The Writers Room @420thewritersroom - Tumblr Blog

Jul 22, 2025

Wilted Cherry Blossoms, Dark Thunderstorms, Burning Hopes: It Wasn't Me

Oh shit, another chapter so soon? Yes indeed! I wanted to challenge myself to write something "less" and to me, 4,000 words is less lol. Especially since this is one of the few scenarios that I wanted to get out the way because if it wasn't painfully obvious-well, read for yourself :)

Characters: Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Shang Tsung's Mother

Warnings: Hints & talks of domestic abuse

Previous // Next

The Lost Sea. An interesting name for a long stretch of water that can't really be found on any geographical map on Earth, nor in Outworld. Its namesake holds up. The Lost Sea, a watery landscape that one does not intentionally stumble into. A small pocket realm surrounded by impenetrable mist, damning those unknowingly to an endless venture through a graveyard of ships and other crafts even Shang Tsung has never heard or seen before. Massive spear-like vehicles that sport wing-like protrusions on either side, various formations and designs of ships that he can only assume range from different periods. When trying to research such a peculiar place, there was scarcely any information regarding the Lost Sea. However, there was a common mythos that almost every realm held, which intrigued Shang Tsung. Every realm has specific infamous points of interest, often related to water, where ships and other forms of transportation crossing the sea suddenly disappear.

The Bermuda Triangle, for example, in Earthrealm. Also known as the Devil's Triangle for some, it's a section of the Atlantic Ocean where watercrafts and aircraft often end up disappearing with little to no trace of their occupants, and in some cases, even the ship itself winds up missing as well. Outworld has its own rendition of the Bermuda Triangle, though in Outworld, it is known as Argus's Shadow. It is there where ships and airships are resigned to their doom. Much like the Bermuda Triangle, Argus's Shadow was positioned in a place where heavy trade traffic took place, and occasionally, a ship or two would wind up off track within its treacherous waters. Magical communication is near impossible to maintain once within the Shadow and unnatural weather conditions, primarily heavy storms unlike any other, hit this section of their ocean, leading seamen astray and lost forever; "Outside of Argus's light." The rumors and superstitions of Argus's Shadow were so great that there was a point in Outworld history where they would send prisoners, banished individuals, and other undesirables there to an unknown fate.

Shang Tsung has a theory. That the Lost Sea is where these missing ships ultimately end up. This unknown body of water, where they are resigned, more often than not, to a death warrant. For the Lost Sea is an unpredictable realm. Heavy and erratic storms, no land in sight (aside from his quaint little island), methods of communication are unreliable (he has tried multiple times to reach out to random, unknown parties to test if he could project his image within the Lost Sea; his efforts have been unpredictably fruitless). And with its unknown pull for these water crafts, the waters were even more dangerous to traverse as wrecked ships, airships, and other contraptions litter the sea and the rocky formations that reside here. Should even a standard fisherman stumble into the Lost Sea, if the fickle weather and storms don't cause their boat to upend itself, then the graveyard of ships and unknown debris will definitely wreck their watery sanctuary.

Shang Tsung sits within the misty waters of the Lost Sea, safely within the makeshift canoe that he scrounged together from various spare parts he found within the seas' graveyard. He takes a moment to admire a massive vessel that has impossibly gotten trapped and wrecked between two standing rock formations protruding from the Lost Sea. It must've been a grand ship, enough to hold a couple hundred sailors and passengers and other cargo. It has been a most reliable storage place that Shang Tsung would run to, should there be goods that he could salvage from the ship. His brown eyes wander across the wooden structure of the boat, eventually landing on the figurehead of the vessel. A beautiful woman with static wavy hair, as though her hair was to be blowing in the wind. Only her upper body was sculpted into this bow of the ship, seashells covering his breasts while one fully crafted arm pointed what Shang Tsung would assume to be north if the vessel wasn't angled in such a way that she was instead pointing further up.

He's allowed to admire such crafts, be it if it originated from Outworld, Earthrealm, or any other realm that he couldn't be bothered to silently think of at the moment. Within Shang's little boat, a generous helping of fish and other food items lie next to the sorcerer. He didn't get the fish from here; the Lost Sea scarcely had any reliable fish in the sea. Mainly because…

Shang Tsung feels the water below him become mildly disturbed, his eyes locking onto the murky waters. He examines the body of water around him, his eyes squinting slightly until he sees what he could make out to be a massive tentacle. He has seen this creature before, a colossal squid creature passing by slowly under his ship. His heart races with anticipation, always ready for the day when such a creature decides to intentionally or unintentionally start some mess with him. Since the first time Shang Tsung came to this mysterious pocket realm, he has seen monsters that were considered myths and legends. How they got here, he couldn't say for sure. Shang watches the massive creature swim on by, unbothered by his presence yet again. The sorcerer lets out a long sigh once the squid departed, picking up his oar and making a swift beeline back to his island.

Ah, yes, his island. How own private abode. The only abode within miles of the Lost Sea (if the sea does stretch for miles, that is). A wave of low mists conceals the beaches of his Island Fortress, only exemplifying the craggy rock formations that guard and naturally protect his private island; uninviting and mysterious. Just how he likes it. The humble boat of Shang Tsungs' boards by the surface of his personal beach, the sorcerer hopping off and dragging the contraption further inland before grabbing his groceries. Earthrealm goods are rather plain compared to the extreme flavors and spices of Outworld. Still, he has grown attached to such "exotic" items from Earthrealm. Such as the little dessert cup he got. A plastic pudding container with some kind of pastry called a crepe. It has become his personal favorite, along with some other frozen desserts that Earthrealmers call ice cream (he knows what ice cream is, but Outworlders call such frozen delicacies something different).

Shang takes his time climbing the many stairs that lead to the various abandoned buildings of this island. It had always fascinated him, the unknown history of this island. It was clearly lived in at some point in history. Ancient architecture that appeared more Earthrealm in origin, lamps and candles that had remained eternally lit, even long before he arrived on the island. And the air, it buzzed with untapped magical potential, magics even Dama-well, his Titan self, never taught him. He still hasn't been able to fully tap into it, but he can manipulate the energies emitted from this island to his will to some extent. And the grandest way to fully conquer such potential is making a breakthrough with that well underneath the island.

Shang Tsung enters the uppermost palace that oversees the entire island, sliding open the door and sighing heavily with relief as his legs begin to ache. His long walk wouldn't be over yet, however, as he sought the added sanctuary of the inner depths of his palace, where his studies and research papers reside. He was simply more comfortable within his lab. Something to tinker with, something to read, something to marvel. He has yet to furnish the upper floors of his abode, only really having the base necessities needed to make it look livable, but not by much for such an expansive space.

Shang Tsung opens the secret bookcase that leads to the deeper, darker rooms of his palace; black, rough stone stairs greet him, and rows of lit torches are the only light he has. It spirals down, down, down into not only the palace but the island itself, leading into a labyrinth of hallways, doors, and, to Shang Tsung's surprise when he first landed here, various dormant traps. After taking wild turns throughout the maze-like corridors, Shang Tsung reached his personal favorite lab. It's his favorite because it's near the Well of Souls and is surrounded by the natural (and unnatural) flora of the island, which gives the room a pleasant scent and provides him with organic ingredients for his potions and other concoctions.

At last, the sorcerer slumped into the nearest chair available to him and huffed. He'll have to look into more convenient methods of reaching his lab; the commute to this room is straining at best, torturous at worst if he is injured and needs to reach the medicine cabinet. He doesn't bother with going for the packaged fish, digging instead for the cool desserts he brought with him (thank the gods that he bought that thermal bag and ice packs, otherwise his ice cream would've melted long before he even got here). One refreshing and healthy scoop of the frozen treat was enough for Shang Tsung to hum pleasantly, closing his eyes as he relishes in such cold comfort.

Things have been slow for him, having to remain low as he plots his next venture. His time has been mainly spent discovering the secrets of his new home and the well of untold power. Granted, his pursuit of such knowledge has led him to make a few house visits with his rivals and enemies, such as that blind swordsman and his soul-storing sword. He knows that General Khan remained active in his endeavors to overthrow Mileena and take Outworld's throne for himself. Something he has mulled over himself to determine how to get and stay in the good graces of the disgraced general to reap the spoils himself. But he would need to come to General Shao with "gifts" and "flattery," a tyrant like him would fawn over. Their last attempt to work together by unleashing Onaga failed, no thanks to General Shao's insistence on hurrying the efforts of taming such a grand and powerful beast of a dragon.

But his efforts were not for naught. He hit Liu Kang where it truly hurts, taking away his most precious toys, Kung Lao and Raiden. The former being dead, the latter turning against him. Word on the street (so the Earthrealmers say) is that he disbanded his ragtag team of Earthrealm protectors, the fool. There was no better time to make a move against Liu Kang than now, for however long these still waters may be. And the first order of business is to obtain Sento (electric boogaloo). His obsession with the sword runs deeper than the mystical sword containing souls and thus their power. Shang Tsung discovered long ago, while exploring this island, that powerful sorcerers once resided here. It could explain why the island was teeming with magic. Few surviving scrolls survived the overgrowth and abandonment of the island. The language, however, cryptic. From what he could ascertain when he presented the scripts to trusted linguists, it was of Earthrealm origin, and when seeking out language experts from Earthrealm, while they confirmed that it was of the Earthrealm language, Chinese, it was heavily encoded in such a way that it might as well be a different language altogether. It took Shang Tsung some time to discover that the sorcerers used magic to conceal the true nature of the scrolls and writings. The actual writings, yes, were in a Chinese script, but they were also mixed with Outworld linguistics, and magically enchanted so that they could not be easily read. So, essentially, they created their own coded language.

But the spell he utilized to discover this truth did not reveal the full contents of the scrolls, only allowing him to know that it was magically tampered with and the ability to dispel the magic. He has spent considerable time learning Chinese and deciphering the coded messages. It's been a fascinating learning experience, thus far, but his patience is also relatively thin. If he could discover a spell to decode these words for him, this would save him time. Though his personal musings have led him to personal discoveries. Apparently, these sorcerers were responsible for the creation of Sento, the sword Kenshi keeps on his person at all times, granted to the Taira Clan upon commission. If he could get his hands on Sento, especially since that sword had contained several other souls, including the possible ancestors of Kenshi's family line, who may know more secrets about this island, it would be a worthwhile mission to try again with Kenshi.

Shang Tsung scoots the chair closer to a nearby desk, clustered and dirtied with various projects of his, both abandoned, currently being worked on, and newly beginning; along with a few other trinkets and papers. Shang Tsung sorts through his organized mess, unveiling one of the scrolls and examining the ancient texts, taking care not to spill any of the half-frozen ice cream on such valuable artifacts. It was a long stretch of ambient silence, the only other disturbance in the area being the faint whispers from the Well of Souls a few doors down.

Then the door opened…

Shang Tsung isn't disturbed by this sudden intrusion. There's only one person in the entire universe that have visited his island, Quan Chi. Shang Tsung wouldn't say that he trusts Quan Chi as far as he could throw him. Quan Chi was responsible for the betrayal and deaths of his fellow miners; a schemer, much like himself. Yet, they had more in common than either of them cared to admit. And those similarities, along with their own commitments to maintain a level of power and control over their own lives, brought them together. Closer than either of them may care to admit. Though…It is rare for Quan Chi to make house visits…

"It wouldn't hurt you to call first before barging onto my island. Especially in my more private of quarters." Shang Tsung says, giving an air of mild annoyance while keeping his eyes fixated on his work.

"My apologies, am I intruding on something?"

… … …

Shang slowly turned in his seat. There were no words to describe the feelings that rushed through him as he met his mother eye to eye. She looked pallid, still wearing that grotesque Qipao with makeup to match. She smiles, crooked teeth betraying the noble beauty she wanted to mask over her poverty as she steps closer to the middle of the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Such a quaint island. I'm surprised you haven't decorated the place yet. Let alone leave the throne room vacant." Shang's Mother steps towards a partially filled bookcase, observing the contents sitting on the shelves, "It suits you. Sitting on a seat of power. It's what we deserved after living the life we were forced to endure."

Shang Tsung has yet to say anything to the woman, his eyes trained and unblinking like a cat.

"Whether or not you believe me when I say this, but I always knew you were destined for greatness, Shang. I saw it in your eyes when I first laid mine on you. Granted, you were a little"— Shang Tsung's Mother makes an exaggerated look as she ponders over the word she should use—"Ambition-less, in your youth. Saying things you didn't mean, looking for the easy way out that hurt us more than it helped. I'd say you were much like your father, but at least he was successful in what he did, even if he was a lying piece of-" Shang's mother huffs and stops herself, clearing her throat before continuing.

"And while you have proven me right, time and time again, I've never been more proud to be wrong, for once, about you. You're still a leech, but at least you finally discovered whom you needed to be leeching off of instead of burdening your poor Mother."

The woman only just now decides to meet eye-to-eye with Shang Tsung again, a slightly concealed vex on her face as she begins to notice Shang's silence.

"What? Nothing to say? After all my years having to hear you have something to say, now you sit there looking dumb? You still haven't said hello to me yet."

“…Hello…”

His Mother smiles wider, "Hello." It sounded mockingly sweet.

"I know you have many questions. But I don't have a lot of time to explain them. Only enough to see my only bastard son. However, I am willing to hear one question or remark from you. Make it quick, though. The other one will be here any minute if the others haven't already gotten him yet."

"…I should've dug that hole deeper."

In a flash, Shang Tsung reaches for a small vial and throws it onto the ground where his Mother stood. A puff of green smoke emerges from the small glass, as chemicals react to the long-ago mixtures Shang was experiencing. His Mother shirks back two steps, but not far enough to stop Shang from running up to his Mother with his retractable claws at full display and force. Thanks to her backing up, he could only slash at her chest, making the pale woman howl in pain and anger. Her eyes flaring with contempt as she snatches Shang's incoming arm and twists, making Shang yell in pain in return. He doesn't have time to worry about how much stronger his Mother was than she had any right to be, for he deceptively kneeled so that he could sweep his leg from under his Mother, causing her to fall prone. Her grasp on his arm did not let up, but with her on the ground, it gave Shang Tsung enough leverage to slice her own hand & wrist off her person, releasing the sorcerer while his Mother flailed about.

"YOU COCK-SUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" This was amongst the few other curses and degrading phrases she threw at him while Shang pried the severed limb off his person, throwing it across the room.

