comfort to her family, she decided to take a breather. Lo and behold, her evil clone stepped in to pay a visit! Kitana was appalled she would've slain her during the Netherrealm War, yet still the egotistical half breed hid herself away until it was just the two of them!

"Kitana! I want your status! I want to be the princess of Edenia. It is my right!"

"You have no right! You are NOT my sister." She long accepted that ever since Mileena attempted to gaslight her back on the Bridge, in which their mother was alive and would prefer Mileena over the flawed princess. "You were born of Shang Tsung's sorcery for Shao Kahn. What "right" do you have for the throne of Edenia!? You are evil and have no place in this world!"

Surprisingly, she admitted defeat. "You are right, Kitana. But if I have no right to this realm...then neither will YOU!"

She uppercutted her sister which sent her straight to the seat of the throne! It then toppled a little upon her fallen body. Kitana then pressed a button on its left arm.

"You will die, Sister!" Mileena countered. "And I will take this realm all for myself!" She drew out her twin Sais, closing in for the kill!

"Never!" The Edenian let out a shrill so audible that even the Elder Gods may hear her cry.

As Mileena was hollering while sharply descending about twenty feet below, Kitana looked down and heard a metallic noise and a splatter! As if her body was impaled by spikes! She cringed, "I never expected to be a torture chamber down there...! Quan Chi and Shinnok must've transformed this prison into some death pit!" She remembered the large fan in the ceiling which sliced Reiko to pieces! She wished to clean out that one drop as well as getting rid of a possible stench of rotting flesh. Though it won't be easy with Baraka thrown into the decaying cell from a floor below.

The trio of monarchs consisting of Sheeva, Queen Sindel and Asgaarth arrived. They followed the shrieks into the throne room, thinking it came from the heir.

Kitana stated she finally got rid of her twisted sister again, and she was on her way to make a peace treaty which was abruptly halted by the assault onto the Palace. Though she wished the deadly drop would be reverted to its original cell instead of being a slaughter pit. Sheeva assured the Tarkatans shall clean up the place before being exiled, while Kitana should only worry about finishing the truce between her kind and their bitter, bloody rivals.

"So, where is Kitana now? With Liu Kang?" Nightwolf queried.

Jade answered, "Um, no. She actually went to the distant Shokan city of Kuatan. Just to make up for the peace treaty that was abruptly halted by Shinnok's invasion."

Back at the Wu Shi Academy...

Kitana stated to Liu Kang she shall settle the score between the warring Shokan and Centaurs. And at times, the monk stuck with Kung Lao while he shown Kai around. Turned out that the rookie was still alive and was carried by one of the wounded Edenians escaping to Earthrealm. Kai stated if it weren't for Kung Lao and that young lady, he probably wouldn't have stayed alive. He owed them both his life, and after saving Kai from certain death, Liu couldn't appreciate them more! Especially since Shinnok was about to churn them into undead slaves by leaving the prisoners for dead...

"But...we saw Kai at the Prison...!" Lao was confused.

"So, Shang Tsung's not the only enemy that can disguise himself... I guess you can't underestimate an Elder God," the former Champion summarized. "Especially those more powerful than Master Raiden..." This put Liu at unease.

Lao then saw Kung Jin run up to his beloved, distant uncle! He couldn't be happier to see him, though the reunion still didn't assure the distressed Kombatant...

He took him to the massive portal that just opened up. All the monks remained still as they watched the Edenians, alive and well, march into it.

"Where are they going?" Jin queried.

"They are...returning home."

The kid would certainly miss seeing the exotic humanoids of Edenia. He was so fascinated and enthralled with the refugees and wished if he were to grow up and become a member of the White Lotus Society, he'd explore those other realms and encounter the Edenians once more!

Kung Lao was still in a fog, until the beastly form of a familiar Shokan broke it... His eyes narrowed as he faced his nephew. "Kung Jin..!" He laid his firm hands on his shoulders as he knelt. "There is some unfinished business...that I must attend to."

He actually managed to reach up to a hanging dark emerald cloak in which he covered himself with. He then spotted a fallen, thick tree branch in which he used as a cane. While being hunched over and moving like a crippled elder, he immersed himself with the Edenians and went thru the portal...

Inside a distant settlement at the city of Kuatan...

