The Tears of a Queen

Atop Shao Kahn's Tower, Sindel stared out at the landscape of her once great realm. It was a beautiful night, albeit windy thanks to the altitude. Clouds rolled in, but Sindel was not afraid of rain tonight. She had more important matters to tend to, and after tonight, her health would no longer be a concern. She took one quick look at the twin moons in the sky, both full and blue, and before they could be obscured by the clouds, she heavily sighed and thought about Edenia and all that happened over the last few centuries. Edenia was now completely taken over thanks to Shao Kahn's invasion, and she knew that it was only a matter of time before the current tournament would end in Outworld's favour and another realm would be merged. She could no longer bear the burden of being at Shao Kahn's side.

She could never defeat Shao Kahn; despite her great magical powers, Shao was too skilled a sorcerer, too strong a brute, and with the power he wielded and honed for battles and tournaments, she would have no chance at a one-on-one confrontation. She could never escape without him or his men finding her. She could never lead Kitana into a life of hiding and running. The sad part was that deep down, she knew she had nothing to fear concerning Kitana's safety; Shao Kahn loved Sindel too much to do anything to her child, even if she was Jerrod's daughter. All that was at risk was Sindel's sanity, and she was at her breaking point. There was only one way to save herself, and that was to defy Shao Kahn the satisfaction of having her body. She took a step onto the ledge and let herself fall.

It had been so long since Sindel felt such an exhilarating rush. She hardly flew since she became Shao's wife, as the Emperor was jealous that she retained what he lost for millennia. When they had first met in Edenia, long before he became the Emperor of Outworld, Sindel felt a wonderful connection with him thanks to his kindness and respect for life. That was when she was still young, still in control of her destiny. When Shao Kahn said he needed to return to Outworld, she hoped to see him again, but knew deep down that his duty was to Outworld. He would only come back once Outworld was stable, and it was a long time before that happened, and her heart became Jerrod's after she learned that Shao Kahn became a dictator. She moved on; he did not.

She was sad to be leaving her young and precious Princess Kitana behind, who was barely 400, just learning how to walk, but within another few decades, she would eventually show her own powers. Would Kitana fly like her mother or teleport like her father? Maybe both? What a terrible thing it would be for her to miss Kitana grow into a strong woman. Sadly, Kitana would never have a memory of her real father.

Despite the furious rain that fell from the sky, Sindel felt incredible. She had the urge to zoom back into the air and continue spinning and twirling in the rainstorm, but instead, flew faster downward. She did not want to attract unwanted attention, and did not desire to postpone her plans, as the fate of thousands of worlds would be in jeopardy as long as Shao Kahn ruled. She could only use so much of her magic to hide the truth from him, and it would be only a matter of time before her final secret came out.

The only other person who knew was former Edenian general, Hadruno. He was a trusted friend of Jerrod since they were both children, and had agreed to help Sindel in any way he could if it meant removing Shao Kahn's hold on Edenia and separating the realm from Outworld. When King Jerrod refused to relinquish his throne despite the realm losing in Mortal Kombat, Hadruno and several other Edenian soldiers watched as King Jerrod and Shao Kahn fought an intense battle of might and magic. The final bout for the realm was spectacular, but Shao Kahn proved to be too powerful an opponent for King Jerrod. Shao Kahn showed Jerrod mercy by granting him a quick and painless death... General Hadruno and his soldiers had a difficult time accepting the loss, and opted to never stand in Shao Kahn's armies. Shao Kahn let them live, knowing well enough that any uprising they would stir would fail before his own powerful armies.

Sindel fell faster and faster towards the ground. She saw Hadruno waiting for her, not expecting her to simply drop in. Her speed ensured that there would be nothing left of her body once she hit the ground. She was thankful Hadruno would help with her dying wish, and hummed a gentle tune to calm herself, and most importantly, calm her unborn child. She despised that Shao Kahn succeeded in creating an heir to Outworld's throne, but she hoped that through this child, the realms would be saved if the baby was not raised under Shao Kahn. She sensed that even unborn, the baby had enough power to be comparable to Shao Kahn himself, almost God-like...

She saw Hadruno in secret, often using her magic to mask her appearance, and they concocted a plan to protect the baby from Kahn's tyranny. Sindel hid the pregnancy well from everyone with her magic, hiding her swelling belly, and seldom eating with the Emperor. Shao Kahn was unfamiliar with the gestation period of Edenian women, so she was able to hold out for a very long time. Now that the baby was almost ready to be born, her time had run out and she needed to take extreme measures to ensure her plan's success.