Her "tantrum" would not last as she stood back up and began throwing punches of her own. Although Shang Tsung was preoccupied with not giving his Mother the satisfaction of laying her hands on him again, he was taken aback by this sudden skill his Mother possessed now. When she was…Not this, she couldn't hold her own against someone her size and strength. Trust me, Shang would know. He has seen her attempt to defend herself against those who would do her harm, only to get overpowered not even a minute later. She had no martial practice, no dignified stance or form. Yet, she suddenly can hold her own? Granted, it's like the basics of basics. At best, she's a white belt with a month of practice in her resume. At worst, she attended a self-defense class in a side corner of Chinatown. Nothing that Shang Tsung would break a sweat over.

And their difference in power was clearly evident as Shang Tsung clawed and sliced at every available opening that she left for him, putrid red staining that awful dress she wore. Shang almost had the right mind to let her bleed out, but that would be too much of a torment for the air around them to give her any more air for her failing lungs (at least, they should be failing by now). His Mother staggers back upon getting a meaty kick in the chest, enough to break her ribs, and she heaves and sways stupidly. Shang doesn't give her the satisfaction of reprieve as he struts over to her and impales her with his tekko-kagi claws, the blade poking out just a bit from her back and nearly missing her spine. Shang's Mother gasps as her eyes widen; the look on her face gives Shang morbid satisfaction.

"I don't know nor care how you survived the first time. But you surely are stupid to walk back to me expecting me to welcome you with open arms, you incompetent whore. Could've spent the rest of your pathetic leeching off another man who would just freely baby you like the previous one did. But you were never an intelligent or dignified woman." Shang Tsung made sure to enunciate and draw out every word as he slowly twisted the knife. "I've said my piece when I first killed you, but I don't mind saying it again. I hate you. With every breath I took and continue to take, I've always hated you. But, I must also thank you for helping me tap into a hidden strength and skill I didn't know I had until then, and now."

"RRRAAAAAAGGGH!"

Shang's Mother growls like an animal at Shang, grabbing his wrist with her available hand and headbutting him with a disgusting crunch as Shang feels his bones slightly give to such force. She leans in again, but instead of butting heads with him, she opens her mouth to attempt to bite him with the intent to tear flesh. Shang leans back and tries to force his locked wrist from her grasp, but she has a crushing hold on him. She was never this strong…

Shang kicks his Mother's leg in, forcing her to kneel again before kicking again at her face, forcing her off him and sending her back a few inches. Shang wipes at his broken and bloodied nose. he'll have to see if he left any more of those healing potions around. Earlier, Shang didn't really LOOK at his Mother. However, after such a response, especially since she still had so much fight in her after suffering a missing hand and multiple fatal punches and lacerations, Shang now takes a second to look her over.

She was pale, deadly so. And her eyes were a vicious red. They were never red; they're supposed to be brown. Aside from her somehow being alive, nothing betrayed her visage…At least, that's what he would've thought earlier in the fight. With her clothes torn and disheveled, he could see hints of red that tattooed her body. His Mother never wore tattoos…Shang doesn't get another second to examine her as his Mother gets on all fours; any hints of human dignity having left her, she begins acting more animalistic, her disorderly hair and clothes matching her new state.

Shang had no time to keep beating around the bush; he wanted her dead. Letting her suffer was a mercy too good for her. Shang backs up, feigning the look of retreat as he steps back clumsily to the exit of his lab.

"I'll make sure to splatter your brain matter and skull into the ground. I'll take much glee watching the vultures pick at your useless meat as they try to scavenge whatever muscles remain on your scrawny ass!"

Shang's Mother lunges at her son after spewing more poisonous words, reaching Shang in no time. But she would not get the chance to land any hits on Shang Tsung as he lifts his clawed hand and decapitates her swiftly; his blade sliding through her neck like it was soft butter. In that same instance, he quickly steps away, letting the body slam against the wall behind him, while the head rolled away somewhere in the room. Shang takes a moment to breathe, looking at the motionless body. Silence takes over the space as Shang Tsung quickly composes himself and cleans his blades. The hairs on his skin stood at attention when he heard his Mother making obscene noises and remarks. The Sorcerer slowly turns to look at the stray head, his Mother throwing aimless (and albeit increasingly childish) threats at him, the head of his Mother slightly moving to mimic her hot attitude.

Shang cautiously approaches the head, crouching down at a safe distance as he observes the head. “…How…” Shang Tsung was taught many things about magic, but this…This was peculiar. He has never heard of magic that actually did this. Granted, he knows that soul magic (or necromancy really) allows the user to manipulate the soul so that it could be weaponized and even occupy inanimate objects to be controlled. The only time he had ever seen an undead was Ermac, but that was a freak accident that hadn't been replicated by either him or Quan Chi. He thinks back to Havik and his capability to heal from even the most life-threatening of injuries. Yet, he didn't sport the red lines that lined where his Mother's veins would be.

Shang carefully picks up his Mother's head by her long hair, once pinned up as a bun, and quickly cages her away, ignoring her retorts and threats. He looks back at the body that still lies on the ground. It seems like it will remain there, but he didn't want to take risks. After a few stabs (for safe measure), Shang Tsung carried the beheaded body back up to the main quarters of his palace. It was going to be a pain to clean up the floors, and he unfortunately can't just "put it off" because dry blood will be infinitely more harder to clean up than fresh blood. Reaching the main auditorium, Shang places the body down and huffs. He wonders where he left those cleaning supplies he bought from Earthrealm a month earlier, but his attention is broken when he sees…Quan Chi exit one of the rooms of his palace…

Quan Chi stared at the door he came through, and his arms noticeably bobbed up and down as though he was breathing heavily. Shang Tsung isn't surprised to see Quan Chi on his island; this isn't the first time the fellow bleached sorcerer has visited his island. But that doesn't stop Shang from reacting on the bubbling anger within as he stomps towards Quan Chi. Just as Shang Tsung was halfway across the room, Quan Chi finally turns around, feeling a rather heated presence approaching him.

"Ah, Shang Tsung!" He sounded winded, and if Shang Tsung had half the mind to observe Quan Chi further, he looked a mess, as though he were just coming from a physical altercation. "I imagine this is a bad time?"

Shang Tsung responds by attempting to stab Quan Chi in the face with his claws, his deadly weapon getting pinned to the wooden door as Quan Chi falls into a portal that appears under him before reappearing again some feet away from Shang Tsung.

"So it is a bad time?"

"What did you do?" Shang growls, forcing his claws from the door as he prowls closer to Quan Chi.

"You'll have to be more specific, for there is a lot I could've done. Though rest assured, I have done nothing to direct your ire at me."

"I beg to differ," Shang points at the body of his Mother; eyes still trained on Quan Chi. "Did you have anything to do with that?"

Quan Chi has been keeping his eyes and body facing Shang Tsung as the smaller sorcerer circled him, his eyes darting for a second to the body he referred to. In the milliseconds he granted himself to look, Quan Chi stares Shang Tsung in the eyes. "No. I don't know who that is."

"Really now? So the impossible healing factors and inhuman strength, that's not you?"

"I'm not the type to give such gifts out freely, you know that, Shang Tsung."

"Well, apparently you'll give it to just about anyone, including someone's dead relative."

Quan Chi presses his lips together to make a strained line across his face. "I assure you, whatever you encountered earlier, it had nothing to do with me. However, allow me to pose a question to you as well. Have you been encountering…Prior associates from your past that shouldn't be?"

Shang Tsung raises an eyebrow, his threatening stance faltering slightly. Neither says a word to the other as they both stop prowling around each other. Before Shang bothers with an answer, he hears the front entrance to his palace being rattled, as though someone (multiples of someone) is trying to break through.

"Quan Chi! We know you're in there! You can't evade us forever!"

Shang Tsung looks at Quan Chi, annoyed. "You brought friends with you to my island?"

"If it makes you feel better, your island wasn't the first place I attempted to escape to." Quan Chi summons green balls of fire in the palms of his hands, determination filling his eyes. "They knew where to find my other hideouts. I figured they wouldn't find this one."

"The only thing you have going for you is your disarming looks, Quan Chi," Shang Tsung both teases, but also mocks as he goes into a snake-style stance. "I've yet to believe that this isn't your doing."

A hole is made as the sound of an angry crowd continues to break through the doors of Shang Tsung's palace. "Then consider the repairs to your home as a form of good faith," Quan Chi says. "And trust me, those out there would like me dead more than you think."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Surprise, it's not Shang Tsung or Quan Chi :D! For the longest time I wanted to reveal this (even if it was obvious from the beginning, I still wanted it to be front and center that no, the main antagonist is not these two). I'm quite satisfied with myself for making a shorter chapter, and I might make another short chapter focusing on Ashrah and Syzoth (Reptile) to reel in their stakes in the story too. Also, gonna forewarn that there might be a gap in chapters again because I REALLY wanna work on some Warhammer 40k fics that I've been meaning to get to but haven't yet. Rest assure, once again, I'm not abandoning this, just stepping away for a minute :)

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 #shang tsung #MK1 Shang Tsung #Quan Chi #MK1 Quan Chi #Wilted Cherry Blossoms Dark Thunderstorms Burning Hopes

420thewritersroom

Jul 15, 2025

Wilted Cherry Blossoms, Dark Thunderstorms, Burning Hopes: It Was Only Just A Dream

IT'S FINALLY DONE, THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THIS GODDAMN SAGA. Yeah, I haven't forgotten about this, never did! And yes, I do intend on continuing this for those still in the "This fandom is so over :(" phase. No amount of discontinued content will make me not want to write this. This was hella long. So much so that I lost track of how long it truly is (well past 10,000 words I'll tell ya that). As always, I'll post the next chapter on AO3 tomorrow (likely when I get off work today though)

And for those who need to hear it. I hope you're having a good day, night, evening, where ever you are. And don't stop creating art. Be it for MK1 or for any fandom. A fandom doesn't die simply because its creator(s) decide to move on to other projects. We, as the fans keep it alive, but YOU have to be the one to keep it alive. Mortal Kombat is still rich with lore that can be toyed with, and with this new universe, it's ours for the taking! We officially can do whatever the fuck we want with it (I mean, we could before, but still) with this bullshit timeline story they gave us. The sky is the limit. Your silly AUs are canon. NRS cannot stop us :)

Warnings: Canon Typical Violence and Death

Previous // Next

Raiden has been seeing Kung Lao every night since they reunited that fateful day. When he's off work, he can feel Kung Lao's presence—startling, unnerving, and dreadful. Raiden likes to think it's because Kung Lao always emerges from the shadows when he resurfaces. Anyone would feel off-put should someone appear from the shadows. But Raiden can not help but feel something is... off about him. Raiden knows what Kung Lao used to look like. He was never this pale, his veins and scarred body popping out in an unnaturally angry red color, his eyes matching that similar hue. The armor he is always wearing, that hat with the dangerously razor-sharp brim; why would Kung Lao need to wear anything of the sort? Then, his croaked voice, always in a perpetual state of speaking with a horribly hoarse throat. Raiden might as well actually be speaking with a living corpse.

It was Kung Lao in the flesh but not in spirit. He was different, changed, and matured. While Lao tried to hide it from Raiden, he was jaded and pessimistic, unlike the Kung Lao who lived in his memory. There was something very wrong with his friend. Raiden could feel it, see it, and taste it, but he barred himself from bringing it up. There's really no kind and sophisticated way of asking, 'Hey, why or how did you come back from the dead and look this way?'

Raiden feels a soft breeze grace his skin. A small petal, cherry blossom in origin but withered and dead, kisses his neck. Raiden picks at the petal, examining it with his finger before checking his surroundings. It was Kung Lao's calling card, a hint of his presence. Brown eyes scan the dark area, seeking his friend, only to find him leaning against the side of a building leading to a dark alleyway. Red eyes met Raiden's brown, a smirk growing on his face upon being seen.

"Missed me?" Kung Lao approached Raiden.

The thunder wielder smiles, facing Lao, "Must you always greet me from the shadows?"

"Can't help it being dark outside."

"You can help by coming to see me during the day, Lao."

Kung Lao lets out a dry chuckle, hands placed on Raiden's hips as he bumps foreheads with the farm boy. Raiden breathes in the night air, catching a whiff of ash and fire off Kung Lao. But there is an otherness about the smell, exotic in a way that fire should not. Raiden smiles at the loving gesture, their bodies swaying this way and that to an unknown rhythm only they knew. Raiden would be the first to pull away, leaving Kung Lao's cold embrace despite his friend...boyfriend? He still doesn't know what to make of their relationship. But despite Kung Lao's tight insistence to keep each other close, Raiden drifted from him. Kung Lao's hands hang in the air briefly before resting them on his sides.

"I don't feel…Comfortable coming out in the morning. Not yet, anyhow," Kung Lao admits.

Raiden nods, seemingly understandingly. At least in the darkness of night, there are not a lot of onlookers to see the returned Kung Lao. It's still taking Raiden some time to get used to Kung Lao in his returned state. Who knows how this small village will react to seeing the supposed dead return. Raiden slowly walks ahead of Kung Lao, and his friend follows close by. It was an aimless walk, going nowhere and everywhere at the same time. They've made this a pseudo-routine endeavor. Every evening, when Raiden is getting off work, the pair would spend at most two hours catching up. Well, Raiden wants to believe that they're "catching up." While peaceful and nostalgic, he is often left with more questions than answers during their nightly walks.

Raiden has been careful to refrain from bringing up anything involving Kung Lao's death…Disappearance? Raiden still doesn't know what to make of it. It's been a whole week, and out of respect, Raiden has been allowing Lao to come forward himself about his…Predicament. Raiden thinks back to when he returned home that year and a half ago, his parents and sister practically bombarding him with questions he had no answers to due to his memory loss. It was an overwhelming and near frustrating first few months as his family was desperate to understand and find the reason behind his long departure. It took time for the acceptance of his situation to settle in and for the confusion, anger, and grief to wash over. And Raiden wants to extend that mercy to Kung Lao. Those few days ago, he reasoned that perhaps Kung Lao was just as perplexed by his situation. Surely, Kung Lao is aware of his strange appearance and other attributes that have changed. He probably doesn't have a word or say about what happened to him.