Kitana, along with a couple Edenians, encountered Goro, and the sun was setting thru a rear window.

"Goro! We are here to offer the Shokan a treaty for truce. The Centaurs had signed and agreed to our terms. We now await YOUR acceptations."

He turned to the approaching Edenians. "War has been waged in this realm for too long. We must bring it to an end." He marched up to the small gathering as he descended the small stairway. "I will set aside my differences with the Centaurs. As long as they abide by the treaty." By the time he reached the bottom, he declared, "I shall sign your agreement."

Kitana, for the first time, actually laid a gentle hand onto his muscular, massive chest. "Goro! This is a great victory, for all of us." She spoke with a large grin, knowing the treaty was successful after all despite the sudden invasion from Shinnok and Quan Chi which nearly ruined everything...

All a sudden, there was a whirring noise as if belonging to a buzzsaw! Goro was hit from behind and nearly toppled over the more frailer princess! The Edenians helped him remain steady preventing on crushing her with his tremendous bulk! By the time Goro's eyes adjusted, he let out one of his monstrous growls and followed the glowing buzzsaw to the upper balcony! It turned out to be a hat that ignited in a bright blue aura, and sure enough, he recognized his assailant!

Kitana saw the intruder too! "Kung Lao! We were in the middle of a peace treaty between the Shokan and the Edenians! This is NOT the time for revenge! Please reconsider!" She held her tongue as Goro was closing in on one of his past assailants, the one he fought and lost against in the Outworld Wastelands. "We are at a moment of peace! How can you attack now!?"

Lao simply stood firm, then leaped off the ledge with a spin to the lower floor. He still wore that look of determination. Never flinching of the Edenians and Goro advancing toward him. "I once thought that an allegiance with the enemy was a lost cause, Kitana."

"Was that your attempt at an assassination, Earthman!?" The Edenians parted as Goro began to stomp toward his old nemesis. All Lao did was stand his ground.

Goro continued to storm closer to the vengeful monk, yet he stood as unfazed as a statue and his face was still stern. He then raised a hand. "Wait, wait! I do not wish to kill you. That was only a ceremonial blow for my ancestor, the Great Kung Lao, whom you'd killed so long ago. This was done in his honor as I'd known you had returned." Lao explained. He was now toe to toe with the towering four-armed beast. Pretty much like David facing Goliath. The Edenians were expecting another bloody feud between them, like during the first and second tournaments...

"And do you wish to continue this battle?" Goro was pretty much expecting the same, being the former exiled Champion after all.

Lao only responded with a sigh. "...No. I wish to put aside our differences, just as you did with the Centaurs and the Edenains. Together we'd won against Shinnok and his underworld forces. You had made peace with the princess and her realm. And..." He took off his hat, for the first time since forever. "I shall do the same."

"Hmm." The prince hesitated as he glared him over. The face of the Great Kung Lao flashed before his eyes! Compared to his descendant, he looked a tad loose in skin, his hair was cut short from the rear, and wore a blanch uniform and no razor-rimmed hat. Looking down at the meek former monk, he eased up, remembering all the deeds and battles the Great Kung Lao fought, even against him... He eventually spoke in his most serene voice, rather than his usual intimidating tone. "Your ancestor was a noble man, Kung Lao. He had great honor and courage, and he was a skilled warrior, just as you are. You remind me so much of him, a spitting image in both looks and in spirit. And if I were to have a son, I wish for him to learn his noble deeds. Your ancestor, shall be proud." Lao actually looked up, astonished on what Goro just said, melting the ice in his heart. Perhaps he wasn't as power hungry as his other enemies, after all. "If he'd won, perhaps it'd be my own son who would seek to settle differences with him."

Kung Lao grinned with Goro, and they shook hands. Kitana could've sworn she saw a golden illumination between the two.

At the Lin Kuei headquarters...

While Sub-Zero was out defending Edenia, Smoke in his grey ninja attire and intact face confessed that he had disobeyed orders protecting the base. As he recalled the brutal scrimmages with Oniro, he then decided to venture to the Appalachian Mountains and sure enough, he had exactly what he had suspected, the sacred Dragon Medallion! From a back pocket, he slowly handed over the turquoise pendant of the ancient engraving. Kuai's eyes went wide as he remembered those fatal past kombats.