She hummed louder and louder, making sure the baby was comfortable and well-protected in her womb. She was almost at the ground when Hadruno saw her coming, a look of wonder and fear as he questioned what was happening and hoped he was wrong in his assumptions. He had no power to save Sindel; Sindel did not desire saving anyway.

She whispered to her unborn baby that everything would be okay. Her belly glowed a brilliant purple as she told it that she would always love it, no matter what or how it turned out. She hoped to the Gods of Edenia and Outworld that they would guide the baby to Kitana someday and that they would learn the truth of their heritage as Edenians. At least Hadruno would keep those ideals alive in the baby for as long as he lived.

When Sindel crashed, her body was reduced to nothing but a red smear. Hadruno was covered in her blood, his clothing stained and his body stunned with what he saw. All that was left was a glowing purple orb, which disintegrated as the baby within it took its first breath and cried. It rained heavily, so Hadruno quickly ran to it, covered it in his cloak, and successfully got away from the scene before anybody came to investigate the commotion.

Moments later, Shao Kahn burst through the doors of his tower, still adorned in his sleeping attire, and screamed in anger as he felt Sindel's life-force dissipate. Using all his power, he retrieved Sindel's soul before it could be sent to a spirit realm and held it within his body. With the furious storm washing away Sindel's bloody remains, Shao Kahn scraped at the ground to collect as much of her blood and body as he could hold, even going so far as to roll in the puddles of her blood to drench his clothing in as much of what remained of his lover. Shao Kahn looked as if he was struck with incredible psychosis, but every action he took had a purpose.

Sparing no time, he rushed through dozens of the quarters in his tower, breaking down stone walls as if they were cardboard, and eventually stumbled upon a sleeping Shang Tsung, who was roused easily enough. Dripping blood all over the sorcerer's bed, Shao Kahn wanted to save Sindel in any way he could, and demanded that Shang Tsung do anything within his power to make it happen. After some quick and careful thought, and despite still being in a dreamlike haze, Shang Tsung had postulated several wonderful ideas that even Shao Kahn could not argue against. He was desperate and willing to try anything, and they spent the night listing what they could do...

Ten thousand years later...

Nadine Endelsin felt content in her new abode after being in such a dreary location for so many months. She had been held in a woman's prison for torture and unlawful confinement, but was deemed insane based on her statements and outbursts in the courtroom, mostly while on the stand. The courts ruled that she was delusional and had a mental condition that drove her to believe she was a tyrannical queen; her rants consisted of conquering all the land and ruling with an iron fist, and banishing whoever disobeyed her to Hell. She had kidnapped and kept several people in her cellar for months in chains.

Despite not having a bed, her new cell in the asylum was padded with a soft material, making for a very comfortable room. The straightjacket was tighter than she wanted, but at least it was warmer than her orange jumpsuit. The food was better and the guards treated her with more respect, but she loathed having her long, black hair cut down to her shoulders, and the concept of being medicated was disgusting. There was nothing wrong with her, just the world she lived in. The medications repressed her memories of when she was with her husband and how happy they were together. She had not seen him in years, but knew that eventually, he would come back to her. That was what she had learned about love, and she sat patiently on the floor, counting the stitching on her sleeves.

That night, Nadine heard screams of terror erupt from the outside of her room. She got up from the floor and leaned against the door, smirking as she heard the pain and suffering outside. Walls and floors shook as the bloodcurdling screams of various patients and orderlies grew closer to her room. The sound of unfamiliar projectiles echoed through the halls and a scream would suddenly stop. Her heart began to race when she heard the roar of terrible laughter, not because she was scared, but because she knew that voice. It put a large smile on her face and she began to scream, calling to the laughter that she was there and waiting.

There was a loud bang against her door, and she ran to the other end of the room. A second bang rang out, and Nadine called out to it, softly this time, hoping her voice would somehow soothe whatever it was, and recognize that she was not a threat. At the third bang, the door collapsed, revealing a large, muscular, four-armed woman, clad in red, spiked armour. Her red eyes, visible through the visor of her helmet, glowed as she carefully scanned the area. Her eyes landed on Nadine, and she snarled with delight.

Nadine was oddly intrigued by the being, getting up and slowly approaching her with wonder. How often did one see a 7-foot tall hydra-like monster? Perhaps it was because Nadine sensed a level of familiarity observing this woman... The four-armed woman shouted into the hallway, then advanced towards Nadine, and bowed at her feet.

"You remind me of a Hindu Goddess...'' Nadine said with inquisitive delight, ``except you look more menacing, the way a Goddess should.''

``I'm no Goddess,'' replied the warrior woman, ``I am but a humble servant, loyal to Outworld, loyal to the Emperor, and loyal to his beloved queen.''