But this sympathy for Kung Lao…It teeters this way and that. Raiden cannot claim to know Kung Lao's heart and mind, but Raiden remembers how HE felt when he came back home with amnesia. Disoriented, exasperated, frightened; all of this and then some. Raiden wants to believe that Kung Lao feels the same way, even if he doesn't show it. Lao was always better at improvising than he was, capable of thinking on his feet. But Kung Lao has an…Air about him. He feels too confident, too sure of himself. As though being who he is right now was second nature for him. Raiden remembers trying to inquire about his glowing veins, only to be given a vague answer veiled behind a knowing tone. As a matter of fact, that's almost all of Lao's answers to ANY of his questions. Skirting around the question, providing half answers, or just not answering his questions at all. Each response was more confusing than the last.

"Where have you been, Lao, if you weren't in the ground?"

"Oh, you know, everywhere and nowhere, all at once type of deal."

"Ok, but where was everywhere and nowhere? Were you still in the U.S.?"

“No…And yes, occasionally…”

"Doing what? Why did you-"

Raiden remembers having to hold his tongue before finishing that sentence. He still remembers Kung Lao's expectant stare, his eyes flaring with a threatening 'Finish that sentence, I dare you.'

"Why is your hat stylized like…That?"

"Like what?"

"The brim is made of steel instead of straw. Where did you get it? Was this also given to you while we were in the States?"

"In a sense, yeah. I made it myself."

"YOU made that?"

"Hehe, yeah. One of my finest creations."

"But why? The design looks…Impractical and dangerous, too."

"You should see the kind of damage this baby can do. Once, I cleanly scalped a man and had him peeled like an orange. Still hear his gargled cries."

“…You did…What?”

Raiden still remembers Lao trying to play it off as a joke, that he didn't actually…Kill someone…Raiden wants to believe that. They may have been trained by Madam Bo, but never once has she taught them or even encouraged them to kill. However, Raiden's desire to maintain that bloodless Kung Lao image would quickly be tarnished when Lao demonstrated firsthand what his weapon was capable of. He watched him nearly fall a small yet formidable tree. The swishing sound of the bladed hat flying through the air was quiet enough that if you weren't listening for it, your life could be taken without your knowledge. The idea of Kung Lao needing an actual weapon always made Raiden uneasy.

And if Raiden wasn't trying to inquire about where he's been or why he has the attire he possesses, trying to get anything out of him involving their time away from Fengjian was like pulling teeth. Asking anything about their time in the States, their occupation while out of their home country, these mysterious individuals they were friends with (Raiden still thinks Fuji is pulling his leg about working alongside THE Johnny Cage). And heaven forbid he utters or even slightly hints at their boss, Liu Kang. Raiden could always see the rising anger behind Kung Lao's eyes, always filled with killing intent. A few days before today, Raiden decided to stop asking probing and perhaps too intrusive questions about Kung Lao. He recognized early on that if Lao truly wanted to tell him what had happened to him, he would. Kung Lao could never hide anything from Raiden for long; eventually, he'll cave in.

"Raiden…"

The farm boy glances at Kung Lao, goosebumps crawling up his arms as he faces a concerned Kung Lao. It didn't take long for Raiden to notice that Kung Lao was staring at his shock-white hair. He smiles, taking his friend's hand into his own, "Just a change in style is all, Lao."

"…Is that what he told you?"

"…He? Who…?" Raiden looks at Kung Lao, confused, stopping in his tracks.

Kung Lao looked stiff and stony. His red eyes took Raiden in with an unreadable expression. If Raiden had to pick a word, Kung Lao looked…Dejected…The question still lingered in the air between them; Who was HE? Raiden almost wanted to ask in full, but he bites his tongue. Kung Lao could easily brush his question aside with his typical non-answers. So, Raiden tries this instead.

"Um, Fuji and my folks back home say I decided to change my hair color. Said I thought I would look good in white." Raiden falters a smile in an attempt to recover from his prior question. "It was quite a shock to me too. To think I would ever dye my hair in such a way. But it has grown on me. Makes me look…well, older." Raiden lets out a forced chuckle.

Kung Lao doesn't respond in kind, and his expression is still deadpanned. Raiden feels his hand tighten around his, crushingly so.

"Does it still hurt?" Kung Lao lingers toward Raidens' mid-section.

Raiden paused. A moment passed before he realized what Lao was referring to. He never told Kung Lao about…About the thing stuck to his person. Not that he was trying to hide it from him; it never came up in conversation. And, if anything, Raiden would prefer to not think about the foreign item grafted to his skin. Raiden had his tongue tied, unsure of how to approach the subject or what to say. The only other people he knows who are aware of his situation with the amulet thing that stuck to his person are his immediate family. Unless Kung Lao has been meeting his folks in secret, he can't imagine any other way Lao would know about the amulet.

"Um…"

Before Raiden could mutter anything else, Kung Lao stepped before Raiden, burying his fingers into Raiden's white hair. His expression filled with melancholy as he looked Raiden in the eyes. Or, at least, he tried to. "He never told you?"

There he goes again with that HE thing. Raiden straightens, stepping closer and reaching for Lao's hand, still tangled in his hair. "Who's He?"

“…Liu Kang…Our prior…" Each word is heavy with caution. While keeping a steady stare, Kung Lao was looking for the right words to say, "…Boss."

That's something Raiden remembers, at least, based on what his folks told him. That someone named Liu Kang took them to the States for a job. He'd occasionally let them return to Fengjian to be with their family. Then there was the incident where Lao died, Raiden being harmed and carried back home by his boss, and Liu Kang vanishing without a trace.

"I…Never met him…At least, not recently. I don't remember our boss."

"…So, what? He just dropped you here like a neglected pup?" Kung Lao sounded a bit too sharp there, teeth-baring and eyes glowering.

"I-I don't know, Lao!" Raiden huffs. Enough is enough. All of this. The beating around the bush, the cryptic messages, all of it ends tonight, whether Kung Lao likes it or not. He tried to be patient, but now, he wants answers.

"Lao, what happened to me? To us? Why are my memories gone? Why did everyone presume you were dead? Why do you-" Raiden gestures to Kung Lao, indicating that he's talking about his…Well, everything, "Look like this? I don't remember anything, Lao. Anything! There are so many years, months, weeks, and days that I don't remember. And I was ready to move on and accept all of this, but then you came back. And…”

Raiden feels himself choke up. He's not really the type to shed tears when upset. But that flame from earlier was nearly being washed away by this tide of sadness. His eyes did not water, but there was a tightness in his chest that wasn't there before.

"…I just want to know what happened. What happened to us, Lao?"

Kung Lao was annoyingly silent, but Raiden held his tongue. For how young they still were, they had all night. What he didn't expect, however, was Lao to kiss him. It happened like it was in slow motion; he could've avoided it. Yet, it still caught Raiden off guard. He froze, eyes wide, lips easily breached as Kung Lao slipped into his mouth, teasing his tongue. The tightness practically suffocated Raiden; he needed air but couldn't pull himself away. In fact, he doesn't want to. Eye fluttering, the connection deepens, using his nose to get as much air as he could.

Before he knew it, they were separated. Raiden snapped his eyes open with an audible gasp. Kung Lao bumps his forehead against Raidens', sighing as his eyes remain shut.

"…I wasn't sure how to approach this to you…So much had happened, it's hard for me to know where to start or remember how it all started." Like a rising sun, Kung Lao meets Raidens' eyes at last. "But, perhaps I was wrong to conceal the truth from you. You deserve to know."

Pulling away, rough, cold fingers intertwine with Raidens' as Lao guides them toward Raiden's house. "And, perhaps it's time I met your folks," Kung Lao looks back at Raiden, a smile curling on his face, "Again."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the cool night of Fengjian, a smoke bender silently watches the sleeping village. Tomas kept to the shadows, observing the going-ons of the area. Granted, he knows he shouldn't be here. It was a pseudo-spoken rule that everyone kept their distance from Raiden. With his memories lost, one slip of the tongue could trigger a bad reaction or entice Raiden to return. Even though Liu Kang never said it was about Raiden specifically, they did make a point.

"I have taken up all of your time with new worries, wounds, and ripped you away from the lives you once had before. So… I'm giving you the option…To walk away. From all of this."

Those words haunt Tomas even at the highest of moments. If only it was that simple. At least everyone else had a life they could easily slip back into. Tomas? He had to deal with a sibling rivalry that went beyond getting mad over eating the last cookie. Every day, it was Bi-Han this, Lin Kuei that, revenge & vengeance. Tomas isn't going to sit here and pretend he wasn't there when Bi-Han turned his back on them in exchange for working with Shang Tsung, as insane as that was to them. It did more than hurt him; it stung like deadly scorpion toxin. And he was angry, too; he will not deny that. But…He couldn't bring himself to hate Bi-Han.

Bi-Han was there when he needed him the most, especially after losing his mother and sister. To be his big brother, to comfort him. Smoke remembers a kindness about Bi-Han that now feels like remembering a ghost. He wished he could pinpoint exactly when Bi-Han changed. Was it when he became Grandmaster? No, he allowed his own father to die before becoming Grandmaster. So, why? They'd been working so closely with Liu Kang by then; his father and the God of Fire were close friends. What happened? Perhaps this morbid curiosity is what makes Tomas sympathetic. That freezing anger doesn't just pop out of nowhere. It stems from somewhere.

Tomas breathes slowly, looking at the gibbous moon above. A softer memory emerges. When he was younger, jumping across the roofs of the Lin Kuei quarters, trying to catch up with his far faster brothers. He remembers getting frustrated. His family were hunters, no rooftop shenanigans that he was used to. And it didn't help too that Lin Kuei training was brutal, and he was an adopted outsider no less. While his teachers couldn't bring the full might of their hate on him, thanks to the former Grandmaster's blessing, he could feel their prejudice. He wasn't one of them, and he never would be. He remembers his young legs slipping on a tile piece that got loose, falling and rolling until he snapped onto the side of the building. Granted, the fall wouldn't be a deadly one. A 20-foot drop is manageable. But even for a small, still developing body, it could've still been deadly. He remembers the panic, the fear, the desperation to scramble back up on the roof. And just when all hope was lost, Kuai Liang came for him. Bi-Han, although close behind, simply scolded him. And if Bi-Han was like the rest of his clan, that's all Tomas would've remembered.

But hours later, after being caught by their father and giving a good reprimand of his own, Tomas was met privately by Bi-Han. They spent all night sparring; it was practically 3 in the morning by the time they stopped. Little Tomas, breathing heavily, everything felt painful. But it was not all for naught. He remembers learning more than he ever did training under the Lin Kuei's tutors.

"Why didn't they teach me that?" Smoke remembers his younger self asking Bi-Han.

"Because you're an outsider," Bi-Han said simply. And he could've left it at that. A downcasted look, unusual to Smoke then, shadowed over his face. "They're hoping that you look inadequate enough that it will give them enough credence to cast you out."

Tomas's eyes could not meet Bi-Han. He couldn't even bring himself to be shocked by this revelation. Of course, they conspired against him. Of course, it came from those he naturally felt compelled to rely on. He had no friends here, let alone a family…

Anger, so familiar, yet its meaning far different compared to what the future beheld. "They refuse to teach you because they cannot see beyond your heritage!"

The sudden fury took Tomas off guard, his eyes meeting Bi-Hans'.

"I have seen you in the darkness where you think no one would see you. Clumsy attempts to conceal yourself."

"Well, it's because you actually have tutors that teach you," Tomas complained.

"Show me the disappearing act you often do."

Tomas stares at Bi-Han wide-eyed. Oh…He…Saw…Conflict bubbled within. His mother and his father, before their passing, always told him to keep a lid on…Whatever he had. Frightened with stories of ridicule and harm, Tomas kept his word. But sometimes, he wanted to explore what he was capable of doing. It was harmless, Tomas thought. He can manipulate smoke; what was the harm in smoke? Only recently, in the last month, did he discover he could travel fast distances as if the wind carried him and the smoke concealed him. He remembers the jovial glee "sprinting" from one place to another, rooftop to rooftop. He could've easily outpaced Bi-Han and Kuai Liang earlier if he hadn't felt compelled to hide his power.

"…My mom said that I shouldn't-"

"Your mother is dead, Outsider," Bi-Han said bluntly.

He couldn't decide what stung more, being reminded of his mother's death or being called an outsider, a truth he was too painfully aware of already.

"Why hide behind another's fear?" Bi-Han stepped closer to Tomas, filled with strength and pride. "Who do you have left to be afraid of? Why fear anyone when you wield such power beyond what is normal? Show me. I want to see what you're truly capable of."

Tomas backed away with each step until he was backed into a wall. Tension filled the air, Bi-Han towering over him. Who do you have left to be afraid of? That question rang in his head and heart over and over again. Unless he can prove, truly prove, that he is worthy of being a Lin Kuei, to keep his place in the Grandmaster's mercy, he'll be thrown out into the cold, both literally and metaphorically, to fend for himself. And there's no better person to display what he is capable of than the literal firstborn son of the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. As ambitious as this may have sounded, being in the good grace of the soon-to-be would've been a better alternative than trying to climb to the top with so many odds stacked against him.

Once a deer in headlights, Tomas gathers a sliver of courage and takes the bait and the risk. Smoke enveloped his vision, and a slight breeze whirled around him. He could see his destination, a couple of feet away from Bi-Han. The world was nothing but smoke and clouds. To Tomas, the world slowed as he briskly moved from the tight corner he was pushed into, to standing behind Bi-Han from a safe distance. Close to the door, should he need to escape.

But to Bi-Han, in a smoking flash, Tomas disappeared and reappeared behind him, the young boy taking 10 extra long seconds to realize he was no longer cornering the Outsider. Despite looking sure of himself, anxiousness still bubbled within Tomas. He was ready to bounce should Bi-Han…He honestly didn't know what he would do…

Bi-Han stepped closer, examining Tomas from head to toe. "Why conceal such a unique aspect of yourself?"

If Tomas was being honest…He didn't know either. He never revealed his powers in front of anyone except his immediate family. They were swift, since the moment he could walk and talk, to tell him to never use his powers around anyone. All they told him was what COULD happen IF he were to use his powers around others. And out of fear, Tomas complied. "…Because my mom and dad told me to not show anyone…"

"…Power such as this could've saved your mother, your sister."