He should've known since the former deadly Grandmaster had the abilities to enhance his moves and transform into such murderous creatures; with it, the user can increase his or her own fighting prowess, though it required a lot of discipline and is often given to the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei since ages before the one that served Quan Chi when Bi-Han was around... It was a relic so ancient that it had even been around before the Great Kung Lao's time as well, to which Kuai and Smoke read about. Smoke gladly gave it to the proud leader, in which he put on almost immediately!

He grew more confidently he shall be more heat-resistant, completely contrary to his near-death experience in Shang's smoldering fissure!

"As of now, and as the new official Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, we shall depart. To Articka!"

A day later, Kuai visited the Order of Light and broke the news. Aiko was saddened though the cryomancer promised he'd visit. And maybe he'd be more immune to the intense heat with the Medallion in hand.

Hanzo, who remained beside him, announced, "Our battle is finished. You are now free from my curse." To everyone's shock, he removed his yellow vial for the first time... Beneath the mask, though, revealed a fleshed face, complete with a thin black beard and mustache, and even amber eyes. He then declared, "Live on, Lin Kuei warrior."

The two anointed brothers bowed low to themselves, and Aiko cheered for Kuai to drop them a line!

Smoke and Sub-Zero would leave to the Northern Pole via portal, courtesy of Raiden, for a fresh, though frigid, start!

It was unfortunate that Kitana received word that the Saurians had to fight themselves, but it was for the best since many Zaterrans still support her benevolent cause. It wasn't long that during the uproar of the heroes' victory, Syzoth, the cowardly general ran away from the crowd, only to have himself be mauled by a male Saurian watching all the machinations from behind the scenes! She was astonished the male Saurian emerged from his invincibility only to have himself blend into his surroundings via his clad of rainbow colors! The mole, Chameleon, shown his true colors! A female Raptor named Khameleon explained everything and still wanted to preserve their race with better methods in survival instead of constantly feasting on flesh and wreaking havoc by their malicious blood code.

Kitana then remembered her last pep talk...

They were walking together hand in hand within the monks' watchful eyes. "With Shinnok's destruction, you not only saved the earth, but you've also saved my own realm. And for that I can never repay you."

The pair stopped and faced each other, still holding their hands diligently. "Knowing that you survived was all that I needed."

"Liu Kang...this is hard for me to say. But... Will you be willing to be the heir to my realm? To serve at my side, as King of Edenia?"

Before he let out a peep, Aiko came up to them. "He can't accept that! He still needs to stay on Earth and protect it. The good news he's no longer cursed and doesn't have the title, but he still has the responsibility. Besides, the immortality belongs to the Gods now."

"You mean Elder God." Liu clarified.

"Well, yeah, to Fujin anyway, but Raiden is still-"

"He accepted his place as an Elder God, Aiko. He will now take Fujin's place."

Her face brightened, and her eyes sparkled like the clear Yellow River. "He has more power than ever before! This is so great!" Aiko laughed then looked up at her friends' gruesome faces. Her smile just fell.

Kung Lao caught up to the trio. "Aiko... What that means is... Raiden has taken Fujin's place as an Elder God. He...will not watch over Earthrealm anymore."

The cardiokinetic was at a loss for words... "He-wouldn't,,,,eh, what...?"

With a distant thunderclap, Kitana knew that he was here...

Near the crater Fujin made, the heroes consisting of Aiko, Liu, Kitana, Nightwolf, Kiba, Lao, Kai, Kung Jin, and several other monks including Liu's grandfather gathered for Raiden's departing ceremony.

The sun began to set atop of the Bayan Har Mountain range, soon after Sonya and Johnny immersed with Jax and the Special Forces. Raiden gave them the scoop of his farewell via their wrist communicators, and even they grew as emotional as the rest of the team...

"So...it is true then... You became an Elder God and... you're leaving us?" Aiko could hardly keep her tears back. And neither would the kid, Jin.

"So it is, Aiko," His usual authorative voice remained unchanged, even making the monks mutter amongst themselves.

"Master...!" Liu Kang stepped forward. "Earthrealm, and we...we would never be the same without you. You have been like a father to all of us, even to me, my people, to Kung Lao." He couldn't help but feel his throat constrict.

The cowboy lookalike simply sulked, having his hat hide his saddened complexion.