Nadine smiled. ``Stand, Sh... Sh... Shaken? Shukon? Shakeron?''

``Close enough, my queen,'' chuckled the Shokan. ``You may call me Sheeva.'' As Sheeva stood up, a large figure entered the room. His armour was red and gold, more elaborate, though arguably more suitable for a gladiator than a ruler, with a long, flowing cape, and a helmet shaped like a horned, human skull. Sindel's eyes widened. She knew that armour well, that skull insignia on his chest, his smell, his look, everything about this man made her mind surge with electrically charged memories and passions she longed for. Her husband had finally come for her, her Emperor, Shao Kahn.

Sheeva stepped away from Nadine to give Shao Kahn a clear path to view his wife. His eyes glowed red with intensity, but quickly shifted to a brilliant emerald as he removed his helmet. He stared at Nadine, and a single tear rolled down his cheek before his eyes flashed quickly to sapphire, then returned to red. Sindel smiled at the Emperor; he happily returned it.

"My dear Sindel," he began, "you have been held captive in this realm for years, with the Humans stripping you of your sanity and rank in the most humiliating ways. It is time that Earthrealm learned an important lesson in etiquette...

``You have Sindel's soul, but you are Human, and therefore, missing more than enough of her essence to even comprehend what you truly are and truly experienced in all your years as my queen.'' From his belt, he produced a large hip flask and opened it, with a horrible stink escaping from the container. ``This potion is a combination of the essence from your original body, and an elixir treasured by the Edenians to remove unwanted memories to keep their sanity while living their immortal lives. The memories and teachings you accumulated on Earth interfere with what you know about who you really are, and by drinking this, you will have those memories erased, while your best and brightest moments will shine through. The essence within it will react with your soul, and restore you to your true, Outworlder form.''

Shao Kahn slashed at Nadine's straightjacket with the spikes on his forearm to free his wife, revealing thin, white asylum garb, and he handed her the flask. She looked at Shao Kahn, then at the flask, and studied and sniffed it for a moment, before she returned her gaze to Shao Kahn. She knew his smile and loved it. The scent from the container gave her memories of when they first met, long before he had become Emperor, when he was traveling the realms to clear his mind of war and pain. He told her he would come back for her when Outworld was free from tyranny, and promised to marry her when he saw her again. She closed her eyes and cried, and put the flask to her mouth.

She drank everything until the very last drop, and felt a horrible pain strike at her heart. Her body slowly changed from Human to Edenian, and she already felt stronger and smarter. Memories of her Human family vanished as she proudly recalled her mother was not a dentist, but a light priestess, and her father was a deacon, not a policeman. Her muscles were renewed and strengthened, and her hair grew down to her waist, flowing in beautiful silver and black. Her eyes changed from blue to white, and she lifted herself off the ground using only her voice. Nadine Endelsin was gone; Queen Sindel, wife of Shao Kahn, had returned. She hummed a glorious melody and smiled at Sheeva and Shao Kahn. The Emperor fired a shot of emerald energy at the ceiling, destroying it, and allowing Sindel to soar into the sky. Though he was horribly jealous to see her fly, he knew better than to restrict her freedoms again.

Sindel spun around in the sky, taking in the glorious freedom of flight, and then saw a massive portal between Earth and Outworld. She looked down at the asylum and saw Shao Kahn, surrounded by a green glow and leaving a trail of shadows as he ascended towards her. ``Welcome back, Sindel. To celebrate your return and our reunion, I offer you Earth on a silver platter. Help me conquer this world in our name, as husband and wife."

Sindel smiled and held out her hand. Shao Kahn placed his helmet back onto his head and held her hand with pride. Her magic kept him aloft, and he relaxed and lifted his free hand in the air, channeling a mass of dark energy to achieve his next goal. Several human onlookers stared at the two beings before them, none expecting that this would be the last vision they see. With a brilliant flash of green light, several billion lives were lost, and Shao Kahn voraciously consumed their souls. Sindel was most pleased with this display of violence, and heartily laughed at the sight of all the dead humans. Shao Kahn looked at his beautiful wife and held her closely, careful to not press her too hard against his armour. Sindel relaxed and let the two of them descend to the ground. She was comforted by his strong body, and caressed his muscular chest as she gently kissed his neck.

``Let us retire to my quarters, my dear, and allow ourselves to be reacquainted with one-another. We have been apart for long enough, and I want you all to myself.'' Sindel smiled and squeezed his hand tightly. Together, they walked through the portal as Motaro and the Extermination Squads passed them by to search for any survivors. Sindel was not concerned with what would happen to Earthrealm now, as she had everything she ever desired; her loving husband, her wonderful home, and the secure knowledge that her life was now as it should be.