Tomas bites his lip, his nails digging into the palms of his hands. He doesn't need to be reminded of the guilt he already felt and still feels. Does he think he didn't already know that? That it doesn't haunt Tomas, to this day, to this very second, all that he could've done? He doesn't know what he could've done. Maybe cause a distraction? Conceal them from danger as they tried to escape? His child brain at that time couldn't have comprehended what he was truly capable of in the future. Yet, the guilt still stung like no other. Tears threatened to reveal themselves, and Tomas remembered hanging his head low so as not to show Bi-Han weakness.

Then, a touch, reassuring, comforting, brotherly, unlike anything Bi-Han had ever shown to him at that time. Bi-Han was no exception to the outsider prejudice everyone pulled on the orphaned child. So, this gesture of kindness, was out of character in Tomas's eyes. He dared to look up, blessed with such beautiful and graceful brown eyes. Eyes that showed steely mercy.

"My mother died too, Tomas."

He remembers being flabbergasted that Bi-Han would ever use his name. Just as quickly as he was surprised, his world would change when he saw something amazing, perhaps the only thing in Tomas's life that still fills him with untold glee. Ice particles crusted over Bi-Han's then tiny hands, and small droplets of condensed water dripped onto the floor.

"I also wished I was strong enough to protect her…She was sick…Father refused to let us see her, said that we deserved to remember who she was before she was claimed by death."

For the first time, Tomas saw a side of Bi-Han he never thought he would ever see. A moment of weakness, of sadness. He grieved just like he did.

Bi-Han forces his fingers to curl into his palm, causing the ice to shatter as he balls his hand into a fist, determination filling his eyes again, befitting a future Grandmaster. "The Lin Kuei is more than just a league of assassins, Outsider. Soon, we will be expected to protect our home and beyond, like my forefathers and ancestors before me! Liu Kang expects an army of a thousand with us."

That was perhaps the first time Tomas ever heard Liu Kang's name, a name he would become familiar with in the far future.

"But what kind of army doesn't use their full arsenal of weapons? Why hide great potential within our ranks all because they do not share the same blood and honor as the rest of us? Because of fear of what they do not understand or think to comprehend? They may not think it, but I see that as weakness as anything else."

He sounded powerful for someone who was 10 years old at that time. Tomas couldn't help but feel inspired to remain at his side, to follow him from hell and back.

"Starting tomorrow, you will show them who you are, Outsider. You will take up space, and you will show them that my father was not incorrect in letting you into our clan. For sabotaging you might as well be as if they are conspiring against my father. And they will rue the day that they treat you lesser than. But that cannot happen if you do not prove your worth and keep."

"…I thought I was alone…" was all Tomas could say in light of Bi-Han's speech.

Bi-Han was seemingly taken aback by such a response. He always did carry a ego to feed a family for generations. Tomas remembered his eyes softening, a soft yet sad smile crossing his face. "I thought I was alone too…But then I gained Kuai…And now, I have you, too."

Out of impulse, Tomas lunged at Bi-Han, wrapping his arms around the older child and burying his face into his chest. He couldn't hold it back anymore, tears seeping through as not sadness but relief, happiness, and joy overwhelmed him. He wasn't alone. Bi-Han and Kuai, apparently, were just like him. While Bi-Han didn't return the hug, he's done enough to cement for the future that their bond, regardless of their differing pasts, was unbreakable, like true blood brothers.

A soft breeze passes, cherry blossoms flying through the air as Tomas stares at the moon above. He can never hate Bi-Han, his brother. Kuai Liang may have given up on their brother, but he will not. Despite his friends telling him that Bi-Han was a lost cause, despite being told that his brothers fate against each other was in their hands, not his, Tomas refuses to be a bystander as his only family crumbled before him. With another heavy exhale, his eyes wandered, looking into the streets of Fengjian. There was a lot he missed about such a humble village. It reminds him of his own town, just less water. And for the longest time, it was a secondary home. Before they moved to Japan, that is. Before Raiden lost his memories…Tomas isn't special for wishing there was more he could do for Raiden before and after the incident. Everyone is torn about it. And perhaps he's just too much of a ninja with a bleeding heart, but he can't stop himself from thinking of the what-ifs. He was always more sympathetic than his brothers, for better or worse.

He occasionally visits Fengjian when he can. As creepy as this may seem, he'll "check-up" on Raiden from time to time from afar. Ensure Raiden's home was left the way he left it, without trouble and serenely. For a moment, Tomas thought he missed Raiden; he typically returns from work down this road and walks back home. Lest he's taken another path? Curious, Smoke leaped from rooftop to rooftop, short billows of mist and smoke taking him through the air. A couple of houses down, Tomas was able to spot Raiden…With another man? This was a first for Smoke. Once again, he doesn't frequent it here as he used to, and it's not like he can kick it with Raiden whenever. A slithering jealousy coils around his heart, but before it can bite into it and fill him with poison, he stomps his heel into its head, deadening the feeling.

He should've just left. He saw Raiden; he saw that he was safe; it was time to go back to the Himalayas. Yet, what gives him pause is this new guy. Despite his prior feelings, it has nothing to do with jealousy.

…That strangely brimmed hat is too familiar with what Kung Lao used to wear…

A distant scream was heard before he could sneak closer to get a better look. Smoke snaps his attention in the seeming direction of the noise, his protective instincts kicking in. He swaps between Raiden and the other destination. As much as he wants to sate his curiosity with Raiden, he reminds himself of the unspoken rule: Leave Raiden alone. In a puff of smoke, Tomas follows the sound of the screaming.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the sandy expanse of this little village, Geras sought diligently, yet with urgency, through the mnemonic streets of Fengjian. He has searched every building, alleyway, and hidden compartment that could be found in this village. Fengjian isn't a massive settlement, surrounded by water and farmlands; there were only so many places someone like Kung Lao or anyone could conceal themselves. Yet, the problem wasn't so much where Kung Lao could be found; it was when. Geras stops amidst a walking crowd of humanoid sand, mimicking the residents of Fengjian in near-perfect detail as the people proceed with their lives as though nothing is happening.

He snaps his fingers again, sand, dust, and powerful winds picking up as the people move about at speeds that would be impossible. As though they were being fast-forwarded upon pressing a remote controller. Another snap and everyone resumes at normal speed. Another day had passed without them noticing, not that these ghostly figures of the past were even aware of Geras's tampering with the Hourglass to peek into the past and present. The construct has been searching for months now, within this Hourglass, for any signs of Kung Lao. Geras is incapable of feeling anxiousness or impatience; emotions are not something that he has easily manifested in full. But he understood the weight and importance of finding the fallen monk. He searched the usual places practically a hundred times: Madam Bo's Teashop, the farmstead he & Raiden once worked at, a couple of small shops and typical areas of interest, Kung Lao's old home. Skipping and fast-forwarding in time to find any damning evidence of Kung Lao's existence.

The final place Geras always looked was Raiden's residence. He steps forward, inviting himself into the humble abode, fleeting through time here and there to find what he was looking for. Upon seeing this memory of Raiden, anyone else would reasonably be poignant. A tightness in the chest, a lingering stare, a moment of longing, a desire to right what was wrong. Geras is no such person.

Even long before Kung Lao bit the dust, Geras was always apathetic and blunt. While one could excuse his behavior as Geras needing to be uncompromising with his job, one that requires the utmost professionalism and due diligence, it was deeper than that. He was a construct out of time. Kronika did not create him to be empathetic or sympathetic. He was to do his job without question, without waver. Death was an inconvenience to him; death was an inevitability to everyone else. Expected, even in the most untimely of matters. So when Geras walked the halls of Raiden's home, his heart did not weep. Granted, he has never set foot in Raiden's home. Geras wasn't the type for making house calls. Yet, seeing this peaceful, simple version of Raiden. Before Liu Kang took him under his wing, long before the horrors aged and pained him, Geras still felt nothing. Not even an inkling of joy that Raiden was living his life peacefully with his family.

His eyes wandered with purpose, only seeking and seeing what he needed to see before leaving the building, the sounds of familial camaraderie growing distant. He sighs. He's now a year in, and no sign of the returned Kung Lao. Mystic blue eyes glimpse at the sky above, swirling particles of sand mimicking stars, planets, and galaxies far beyond what would be typically seen by normal design. Geras missed it. Being able to peer into the Hourglass and behold not just this timeline but numerous timelines that break the rules of what was possible and impossible. For the first time, Geras found himself…Curious. There were times he would have to remind himself that while surveying other timelines was another responsibility they had to undertake, their timeline was just as important, if not more so, than what another alternate reality may do should they push to "interact" with their realm.

He takes a breath, eyes closing momentarily as they steady themselves; several months left to go. Perhaps Kung Lao visited Fengjian later than expected. He opens his eyes, ready to make another jump in time… What's that shadow?

Geras noticed a humanoid figure, their sandy display, unlike the golden bodies that walked before. Black sand, the only distinguishing color being two red dots where the eyes would be. That should be…Geras merges his perspective, his entire being, with the sands around him, crumbling into dust as he teleported from the streets below to the humble heights of the rooftops. Emerging from the sandy platform, blue eyes take in the shadowy form of the strange creature.

… It's him…

A cold feeling runs from his neck down his spine. He's not scared of this returned Kung Lao, and he's not even scared of the possible damage he could've done and might be doing right now. What Gera is more frightened of is what Liu Kang will do with this knowledge.

Liu Kang had to focus his attention elsewhere from Geras and his dealings with the Hourglass. Pensive eyes watch the ever-shifting, ever-changing sands of the zen garden; each carefully crafted swirl, line, and ripple-like effect flows like a steady river that eventually reaches the mystical Hourglass to serve as its fuel for the sands of time. It's been 5 minutes now. It's not a long time, but with the possibility that a revenant Kung Lao could be out there, that's 5 minutes too long. A calm mind was impossible as every scenario ran through Liu's head. His internal struggle was evident, his emotional turmoil palpable. What would Kung Lao do if he reached Fengjian? What has he done already if he returned home? Is it too late to…

He forces the thought from his mind. Patience. He must be patient. Trust that there's still time to reach Kung Lao; trust that Kung Lao hasn't reached Fengjian yet.

"Lord Liu Kang…"

"Geras?" a twinge of hope and desperation betrays the steady tone Liu Kang hoped to emit. "Did you find him? Has he reached Fengjian yet?"

“…Yes…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Many years ago, Liu Kang, our boss," Kung Lao emphasized the title with a healthy dose of venom, "came to us after testing our strength at Madame Bo's. We were young then and didn't know the full extent of what he was asking us to do. A tournament that would decide the fate of our realm and a rival world, Outworld. If we won, then nothing would, supposedly, happen. If we lost, then Earthrealm would be conquered. Liu Kang picked 2 other bozos. Johnny Cage, perhaps the most "desperate" option he had available to him. And Kenshi, a Yakuza with a bleeding heart, too focused on regaining what he lost than utilizing what he already had."

Kung Lao, hand still guiding Raiden gently as he turns to face his mortal lover. He smiled, but his eyes said something else. Inklings of spite seep through his veins as he tightens his grip slightly. "But Liu Kang chose you. He had his favorites, whether he wanted to admit it or not, and when it was the week of the tournament, he chose you. The goody-two-shoes farm boy who could do no wrong." There's a long, uncomfortable silence before Kung Lao proceeds, "We won the tournament, obviously. Otherwise, you would wake up to a very different Fengjian, whatever that may look like. But more was required from us still. From an ambitious sorcerer who doesn't know when to call it quits, a meat head with an axe who killed me, traveling from realm after realm, then the whole situation with the Lin Kuei-"

Raiden tried to keep up with Lao, the whole other realm's explanation, the story about the tournament, the peculiar characters he supposedly met. Despite the deceptively simple explanation, his mind still couldn't grasp the concepts being thrown at him. Earthrealm, their home from the sounds of it, at threat with another seemingly alien world? A tournament to keep this other realm at bay? Sorcerers, conquering generals, ninjas who can conjure the elements? It's all too…Fantastical. No different from the folktales the elders and his father would entertain and teach him and his sister when they were younger. No different from the movies and TV shows he'd enjoy occasionally. But what tickles his ear is Kung Lao admitting that he had…Died…For the longest time, since they've been reunited, Raiden had denied that narrative. What's dead is dead. People don't just come back from the dead. Tales of the undead visiting the living are just that, tales. Stories. Shit to scare children and the highly superstitious. Despite the freezing touches, the strange colors traveling across his body, the unnatural eyes, and the pale skin, Raiden wanted to believe it was something else. He has a trinket fused to his stomach of unknown origins; surely something else could've caused Kung Lao's predicament.

"…How did this amulet get stuck on me?" Raiden dares to ask, of all the questions he could've thrown out there.

This causes Kung Lao to halt, back facing Raiden.

"…Lao?"

"…Liu Kang did this to you…And I foolishly stood by and let him…Because I didn't want to lose you…But we both lost in the end, didn't we?"

Silence.

Silence..

Silence…

There was nothing either of them could say. This wasn't a revelation, per se. Raiden barely knows Liu Kang. His memories ended when he and Kung Lao went to Madam Bo's establishment; Liu Kang wasn't part of the equation. There's no shock, anger, confusion, anything. Just a void as Raiden tried to make sense of what Kung Lao said.

"I…I don't understand-"

"I know…I know… There's a lot of context I've yet to tell you. But believe me," Kung Lao's grip tightens noticeably, red eyes meeting Raiden's brown. Still, there's desperation and sadness that streams across his face. "None of this would've happened if Liu Kang didn't agree with that witch." His voice was broken; he brought Raiden's hand up to his face, cradling his cheeks in his palm, feeling his warmth. "There must've been another way, another solution. If-if we just had more time, maybe…You would've died, Raiden…I…I…"

"Lao…Look at me," Raiden caresses Kung Lao's face in both hands, bringing him closer and forcing his friend…His lover, to face him. A trail of tears ran across his palms, staining his fingers. "I'm here now…And…Whoever Liu Kang is or wherever he is now…He won't hurt me or us anymore."

Kung Lao had his eyes shut, tears still seeping through, but his quivers never faltered. He nods his head, fluttering his eyes open to look at Raiden.

…His eyes are brown now…Exactly how Raiden remembers them. His chest tightens to see Kung Lao…His Kung Lao…Without those scary red hues from before. Broken, frighten, hopeless…What happened to him? Only now that Raiden notices another sudden aspect of Kung Lao, his face, his hands, the red lines that brightened his veins; it has extended further. Like a cracked porcelain doll threatening to shatter at the slightest touch.