"I guess you do deserve a well-earned break. We will all miss you." Kitana added. "Liu Kang was right."

"Indeed, he was, Kitana. Please take care of him, and Edenia." He faced the mourning group. "I must leave now. My kid brother, Fujin, shall take my place as the guardian of Earth. I love you all, my fine warriors. Do not grieve for me and remember me when you make the usual offerings at the sacred Dragon Grotto. I shall return to you all, someday. I must depart..."

"BUT!" Just then, Kung Jin broke the crowd and rushed in front. Raiden gazed down onto the junior warrior. His body was quaking, failing on keeping his tears at bay. His mom took account to his feelings on missing him, "Oh, I bet you want one last word from Raiden, don't you, Kung Jin." He began to wipe tears from his eyes...

Raiden faced the little tyke, "Oh, of course." He knelt to him as Jin gave him the strongest embrace possible. "There's nothing to be scared of." Jin's tears began flowing like a river. "It's alright..." He embraced him back... "Kung Jin, do you promise to be a strong warrior like your uncle..?"

All he did was nod. Raiden soon let him be before Liu Kang yelped, "Master...! Does that mean...I will never see you again..?"

He simply shook his head. "No, Liu Kang. I'll still always be here, if you should ever need me again..." He spoke one last farewell as he ascended. While he grew higher, his translucent body started to fade away... All the monks followed Jin's grief as they bawled out their eyes. Aiko ran to the front of the pack as she waved frantically while she cried Sayanora to the Thunder God that gave tutelage to the best fighters... She was so emotional that her legs buckled as she did a kowtow, when in reality, it was only a method to hide her blotched face as her body quivered thru her cries...

She was lucky she wouldn't have to dread over her astraphobia anymore, ever since Raiden eased her when she first joined the White Lotus Society. But, having to lose Raiden and be replaced by Fujin so suddenly, she wasn't sure if Earthrealm would be prepared for any future threats. She wondered if Raiden's leave was based on what happened to his corrupt form in her dystopian future, to which Lao and Nightwolf assured it wasn't.

Moments later, Liu followed Aiko's kowtow, and the group grieved for Raiden's departure for the next couple hours when the moon soon rose... Kiba kept howling up to it throughout the night before he cried himself to sleep...

Kuai Liang at Articka, and soon Queen Sindel, looking out the tall windows from her throne, turned up toward that same full moon, as if the Thunder God himself was still looking down from the peaceful heavens...

She walked to the ornamental outlook and whispered over the steep cliffs and deep valleys.

"God speed, Thunder God. God speed."

A/N: Imagine from the Beatles playing from the Seiko Clock of all things shall play as Aiko had a pep talk with Sonya and Johnny; wishing the time paradox involving Cassie and Jacqui shall happen, but not within devastated realms ruled by Shinnok, Quan Chi, Kotal Kahn and the Revenants. Sub-Zero and Smoke - Slow Version by Paul Unfaces would sound at the Lin Kuei base, only the somber parts anyway... I was hoping to find the emotional piece that played in the Pokémon anime when Ash and Pikachu were saying goodbye to Butterfree; if only YouTube didn't take it down... The first part of the Epilogue from Metroid Fusion shall play next. And finally, Engel, the hit at the very end of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation by Sehnsucht, shall sound at the very end.

Of course, this was a collab of most of the good endings of MK4/GOLD, with some alterations to fit in with the story itself, such as Liu's, Kitana's, Reptile's has been omitted since he was slain by Chameleon who made an astonishing appearance, Kung Lao's which is my all-time favorite, and Cyrax's. Johnny's has also been removed as it wasn't all that great...

I'm so glad to finally be done with this cluster mug, and I can't thank the people enough and material that inspired me to make it all possible. Whether it'd be Ferocious Wraith and his awesome LP of Shaolin Monks so too with his support during my nasty fallouts with RetroKaiju, Z and their insensitive followers; to 80sFanSinceDayOne for being such a good friend too even aspiring me with her artworks of Aiko; to the usual inspirations of True Underdawg Gaming, MKKrypt, The4thSnake, 616Entertainment, MK Temple, MK Addict on Twitter, and the most recent, tabmok99!

I should be taking a long hiatus before I should get to work on Deadly Alliance, aka Vengeance, which is the working title for the fifth installment. See you all next time. :)