"…Lao?"

"…Raiden?" That voice, albeit still hoarse, but it was lost. Kung Lao looks at Raiden, really looks at him, as if he's just realizing now that he's standing right in front of his best friend. "Where-where am I? Why is it cold?"

"Lao," Raiden opens and closes his mouth; what should he say? What should he do? Did Kung Lao…Forget what he was doing right now? A lapse in memory? Does he suffer memory loss, too, and does it manifest like this? "Kung Lao, you're in Fengjian, you're home. What do you remember?" Raiden talks slowly.

"…I remember we were fighting General Shao and Reiko…I remember…I remember choking…My throat…It hurts," Kung Lao reaches for his glowing, scarred throat, scratching at the wound. "I was trying to reach for you…You didn't realize I was dying…You didn't even look…Oh gods…" Realization hits Kung Lao like a truck, his mouth hanging agape and his fingers increasingly digging into his own cold flesh. "Raiden, you're not safe; you have to-!"

"Lao!" Raiden reaches for Kung Lao's shaking hands, keeping his fingers from his damaged throat and holding them tightly. "Please, go slow. Focus on my voice. What do you mean I'm not safe? If…If you did die…How did you come back? Who brought you back?"

"Raiden, please! Everyone in Fengjian, your family, you're all-" Kung Lao pleads with Raiden, ignoring his questions.

A blood-curdling scream is heard from the distance. They both look away from each other, facing different directions where they thought they had heard the scream. It sounded as though it was a couple blocks down, muffled by the structures around them. Was someone hurt? Attacked?

"You heard that too, right?"

"Yes."

Raiden snaps his head back to Kung Lao. He sounded too calm for what they both heard and after what happened a few seconds ago. Kung Lao looked in the distance, face calm and collected, a complete 180 from how he was before…Red eyes…The extended cracks vanished…

"We best hurry. Your folks are probably waiting for us." Kung Lao continues, non-nonchalantly, pulling Raiden by his wrist back to their destination. Raiden's home.

"Wait," Raiden tugged back, his wrist still locked within Kung Lao's fist. "You heard that too, right? It sounds like someone is in trouble."

"I said yes; what else do you want me to say?"

Raiden blinks past Kung Lao's passive tone. "We should check if they're ok."

"If we heard it, surely the whole neighborhood heard them. Someone will get to them, I assure you."

"Ok, but-"

"Raiden," Kung Lao twists his head to face Raiden in a near unnatural angle. "Do you intend to break your back over every crying fawn? Mind yourself, and let's. Go. Home."

Kung Lao's grip tightens, straining his wrist and stopping the blood flow. He'll be feeling that in seconds. A threat, like he has always done since they've been reunited this entire week. Raiden can feel his heart hammering in his chest. He doesn't want to go back home with Kung Lao. Finally, even though others would say that he should've seen the red flags earlier, a twinge of doubt about his returned friend slithers into Raiden's mind. One would even say it's too late to turn back now.

Another scream, just as horrified as the last one. Worry shadows his doubt as Raiden looks in the direction of the noise, struggling to keep up with Kung Lao whilst trying to deny him any further mileage toward his residence.

"Lao. Lao, I think something is wrong." Raiden says, desperately trying to divert Kung Lao's attention.

Another scream, several of them.

"Lao! Lao!" Raiden tries to pull himself out of Kung Lao's constricting grip, trying to escape, trying to resist. "Lao, please, let me go! You're hurting me!"

Kung Lao remains silent. Until they reached his front door. "Well, we're home."

"Kung Lao," A pained hiss seeps through his voice as Raiden tries to slip from his grasp. "What's happening? What's going on?" Lao mentioned that they were in danger; HE was in danger. Was this what Kung Lao was trying to warn him about? And if so, why is he acting so chill about this? From the sounds of it, people are getting hurt. Heaven forbid…Dying…

"All will be revealed, Raiden. We're just gonna see your family one final time, then you get to see my family."

Raiden’s blood freezes over, “…Kung Lao…What did you do…”

“…Raiden…Run…”

"Raiden," Kung Lao finally lets go of Raiden's wrist, dangerous eyes staring at the farm boy and a voice as sweet and innocent as a child, "Aren't you going to go inside? It's late. They probably had dinner without us already."

He was free. He could turn the other way and run. Get as far away from Lao as possible. Call for help. Provide help since the village was in suspicious turmoil…

Raiden steps forward, approaching the entrance to his home. The lights were still on…They probably were still eating dinner. Finishing it if they came too late. He stares at the wooden frame and structure. He doesn't want to open this door. He tried to drown his thoughts in the occasional screams around him, but the searing stare from Kung Lao pushed Raiden to reach for the doorknob and twist.

… It's unlocked…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It felt like the whole world was screaming. Where Smokes venture was leading him to one frightened noise, it seemed like every street, every house, everyone was wailing horrifically, almost inhumanly. Smoke found himself looking this way and that, unsure of where to start his endeavor. The smoke bender runs across the roofs of Fengjian, looking around for any apparent threat but having to conclude that the danger is indoors. Conflict rises within him; who does he save first? He already resolved in his heart that, by himself, he could only possibly save one. But that doesn't make the decision any less harder. Fortunately, his decision is made for him. Frantically running down the streets, a woman breathes heavily as they hoofed it from wherever they were coming from. From afar, all Smoke could distinguish was that she was in a disheveled state, her moment of distress so great she didn't bother to wear shoes upon running from whoever was threatening her. Injuries were a possibility as she was showing signs of exhaustion and had a noticeable limp.

In a puff of smoke, Tomas lands onto the streets, maintaining a healthy distance so as to not scare the woman further. She doesn't notice him immediately until he places himself in her way, her pitch heightening as she tries to get away from him.

"No, no! Don't worry, I'm a friend, I'm here to help!" Tomas raises his hands up and speaks in her tongue.

"Help me! Please, help me!" the civilian limps closer to Tomas, her voice strained from dismay.

"Tell me what's wrong, what's happening?" Tomas reaches out to her, hoping to give her support for her hurt leg and to shield her. Now that he was able to see her properly… It's like an animal attacked her, and she barely managed to escape. Alarming lacerations splayed across her body as though whoever or whatever attacked her swung randomly and was only concerned about tearing flesh. Her leg was perhaps the worst offender of the injuries. He could practically see bone. It's impressive that she hasn't passed out from blood loss yet. Or, at the very least, she was getting there.

"M-monster! There was a demon! Please, help me!" The woman said, out of breath and deliriously.

"Demon?"

Smoke would get an answer to his question as he hears a screech from…Above? Tomas looks up in a snap, his sight not prepared for a winged creature dive-bombing their way to the pair. With quick reflexes, Tomas grabs one of the smoke bombs on his person and slams the item onto the ground. Upon triggering the device, Tomas teleported both he and the injured woman away from the overhead assailant. Despite the woman's whimpers and conflicts between running away and staying with Tomas, Smoke remained unwavering as he examined the creature before them. Even upon being shrouded by that small puff of smoke, it did not conceal that this monster was an overwhelming 7-foot-tall thing. If it wasn't for the red outlines that tattooed its body, Smoke would have never seen their obsidian-like skin, even in the bright moonlight. The only distinguishing feature he would've pointed out was the massive horns that hung proudly on its head. The creature snarls and growls like an animal, seemingly incapable of speech. It twists and turns its body, seeking the prey it once thought was in front of it, still unaware that Smoke and the woman were standing far behind it.

"Step back, quietly," Smoke whispers to the woman. Their best bet was that the occasional screams around them further concealed their own noise.

They didn't even take 2 steps back before the demon snapped its head around to face them, sniffing the air before opening its maws in what Smoke could only comprehend to be it smiling with those rows of jagged and sharp teeth. It is as though it is visually saying, "There you are." The demon rushes at them, switching between getting on all fours, running at them like a rabid dog, and utilizing its two legs like a normal being. As though it cannot wait to reach them and must use any and all means to close the distance between it and the duo.

Again, Smoke drops another smoke bomb, teleporting to the roof with the screaming woman. He sets her aside, looking the civilian in the eye, "Stay low, don't make a noise, I'll be right back!"

Smoke springs into action, capitalizing on the demon being temporarily stunted by the second cloud of smoke. He lands behind the creature, swiftly unsheathing his karambit as he steps closer to the distracted monster with a cat's grace. Without hesitation, he lunges forward, clutching onto the back of the beast as it roars in surprise, trying to reach for him. He's able to wrap his legs around the creature and steady himself enough to get his karambit around and slice at its neck…And it was like trying to run the steel weapon across an oak tree. There was contact, but it barely did anything to impede the monster. The second Smoke realized this, he was too late to avoid getting grabbed by the beast. Slammed onto the ground as he was ripped from the demon's back and forced to kiss the stone below.

Smoke was slightly dazed, but not enough to not whisk himself away in a puff of smoke from the creature again. Smoke lands a few feet ahead of the demon, on his one knee to support himself. He groans as the pain in his back catches up to him. Ok, so his weapon isn't going to work on this creature. He would rely on his magic, but there's only so much smoke can do in terms of damage. Lest he's going to fuck up this creature's lungs, if it has any. Smoke is forced to act quickly, however, as he notices that the demon is no longer interested in him but now setting its attention back on the wounded woman on the roof. The creature had no reason to worry about her. Under reasonable circumstances, Tomas should be its one concern. Fuck, she was bleeding profusely. Can it smell blood?

Just as the demon began flapping its massive wings to prepare to lift off, Smoke rushed forward and threw another bomb. Unlike the prior two times, this one actually packed a punch, intentionally made to not only disorient but also thrust shrapnel into the target. Upon impact, the explosion is more noticeable as a slight flash of red is seen before smoke envelops the demon. The creature reacts to the blast, roaring in response. Still, it is unclear if it had any lasting damaging effects on the beast. Not that Smoke cared at the moment. The smoke bender utilizes the rising smoke to ghost-step himself closer to the monster, using the momentum to empower his punch as he connected his fist into the demon's stomach. In that same second, he transforms into a cloud of smoke himself, transporting himself away from the demon at a safe distance and reappearing in a defensive stance. This doesn't stop Tomas from hissing in pain as he shakes the hand that assaulted the demon. It was like trying to punch a sturdy tree. Tomas already ascertained that the most he could do was distract the monster from the woman. At this point, the injured victim has definitely passed out from her wounds. If given enough time, he can get her to someone who can tend to her, but he won't be able to help her if he has to keep this demon company.

Smoke dashes forward in puffs of smoke, gaining speed as he makes another connection with his fists at the creature. The demon snarls as it claws wildly at Smoke, trying to slice at him, but unable to grasp onto the smoke bender. For one moment, Smoke appears in front of the demon, landing a roundhouse kick into its face before disappearing again, reappearing behind it, and punching into its back. Rinse and repeat, as Smoke tried to see if he could tire the monster out by essentially "poking" at it. He did try other methods to see if he could weaken the demon, such as throwing heavy objects to further impede it. However, the one that was actually getting tired out was Tomas. With each kick and punch, the pain only reverberated back to Tomas as his body strained with each purposeful blow. And he was barely making a dent into the demon. As a matter of fact, the demon was not only getting angrier, but it was starting to catch on to his tricks. It began countering his attacks, able to catch on to when and possibly where Smoke would hit n' run. Before long, as Smoke attempted another high kick at the monster, it grabbed at his leg. Smoke doesn't get a second to even gasp before being flung about and making repeated contact with the ground. It wasn't until the 3rd slam onto the stone ground below before Smoke felt himself flying across the air and crash landing into wood. Tomas groaned as…Well, everything fucking hurts. His back, his ribs (especially his ribs), his legs, everything. It was near blinding as Smoke rolled onto his side and squeezed his eyes shut. There's no way he can handle this on his own; he has never had to fight a foe like this before.

Tomas wouldn't get a moment to breathe, though, as he heard something wet being chewed into near him. Tomas dared to open his dizzying eyes; the world was spinning and unfocused. It took him a moment to realize that he crash-landed into someone's home, home furnishings becoming immediately apparent. The place was dark. However, he could easily recognize angry red outlines that were tattooed across…Oh, fuck me… There's more!?! Another demon, similar in appearance, albeit a bit more lithe than the other guy he was entertaining. For a moment, the demon was preoccupied with a body that it was chowing down into. Face down into the body's stomach, munching and emptying their internal organs and slurping their lower intestines into its mouth. Upon Smoke's untimely arrival, the creature snapped its head up. It examined Smoke, like a predator, determining if Smoke was its next prey or if it should continue to devour the body it had already claimed. And by the sound of its throaty growl, it chose the former as it crawled closer to Smoke, stepping over the corpse.

Tomas breathed heavily as he tried to crawl away from the demon. Eventually, he had to expend a bit more energy to become a cloud of smoke, traveling a short distance away before reappearing outside again. Unsteadily, Tomas landed on his feet, noting that the bulkier demon was circling him along with the smaller beast. Tomas huffed, planning his escape. The most he could do was get back with the woman and try to get her to safety…Fuck, Raiden!

The second Raiden's name crossed his mind, a moment of shocking realization on his face, the demons both charge him. Tomas didn't have the energy to try misting himself away again. As swift as he could in his state, he dropped another bomb, the explosion causing temporary harm to him; his feet felt like they were on fire, even more so than before, but the rising smoke was enough to have him duck away from their incoming assaults. He dodges the bulkier demon's clawed attack, its nails slashing across the smaller demon's chest as the other creature attempts a lunge attack meant for Tomas. Smoke scampers away, falling on his ass and kicking himself further away as he lets out labored breaths. The demons roared and snarled while enveloped in the smoke. However, neither emerged to focus on Smoke again. If anything, if Tomas squinted, it seemed like the pair were fighting each other. It seemed their attacks meant for Smoke that were redirected against the other had diverted their attention from him to each other. Especially since it looks like the demonic pair was doing a straight number on the other when the playing field was evened out.

Smoke watches temporarily as the monsters tore into each other, slowly getting up and quietly climbing to the roofs. Tomas pussyfoots back to the injured woman. As expected, she was unconscious. Thankfully, she was still breathing, albeit in shallow bouts. He carefully picks her up, bridal style, despite his own body protesting against this. Silver eyes look into the horizon. He tries to ignore the rising dread as he sees more of those flying demons further into the village, where the screams are seemingly more prevalent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Liu Kang grunts as he's pinned to a pillar, Geras's metallic gauntlet hand keeping Liu Kang in place despite the Fire God's struggle. White, hot eyes flared at Geras, teeth baring as he fought against the construct. "Let go of me, Geras!"

"You are not going, Lord Liu Kang!" Geras maintains a near monotone tempo with only mild strain betraying his monotony, "It is not wise for you to interfere in this matter. We have capable fighters under the White Lotus who can seek Raiden and protect those residing in Fengjian!"

"He'll kill them!" Liu Kang shouts, kicking Geras in the stomach and successfully pulling the taller man off him.

Geras gives little to no reaction to the stunt pulled, stepping forward, ready to rush Liu Kang if necessary. "You think I don't already know that? I'm well aware of the stakes at hand."

"Then why are you stopping me? We're wasting time arguing this!" Liu Kang comes at him first, propelling himself into the air as he kicks at Geras in a bicycle-like motion, flames coating his boots to further strain Geras.

"I agree!" Geras grabs Liu Kang's right leg, using his full strength and the force of the others' momentum, sending Liu Kang flying in the other direction as Geras throws Liu Kang.

This barely impedes the Fire God, sticking a three-point landing as he skidded across the arena. The distance between him and Geras was soon shortened as they rushed at the other, wrists locked together as each opponent glared into the other's eyes.

"Then why do you stop me?" Liu Kang asks again.

"Because I fear you will do more harm than good going to Fengjian." Geras lessens the strain his body gave, trusting that Liu Kang will listen to him and not swing first. "Ever since Titan Shang Tsung, ever since Shujinko… I've seen the cracks in your psyche. You hid it well from everyone else but not me. And it became apparent when Kung Lao died, and Raiden fell into darkness."

Liu Kang grimaces, but his own strength falters. His defensive stance drops; he can't look at Geras, shame and worry heavily painted on his face, but he says nothing.

"You are becoming fearful. Scared of the loss of control and security you once had and made on this timeline. Traumas and past experiences resurfacing that you thought you had done away with. Doubts and second thoughts of what you could've done better." Geras straightens his posture, a rare sighting of concern crossing his face as blue eyes examine Liu Kang; His fists are balled, face tightened, and eyes unfocused. "If I felt I could trust in you to maintain a composed mindset, I would not be opposed to you stepping in. But this is re-opening old wounds that I feel you are not ready to face again, not in this state."

… He's not wrong. Fuck him for being right…Liu Kang takes a deep breath, forcing his mind to be quiet and to let his heart come down from its high. His mind was riddled with once-thought-forgotten memories. Memories of being a revenant himself, the things Quan Chi…The prior Quan Chi, did to him, made him do…The negative energy that brought out the worst of himself. Power hungry, hateful, arrogant, blinded by an eschewed truth solely based on emotion rather than reason. This shared experience, should this new era of Kung Lao be no different from what a revenant was before, could be both their greatest tool against him and their greatest setback. Relying on old knowledge of a past that no longer exists can only do so much good. He should listen to Geras, trust in Geras, and confidently believe that he will handle things…

…But he can't. As long as Kung Lao's out there, Raiden's life, his family's life, is in danger…All Geras revealed to him was that Kung Lao was last seen in Fengjian. How long ago? Maybe a couple of months back, give or take. If Liu Kang is correct in how revenants work, Kung Lao is under another sorcerer's spell; he has to listen to his masters' commands. Liu Kang does not bother entertaining or touching who this master could possibly be; he has enough to worry about already. If they're not too late…

"In and out…"

Geras hums in confusion.

"In and out. I'll take Raiden and his family to the Wu Shi Academy to reside temporarily until we can relocate them or resolve the situation with Kung Lao."

"Liu Kang-"

"In. And. Out," Liu Kang emphasizes slowly, his tone emitting an essence of finality. "Nothing more, nothing less. I need you to gather trusted White Lotus members to serve as spies in Fengjian. If Kung Lao had visited once, he would most likely have revisited if he hadn't already. If he has a master pulling his strings, there's only so much he can do in the time being. We can't waste any more time on this when lives are at stake."

Geras looks on silently. This is a bad idea, letting Liu Kang get involved. Liu Kang is tunnel-visioned, his mind focused solely on Raiden and no one else. Granted, Geras knows he cares for the possible civilian casualties that could happen. Letting Liu Kang revisit Raiden, with whom he had cut ties, will be bad. Even worse, while Raiden may not remember him, his family will. There will be questions, concerns they want answered. Geras cannot risk that. However, bringing anyone from the Wu-Shi Academy or the White Lotus to escort Raiden's family unceremoniously is bound to raise some eyebrows. But at least it will be an unknown face that won't risk a lot of heated remarks.

"…In and out," Geras agrees.

"Thank you, Geras-"

"On one condition, you cannot be the one to escort them. I already have in mind 3 individuals who will safely escort Raiden and his kin. But they won't get to Fengjian in less than a week. We'll need you to transport them. We cannot risk," Geras pauses momentarily, "emotional charges to disrupt their transport. Raiden may not remember you, but they will…And they will have questions. If you want to be involved, this is my compromise and request. We will discuss the topic of their relocation once they have been secured."

"Deal." Liu Kang showed no hesitation, but it did take a lot to push down the rising anxiety in his heart. It's better than just sitting on his hands and waiting to see if the mission was successful. At least he's contributing in some way. "Gather those you can trust, quickly."

"At once."

Within a blinding 5 minutes, 3 monks, the best they had within the White Lotus, were standing at attention as Geras briefly debriefed them on their mission: Bring Raiden and his family to the Wu Shi Academy at any cost. Liu Kang stood before the stone gate as he performed the ritual movements to conjure a portal of fire. In and out, Liu Kang repeated to himself. Raiden and his family will be safe in less than an hour, a minute if they're lucky. And if he's being honest, even though he will be hands-off in the situation, his heart and blood race with…Excitement…Anxiousness? Dread? It's hard to describe. With the context of the situation, he's eager to protect the ones he cares deeply for. But it has also been nearly 2 years since he's seen Raiden, his family, and Fengjian. How has the village prevailed since Raiden's return? What challenges did Raiden have to endure? Liu Kang is not ignorant of the fact that Raiden was left at his family's doorsteps with a thunder-conjuring amulet stuck to his person. He can only imagine the unintentional stress and directionless guidance Raiden's folks had to provide due to his condition. Liu Kang does feel a pang of guilt not spending an extra minute to at least explain Raiden's predicament...Then again, they kept his purpose for Earthrealm a secret for a reason, and at that time…He just wasn't in the right head space.

Flames coalesce and swirl about as it fills the empty center of the stone gate, the other side of the gate concealed but its destination clear. The three monks go ahead of Liu Kang, passing through fire as they reach Fengjian. He doesn't need to go with them; they have ways to communicate to him when they're ready to return. Yet, as Liu Kang looked at the inferno before him, he couldn't help but bring one foot forward. Then another. Then another. He had half expected Geras to call out to him and attempt to stop him. Yet, as he walked through his own portal, Liu Kang found himself in the quiet village of Fengjian. A breath Liu didn't know he was holding escapes him as he takes in the night-chilled air of the town. It's been so long since he came here. Nostalgia and happier times flash in his mind as he remembers the first time he was invited to celebrate New Year's with Raiden and Kung Lao. He could never forget the feast his sister and mother prepared for them. The demonstration of old family heirlooms and the stories his father would tell. The tea shop they would occasionally frequent both in secret and when visiting. Gods, how long has it been since Madam Bo's passing? Time truly does pass by in a blink when one doesn't cherish it. He can still perfectly recount when he came to Kung Lao and Raiden for the first time after the temporary trial against the Lin Kuei. A slight ache in his heart, the lost promises this new timeline seemingly provided, now tarnished and burned.

Liu Kang blinks as he realizes he transported himself and the monks a bit closer to Raiden's house than anticipated. In his mind, he would wander Fengjian and re-familiarize himself with the surrounding area until he is needed so that he may not unintentionally stir up conflict. Yet, his eyes happened upon a scene most grave…And heavily disturbing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lao…"

"Welcome Home, Raiden," Kung Lao smiles.

Frightened whimpers. That's the last thing Raiden ever wanted to hear from his sister, his mother. Hell, no one should ever have to hear their own family in seeming peril. Let alone see it. Fuji was the most terrified in this scenario, not at all hiding her tears or unease. Her body was trembling, trying her best not to look at the monstrous creatures behind her and her family. Her hand clutched tightly onto her mother, who was just as equally frightened. Still, she tried to hold it together to give Fuji some form of comfort, occasionally hushing Fuji so as not to trigger the demons behind them. The only one who seemed stoic in this situation was his father, maintaining a near-stoic look, but his right hand rested firmly around his wife. When the door opened, revealing Raiden and Kung Lao, it was not surprising that Raiden's household, aside from their concern for the monsters in their house, was just as shocked when they saw the returned Kung Lao.

Kung Lao placed a cold hand on Raiden's back, pushing him further into the house and following suit. His smile widens, just as he did when he visited their home many years ago - joyful and familial. "Hi ma, hi pa!"

Ma. Pa. Titles Kung Lao took for himself long ago when they temporarily housed Kung Lao in his younger years. He still called them "ma" and "pa," even after reuniting with his late mother. Kinda hard to not call the ones who raised you for the better half of your youth mother and father. But yet, it sounded so…Mocking…

"Oh, and don't think I forgot about you, Fuji. It's been a minute! How's everyone been?" Kung Lao enters deeper into the abode, leaving Raiden behind to process what he saw. He stalks closer to Raiden's family, carefully examining them as though checking to see if they're having the exact reaction he would expect. His eyes wander to Raiden's father, his friendly façade twitching, as he sees that he isn't reacting as desired. "What's wrong, pa? Not happy to see me? Cat got your tongue?"

He doesn't respond to Kung Lao, his cold stare persisting. But his gaze does slightly shift to his son, Raiden.

Kung Lao huffs at the silence, looking at the dinner table and gesturing his head towards it. "I understand, Raiden, and I came in a bit after hours. But, considering that you have a special guest here," Kung Lao gestures to himself playfully, "It would be rude to not give me a proper welcome after so many years away."

The demons force Raiden's family to their feet, herding them to the dining table. Kung Lao looks back at Raiden, still frozen where he stood. He reaches for his hand gently, a reassuring false smile on his face. "Don't be shy, come on."

Much like a frozen statue, it took a few tugs before Raiden felt his feet slightly skid across the wooden floor. Raiden sat across from his parents, now in better view of the terror on their faces and of the creatures that had invaded his home. Kung Lao doesn't join them at the table, instead perusing the fridge, as he always did when he visited once before.

"Oh~, Dumplings! And fried chicken, too? I came at the perfect time!" Kung Lao said as he pulled out a few containers of stored food, bringing them to the table. With a whistle, one of the demons steps forward, a clawed hand reaching for one of the containers as it glowed a burning red, heating the contents inside before moving on to the next batch of leftovers. Kung Lao sits beside Raiden, already grabbing a few portions of goods and stuffing his face, a pleased hum emitting from him.

"Hells, I missed your cooking, Mrs. Lei. Perfect amount of flavor, juiciness, and that oh-so-secretive touch of love you put in it," Kung Lao emphasizes that last bit with heavy sarcasm as he glances up at Raiden's mother, Mrs. Lei. Kung Lao looks at the surrounding area, acknowledging the architecture and decorations. "I see you guys done very little to the place. You have no idea how much that helps, especially someone like me. Fengjian has changed so much. Structures changed, businesses vacant, new and old faces come and go. It's still Fengjian, don't get me wrong. But coming back here, seeing that old T.V. still in the living room, that old clay sculpture I made back in grade school, I'm honestly surprised you guys still kept it," Kung Lao takes another mouthful of food before gulping it down, "It's as if you guys were just frozen in time. Waiting for me to come back. I mean, granted, you look older, Mr. Kazama. A few extra gray hairs there, I see." Kung Lao jests.

Despite Lao's casual demeanor, this did not stop the stiffening tension in the room. Not a single word was returned to Kung Lao; the only other sound in the room that broke the silence occasionally was Kung Lao's loud slurping as he devoured the rest of the wonton soup and the guttural growls of the demons that oversaw them. Stalking about and looking at them hungrily.

With a loud thump from the bowl, Kung Lao lets out a satisfied sigh, rubbing his belly exaggeratedly to further show how full he was. "Now, I haven't forgotten the elephant in the room. And I'm not talking about that jade relic that sits at the family shrine. I'm sure you've questions about where I've been. It's an exceptionally long story, so here's the short version of it all. Yes, I did die. Kinda hard to deny that, considering" Kung Lao, once again, playfully gestures to himself. "But I came back! And was made stronger for it. I'm faster, more vigorous, and far more deadly than I was before. Would've helped to have this kind of power before I fucking choked." Kung Lao looks at each member present at the table.

"And I came here to extend this to you. All of you. We got along well in my past life. You raised me, nurtured me into the man I was before. Any grateful child would extend that same care and love back to the ones giving it." Kung Lao looks to Fuji; his smile deepens when she makes a noticeable shiver, "I know Raiden and I spewed some bullshit story about being in the States and being martial arts teachers. By now, I can imagine that you, each of you, know how full of shit that story really is. You can blame Liu Kang for that. All in the name of "protecting our loved ones." But I'm no longer bound to his ridiculous ideas and weak mindsets. Fuji, you were ready. We were gonna let you into our fold. You would have left this dump of a village and become one of Earthrealm's struggling protectors. But then Madam Bo passed and…You had to be placed on hold until the foreseeable future. That's what Liu Kang said. You have great potential, Fuji. And the mistress that raised me can make you powerful and then some."

Kung Lao directs his attention to Raiden's parents, "Granted, there's not much that can be done for either of you. Well past your prime, just waiting to die…But I've seen my mistress perform extraordinary feats of magic. She could reverse the aging process, make you immortal. You could be watching generations upon generations passing you by, and yet you would remain. You don't even need to bother yourself with revenge. Anyone who you have a distaste for would just simply wither away. Even better, you can watch your favorite children become the powerful champions we were meant to be."

"You can be part of my family. We grow ever stronger, ever plentiful. Everyone will have a fulfilling place in a new era, and I want all of you to be part of it." Kung Lao stands from the table, arms stretched to either side as he proclaims this. "We will regain what Liu Kang took from us. From you," Kung Lao looks to Raiden briefly.

"… You're not Kung Lao…"

"Excuse me?" Kung Lao looks to Raiden's father, Mr. Kazama.

"You are not Kung Lao," Kazama says, speaking slower, further enunciating his words. "I know of Kung Lao, and I must admit, you do an impressive job impersonating him when trying to conceal your true self. That which you can barely contain. His pride, ego, and mannerisms, you have mastered them all. However, the only one who can truly match Kung Lao is Kung Lao himself. I tell you this now, but the true Kung Lao would never threaten the ones he had called family. He would never harbor this unconcealed hatred and direct it at us like a spitting viper. Kung Lao would never consort with creatures from the depths and bring them into this house, this village!" With each statement, Kazama grew increasingly passionate, righteous anger evident on his face. "For all of Kung Lao's flaws, which there are few, his greatest qualities of courage and discipline outweighed his negatives. So, I say again, you are not Kung Lao. And with this said, I ask, who are you really? That you would wear the face of my son and masquerade as him?"

Kung Lao seared daggers into Kazama, an angry storm very clearly brewing within, jaw tightened and arms crossed. Raiden stares at his father wide-eyed. Awe would not be the word to describe his emotion, for fear was very much still present. But his father was always a man of few words. Barely speaking unless spoken to or when needed. He was just an old man who would occasionally walk the village quietly, offering to share fantastical folklores he had possessed and dispensing wisdom to those who needed it. To see his father this heated…Perhaps more peculiar is how…For lack of better words, in the know his father was. He acknowledges Kung Lao as though he knows WHAT he is, or more like, what he's not, including his acknowledgment of the creatures watching them. In all honesty, his father was what others would call a folklorist, possessing a vast array of knowledge that was almost incredible in most cases. But this felt a bit too personal.

Kung Lao kept his unyielding stance before cracking a cruel smile. "There's a lot about me you don't know, old man. You remember a pathetic version of me. One so desperate for attention, I was practically a whining 3-legged puppy. I've been made better; you just don't want to see it." Kung Lao grabs from under the table and flips it out of the way, the wooden furniture thrown across the room, breaking and knocking over several other home appliances and furnishings. With the empty space between Raiden and his family, Kung Lao approaches Mr. Kazama, red eyes looking down at the sitting elder. "You want to know who I am?" Kung Lao leans closer, a husky whisper whistling between his lips, "I…Am the last person you're going to see for a while."

In a blink, everyone would've missed it. For Raiden, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Kung Lao reached for his razor-brimmed hat; in what would be a swift motion, Kung Lao took the hat off and, in a swipe, cleaved it through his father's neck. Flesh splits and opens itself to reveal red muscle underneath; blood seeps past the wound, waterfalling down his neck and staining Kazama's clothes. The hat dug deeper, breaking away nerves, sinew, and meat. Before long, it makes contact with bone, slicing through it effortlessly before sliding through the other side of Kazama's head. In slow motion, Raiden watched his father's head slide off, falling to the floor that his father walked millions of times before, making a thudding impact and rolling away. Thankfully, his face lay away from the rest so that they would not see the relaxed expression of death as his brain died, and with it, Kazama.

All Raiden could hear was his own heartbeat in his ears. Before long, he could hear the voice again.

"Raiden…Raiden, listen to me!"

With a scream, Raiden snaps his head forward, disconnecting himself from the head of his father, only to be greeted by his mother being…Impaled…The demonic creatures thrust their clawed hand into his mother from behind, piercing through her midsection. A gargled gasp and pained moan was all she could utter before passing away. Fuji would've been next, one of the other demons grabbing at her hair, ready to do god knows what to her. Kung Lao loudly reprimanded both demons, barking in a language Raiden could not understand. The monster, grabbing Fuji, lets her go, thrusting her off the chair she sat on and bringing her to her knees. Fuji no longer withheld her anguish, weeping and screaming as she crawled to her dead mother…Their dead mother…

"Raiden, you have to leave! Now!"

This isn't happening…This isn't happening…Raiden tries to tell himself this over and over and over again. Kung Lao… Didn't kill his father…That monster… Didn't kill his mother…None of this is happening right now…

"Raiden!"

"Mama! Papa!" Fuji cries as she shakes her mother's corpse, mind broken from the events that transpired. Completely ignoring the fuming Kung Lao yelling at the demons. "Noo!"

This is a dream…A fucked up dream…Just like the ones he had before. Gruesome, bloody, far too realistic for what it was. He's going to wake up. In his bed. The sun is shining through the window as a brand-new day begins.

"Raiden!!! Protect your sister! You have to leave!"

He'll get ready for work, as he always does. He'll walk back into the kitchen, the very same one he's in now, and he will be greeted by his mother…His father…Still alive…His sister Fuji, cooking breakfast as she'll sometimes do because she got inspired to try another recipe she found on the internet. They'll smile, happy to see Raiden is awake. Kung Lao will also be there, digging through the fridge like he always did. Getting rid of leftovers, but also forcing them to make more portions for his endless stomach. He'll sit at the table with them, talking about the latest news of the day, jesting with his sister and his spiritual brother. There are no demons, no blood, no bodies littering their floor. Just them, happy, alive, at peace.

"RAIDEN!"

He hears it before he sees it, the sound of a roaring fire from seemingly nowhere, but the sound came from where the house's entrance would be. No one present had the awareness to check and investigate where this noise was coming from, as much was happening at once in so little time. But he remembers the heat. He had half a mind to turn his gaze from the scene and see what was at the front door, but he feared that if he looked away, Fuji would be gone too.

One of the demons, who could see from where they were, looked up, and if Raiden was paying attention, it would almost seem like the creature…Froze. Kung Lao took notice of this unusual behavior, daring to turn towards the entrance to see what gave it pause. Kung Lao and Liu Kang meet eye to eye. Realization strikes them both as flaming white hues meet red. The three monks accompanying Liu Kang don't get a moment to react when they finally see what was in front of them as Liu Kang, fire bellowing from beneath his feet, lunges with unnatural speed into the house and makes impact with the first demon, sending himself and the creature flying into the other room and out of the house, creating a hole into the walls. Fuji screams upon the suddenness of the impact, trying to shield herself as the house shakes from the rumble. Before the remaining demons and Kung Lao could react further, the 3 monks sprang into action, swinging fists and weapons at the intruders. This was enough to force Raiden from his seat, falling to the ground and ducking his head from the action around him. His eyes lay upon his sister, scared beyond belief as she curled in on herself.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" The voice rings in Raiden's head, far clearer than before.

Raiden scampers to Fuji, grabbing her shaking hand and pulling her with him. "Come on, we have to go!"

Fuji doesn't argue; she doesn't have the strength to argue and crawls away with him. The sound of furniture and other appliances breaking, with the occasional cries and growls filling the air, Raiden holds Fuji's hand, guiding her as they attempt to reach the exit. A body, one of the monks, flies past them as they are knocked off their feet, landing outside the house and into the Fengjian streets. Raiden and Fuji reach the door, exiting their ramshackle home and quickly getting to their feet. Raiden looks towards the Monk, reaching out to help them up. But before he could even get two steps closer to them, the man is taken by surprise, swooped up by a flying demon, and sent elsewhere, screaming. Raiden gasps at the suddenness, pulling Fuji closer and looking to the sky. It is not riddled with more of those things, but it doesn't make Raiden any less uneasy. The screams were now louder than they were before, deeper into the village of Fengjian.

"Come on!" Raiden looks to Fuji, reassuringly squeezing her hand, "Follow me, stay close, and hold on tight to me, ok?"

Fuji nods, the pair running into the streets just as a terrifying roar resounded from inside their house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Smoke peaks from the shadowy alleyway, watching as crowds of people run down the streets and either attempt to rush inside different buildings or run further into the village or, better yet, out of it. Smoke watches the chaos, holding the injured civilian close. Occasionally, a flying demon or two swoops in from the sky, plucking away a person or two here and there and ripping them to shreds while suspended in the air. Smoke cringes with each capture, trying to force his mind and body from wanting to interfere. He ran out of the last of his smoke bombs a while ago, hoping that concealing the crowd would give them an advantage against the soaring demons. But he's now down to his more lethal bombs, meant to cause damage. The most he can do is help the woman he had previously dedicated himself to, ensuring her safety, and go from there. He keeps himself to the walls of the buildings, trying to stay out of the open as much as possible so as not to draw potential attention to himself. Focused on the path ahead, Smoke looked for a safe place he could run into where he could put the woman to rest.

Smoke can feel his body giving in to exhaustion, the prior incident still sorely imprinted on his person. He sees a building where some were taking refuge. Limping as though his life depended on it, Tomas tried to reach the entrance. Even if he couldn't get through the front door, at least the woman could. Then he noticed that everyone was running…The opposite direction? Tomas slowed down, squinting as he looked ahead. A small group of those creatures were charging into the oncoming crowd, pouncing on the poor unfortunates, unaware of their presence, and forcing everyone to trip and shove each other as they ran from the oncoming barrage. Within the crowd, a mother with an infant strapped to her person and a younger child, no older than 5 or 6, was running away from the charging demons, but a fleeing civilian pushed past them, unintentionally separating the child from their mother.

"Mama!" The young child screamed as they fell to the ground, helpless.

Fuck, fuck, fucking-Tomas stops in his tracks, observing the fallen kid and the beyond worried mother as she tries to rejoin their child, but is blocked by the current of people passing by her. The demons stalk closer, slicing and mowing down anyone in their path; it's only a matter of time before one of those beasts sets their eyes on the kid. Tomas looks to the entrance to the building he was working towards. He could easily rush over there, bring the woman to safety, and go for the child and the mother. If his body wasn't in the state it was in, that is. Puffing into a cloud of smoke will bring undue attention not only to himself but also to those trying to escape. Tomas curses to himself; as quickly and carefully as he can, he places the injured woman down. She'll definitely be feeling that headache as her head thumps onto the ground. Tomas skips forward, picking up the child and reaching for the mother, dragging them towards the chosen sanctuary.

As he pushes them through the door, the child screams, "Behind you!"

Tomas felt it before he could attempt to see it, but something sharp dug into his back, tearing through his cloth-like armor and leaving biting lacerations into his back. Tomas howls in pain behind his rebreather. Upon instinct, Tomas unsheathes his karambit, spinning to face the demon behind him and slashing his weapon into the creature's throat. Now that he can see the impact up close, it does seem to dig deep into the creature. Yet, it did not once impede it. Grabbing Tomas by the waist, it throws Tomas away from the building. Tomas tumbles as he eats the dirt below him, coughing and wheezing from the pain and strain. He weakly tries to drag himself away from the approaching demons who have caught a whiff of his blood, but they quickly surround him. He tries to conjure the Fumokinesis powers that have kept him up for this long, but the feeling of something heavy stops him as one of the demons places their large foot onto his back, adding unneeded pressure to the wound, forcing a scream from Tomas. One of the other demons reaches for his arm, intending to rip it from its socket and, eventually, from his person.

Then, a light, brilliant and radiant, pierces through one of the demons. The creature looks down at its own chest, snarling at the sudden protrusion, but before it could do anything else, like a hot knife to butter, the piercing light travels upward and splits the demon in half. The demon falls to its side, revealing the user of such a powerful artifact.

Tomas feels the weight on his back leave him, a sharp gasp escaping his lungs as he quickly crawls away. The most he could do was sit within an opening to an alleyway that he hoped concealed him. He breathes heavily, sweat dripping down his head and traveling his near-exposed back. He doesn't take notice of the sound of dying growls and the distinct sound of a sword swishing through the air. Tomas grips at his pants, forcing himself to steady himself. If he were on a usual mission, he would have some bandages to patch himself up with. He didn't expect to meet conflict in this once-sleeping village. Tomas only now just noticed, aside from the fearful cries of the residents, it was…Weirdly quiet…Tomas felt a presence approach him, his eyes slowly opening and focusing as he looked up at…

"A-Ashrah?" Tomas weakly said.

The former demoness gazes upon Smoke, her black eyes contrasting with the white beauty that exemplifies her holy mission of purification. Kneeling towards Tomas, she carefully places her hand on his shoulder, closer to where his wounds reside. Tomas hisses at the contact but doesn't shoo her away. A bright, holy light emits from her sword that soon shines from the palm of her hand, where she was touching the ninja. Slowly, the wounds on Tomas's back closed, leaving nary a scar or any indication that he was ever attacked. Smoke lets out a sigh of relief as he not only feels the open wound closing but the internal injuries mend themselves as well. Ashrah backs away from Tomas, examining him further before nodding to herself, satisfied with what she was seeing.

"I can imagine that fighting demons was a bit harder, limping on one leg."

"You bet," Tomas says slowly, standing up and steadying himself against the walled surface between them. He experimentally moves his once-injured leg in a kicking motion, "Didn't know you could, well, do that now."

"I was just as surprised as you were. Several months ago, that is," Ashrah jests, her eyes looking towards her Kriss. "As my mission for purification continues, my kriss reveals to me more virtuous powers to combat the darkness that surrounds us and to further utilize the light that builds within me."

"Is that why you were able to do that?" Smoke gestures over to the lying bodies of demons behind her.

"Have you never fought demons before? After so long, I had assumed you would have crossed them before."

"Well, now that I have a moment to think. I've heard of them and thought of them as mythological tales. Fighting them, however, whole different story. I learned the hard way why I probably shouldn't. I barely made a dent in them."

Ashrah nods, gesturing to her own weapon, "Demons are not easily overwhelmed by ordinary weapons. From my understanding, my weapon was forged by the heavens above, filled with holy light and purity. It burns them and slices through their ranks like no other. The only other thing that would kill a demon is another weapon forged from the Netherrealms itself."

"So, I should just go to Heaven and look at their supplies, then? You know a buyer up there?" Smoke was very evidently being sarcastic, yet Ashrash gave a defeated look.

"Sadly, no. I have never been to Heaven or any of the upper realms. I was never, and still am not, worthy to enter such a sacred place. And even if I could, I am unsure whom I would recommend to you for such a weapon. I found my kriss by happenstance."

Tomas nods, sneaking forward as he looks up and down the busy street. A sigh of relief leaves him once more as he sees kind pedestrians helping the injured woman from earlier and bringing her inside. Now, only fate will decide whether she lives or dies this day. "So, what brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"I would ask the same of you, Tomas. I came here because my kriss detected a strong darkness enveloping this village. And after…Repeated incidents…I was compelled to seek this village. But you, why would you be in Raiden's home village?"

Tomas cringed inward as she sniffed him out. "…I was simply watching from afar. Checking up on him. We haven't interacted at all, I assure you."

Ashrah doesn't question this further, for the time for idle chat was coming to a close. Flying demons terrorized the skies like vultures circling carrion as the citizens of Fengjian sought shelter. Smoke and Ashrah rush towards the panicking crowd where the demons circled about. Watching the night sky closely, Ashrah is the first to charge towards the first demon that attempted to dive bomb into the crowd. Throwing her kriss, it spears through the monster effortlessly. In one end and out the other, as it flies further into the air. Ashrah shouts a command, the sword-like dagger disappearing in a bright light before returning to her hand. Another demon tries its luck, diving towards the frightful crowd. Smoke throws one of his bombs, the item exploding upon impact, stunning the creature. Following up on this, Ashrah leaps in the air, slicing the demon's head clean from its neck, landing confidently on the ground while the latter crashes to the floors of Fengjian with a crushing thump. This bought some civilians enough time to rush inside, seeking protection from the village's interiors. However, there were still hundreds that needed saving, and the skies were not losing demons. Try as Ashrah and Smoke might, they could only save so many as more and more demons started swooping to the ground to grab more innocents.

"There's too many of them!" Smoke proclaimed.

Ashrah huffs as angelic wings manifest behind her. With only a single flap, she soared into the sky, holy kriss in hand, and sliced her way through the flying demons. As she provided air support, Tomas saw to it, escorting as many as he could inside, throwing the occasional bomb to stun any advancing demons. The hellish beasts drop like flies as Ashrah cleared the skies, yet, as she downs another demon, she sees tens more rushing into the scene. Even with her speed, she could not hope to protect the skies and the land. Yet her hand was forced when she saw Smoke helping an elderly couple seek refuge. Ashrah dives in, flexing her wings so that its blade-like feathers bring death of a thousand stabs from above against the advancing demonic group. Upon landing, Ashrah cleaves the first and closest demon in two from their midsection, using the momentum to skewer her blade into the eye of another fiend while Tomas helps the couple inside. With his attention from the couple disrupted, Smoke reaches for one of his poisonous bombs, throwing it into the crowd of demons and watching as the bomb explodes, emitting a cloud of virulent gas. With a flex of his fingers, he forces the cloud to become more concentrated on the demons within, enhancing the toxic cloud and leaving the gas in place as the demons swiped at each other blindly. Whether or not the poison was doing its work as intended was a mystery, but their infighting was enough to satisfy.

"Ashrah, look out!" Smoke calls out as a demon swipes at Ashrah.

Ashrah grunts as she feels the demon tackle her and force her into the sky with the rest of the flying beasts. Ashrah struggles against their strength. While she has become formidable against the Netherrealms' demonic forces with the light of Heaven, she has lost the hellish strength she once possessed before. Like pecking birds, demons fly in to slash at Ashrah before flying away for another to perform a similar deed.

"An angel of light, how delicious her blood tastes! How much better it will be once she succumbs to despair!"

Ashrah has not lost her ability to understand the tongues of the Netherrealm denizens. Her struggles weaken as sanguine red seeps from her further.

"Cease! She does not die here! She will come home with us, where we will enjoy her flesh and blood further! Until she can give nothing else!"

Ashrah's vision blurs as she nearly succumbs to the loss of blood. Yet, a light…A different light. One more red and…Blue? The demons stop their assault on Ashrah as they also look towards the light. Ashrah last remembers hearing squeals of pain and the one holding her releasing her injured body. Ashrah falls and would've made an impact with the ground were it not for Smoke breaking her fall. Quite literally, as he didn't have the strength to simply catch her, both of them met the ground. Smoke groans as he gently pulls Ashrah off him.

"Ashrah, are you ok?"

The former demoness hisses in pain, placing a hand upon herself as her weapon and hand glows a holy light. Where Smoke felt a refreshing bliss from the healing light, Ashrah grits her teeth as the mending powers does its work, and at an even slower pace; her demonic heritage screaming against the virtuous light.

"Is that…"

Ashrah wearily looks up, seeing Liu Kang suspended in the air as the flying demons surround him. White eyes take in the fiends around him as a burning anger rages within. An inner glee whispers within Liu Kang. He needn't hold back against creatures who are as good as dead. Ashrah and Tomas watch as the Fire God burns the surrounding demons to a crisp. Each demon combusting into a roaring inferno. There was barely anything left. Nothing but charred bones and ashen flesh rained upon them. Liu Kang scans the surrounding village, his sight falling upon Smoke and Ashrah; surprise is the only emotion they can pinpoint in the Fire God. Smoke could only meekly wave upon being noticed by Liu Kang, and Ashrah simply nodded.

Suddenly, a crack of thunder is heard as multiple lightning bolts strike down far from their location. Liu Kang looks into the horizon of the strike, "Raiden…" Liu Kang glances at Ashrah and Smoke, "Protect the innocents; handle as many demons as you can! If you see Kung Lao, do not engage!"

"Wait, Kung Lao? But he's dead!?!" Smoke exclaims.

"We will discuss that later. Right now, Fengjian and Raiden need us! Now go!"

Liu Kang flies like a flaming comet towards the thunder. Ashrah and Smoke take one look at each other before following suit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kung Lao saunters out of the building, drenched in the blood of the two monks while carrying the head of one of them, spine included. Kung Lao eyes the road. He can catch up to Raiden-give commands to have those fiends capture him and his sister. But plans have changed. Liu Kang’s here, and if Liu Kang’s here, then that means his unexpected involvement must speed things along. Kung Lao grits his teeth. He was so close. So close to having Raiden for himself. A demon lands with a mighty thud, hunched over as it looks at Kung Lao.

“…Grab as many as you can, then we leave. Plans have changed.” Kung Lao grumbles. In a flash of blue light and wind, Kung Lao vanishes without a trace, dead cherry blossoms fluttering with his disappearance.

The demon snarls in response, as though to agree with Lao’s command, before retaking flight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raiden and Fuji run through the streets of Fengjian. It's amazing how, under stressful conditions, the roads suddenly become unrecognizable. At this point, their baseline instinct of fight or flight was kicking in; all they knew was that they had to escape. The process made harder with the rushing bodies that were trying to do the same thing, as people were running in various directions. Raiden held tightly onto Fuji's hand, taking the lead as they hoofed it to anywhere and everywhere. Raiden stopped momentarily, taking in their surroundings as he tried to determine where they should go next.

"…You could be helping these people, Raiden."

Raiden ignores the voice; his mind was preoccupied with other matters. "This way!" Raiden pulls Fuji with him as he turns right into an alleyway. If his memory serves him correctly, they should be in the right direction, near the outskirts. Raiden cannot say this for certain, but these monsters are animalistic enough that he's going to go on the hunch that they will follow where the "food" is. The outskirts should give them air to breathe and a chance to escape the village rather than taking the main roads.

"R-Raiden, can we stop for just a second?" Fuji huffs, lurching forward and palming the wall closest to her.

"We can't stop now," Raiden protests. "We can stop for a moment once we get closer to the farmlands."

"N-no, really, I need to stop…" Fuji says weakly.

Raiden turns to look at her, only to notice that she is bleeding on her side. Fear grabs Raiden as he helps Fuji sit on a nearby box, lifting her attire to check the wound. "W-what happened? When did you get injured?"

"I-I don't know! Everything happened so fast…"

From the looks of it, it's simply a laceration on her side. Raiden could not make heads or tails of whether the wound was fatal. I mean, her guts were not spilling out…So that's a plus? Aside from the bleeding, she'll be fine…Raiden convinces himself she will be fine. He rips at his own shirt, using the cloth to wrap around Fuji's stomach where the wound resided to hopefully maintain the bleeding for a while.

"…We need to go. It's not safe here. I promise, once we get closer to the border, we'll stop." Raiden cups his sister's face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.

Fuji's face was stained with tears, sweat, and blood. Her brown eyes filled with terror and rising despair. God, Raiden never thought he would ever have to see his sister like this…Fuji nods, forcing herself to bear through the pain she's feeling, and wraps herself around her brother's arm. Raiden takes a moment to assess her, taking slow initial steps to see how she fares before picking up the pace. Just as they were reaching the end of the alleyway, Raiden and Fuji stuck themselves to the walls as screaming pedestrians ran past their hiding spot. All the while, those monstrous creatures pounce and tear into whoever they can grab onto. Fuji gasps as she shoves her face into Raiden's shoulder, not wanting to watch another second of the carnage. Raiden holds her close, watching the scene unfold, waiting for an opening for them to sneak past the monsters. If he could help it, Raiden would prefer not to see this either. Each nameless face wore his father's and mother's faces, a trauma he could not unsee.

"You could be saving these people…"

"And how the hell would I go about that?" Raiden thinks to himself in response to the voice.

Raiden knows he talked big game in the past about being there for his village, wanting to protect and provide for the place he called home. But…This was beyond him. If it were just local troublemakers or helping someone get repairs for their home, then Raiden would have a good idea of what to do. This? This, however, was above anything he was capable of doing. All he could do now was ensure he and his sister survived the night. Raiden's stomach churns as he watches the fiends feast on the bodies they eviscerated, grimacing with each wet munch and disturbing crunch. Another demon, bigger than the rest, swoops down to join the other beasts, but they do not partake in the feeding. It opens their maw, speaking in a language that was beyond foreign to Raiden. It didn't sound American, Japanese, Chinese, or anything that he could point his finger to.

The other demons look up at the commanding demon, seemingly taking in whatever it was saying. Whatever the exchange, the demons in the area take flight, leaving behind the mess they made, with only a few of them taking the more salvageable bodies that weren't completely torn to sunder. Raiden lets out a heavily shaken breath that he didn't realize he was holding. Cautiously inching closer, he looks down the streets, checking the skies, ensuring that there were no more of those monsters. An extra second more, and Raiden nods to Fuji.

"Come on."

Fuji quietly sobbed, shaking her head.

"Fuji, I need you to be brave for me, ok? I…I won't let anything happen to you, ok? We're almost out of Fengjian." Raiden said as he gives her a reassuring squeeze.

Fuji is quiet, except for the occasional brief hiccups. Raiden quietly walks out into the streets of Fengjian again, Fuji following suit. They keep themselves close to the buildings, should they need to duck into shelter temporarily. As they inched closer to the more slum-like areas of Fengjian village, it was surprisingly quieter. The houses here weren't as broken into as the populated areas. Granted, barely anyone lived in this part of Fengjian lest they were truly downtrodden.

Additionally, Raiden remembered being told not to traverse the outskirts, as they were prone to flooding in the event of a bad storm. The nearby ponds, lakes, and similar bodies of water severely impact the area, flooding it for months. Hence, why barely anyone lived there. Kung Lao was fortunate that his home was elevated enough that he didn't have to worry much about his house flooding, lest a nasty storm passed them. That did not mean this part of the village was untouched. Few bodies here and there sprinkled the roads, a grim reminder that they were still in danger.

Fuji groans as she holds her side, the blood still seeping heavily despite the wrappings. Raiden would've wanted to push further, but he takes the needed time to find Fuji some place to rest. "We're almost out, ok?"

Fuji nods weakly, still holding on tight to Raiden's hand. "… They're dead…Mom…Dad…Kung Lao…He…”

"Fuji…" Raiden bites the inside of his cheek.

"… You're not Kung Lao…" His father's words whisper in Raiden's head.

"…Whoever that was…He killed our parents, not Kung Lao," Raiden said as he rips more of his clothes to replace the soaked makeshift bandages, "They would want you to be strong." Raiden scans the area, his eyes falling upon a sturdy-looking house. "Come on, we can rest in there for a moment." Raiden helps Fuji to her feet, assisting her to the humble abode.

"Raiden," Fuji says softly, looking into the distance, opposite of the house, to their left.

Raiden dares to entertain this, gazing in the same direction, only to find a standing demon in the middle of the road, staring at them.

The siblings were frozen where they stood. Like deer in headlights, they watched as the demon swayed this way and that, its head carrying the weight of great horns that spiraled into a halo-like formation. Yet the roots of the horns began in the creature's eyes, blinding them at their expense. It continues to stagger here and there, but it looked too…Performative…A step too graceful, a head sway too deceptively discerning. Raiden and Fuji step back, slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible, banking on the idea that it truly could not see them. With each backward motion, the demon did not regard them. Soon, it would be a distant dot in their vision, and hopefully, a distant memory like the rest of today-

Crack

The demon's head snaps and bends as it takes sudden interest in the subtly escaping siblings. A halt, lungs burning as fearful anticipation abated their breath, wide eyes staring back at the demon, praying they had not triggered a response from the monster.

A bipedal step forward, then another, then another. Slowly, with the gait of a ballroom dancer, the demon approaches. A step back from the siblings, another step forward from the demon. One step back, two steps forward. They didn't need another stepping example to know that they needed to high-tail it out of there. Raiden positions Fuji behind him as they both stagger away at a quicker pace, eyes still trained on the demon.

"Fuji, run!" Raiden says.

"And what are you going to do? Kung-Fu that thing to death by yourself?" Fuji shot back at him.

"Yes, what will you do?"

"It's actually called Taekwondo, for your information." Raiden ignores the third voice that he can still seemingly hear.

"And how far do you think I'm going to get with a wound like this?"

"I'll buy you time."

"You'll die without me. You and your sister!"

"Bullshit! You're not about to fight that th-thing!" Fuji whines as she holds her still bleeding side, blood occasionally dripping to the ground. "I'm not-"

"You're not anything, Fuji! Find somewhere safe to hide, get out of the village if you can! I'll buy you-"

Despite their eye contact with the demon, the beast gets on all fours and begins rushing at them.

"Raiden!" Fuji screams.

The thunder wielder was ready to throw fists at the demon. As stupid as that sounded, using the amulet…It just wasn't an option. Fuji is here, and until she actually clears the area, he does not want to risk her getting caught in the electric crossfire. He had avoided using the amulet for himself, and the few times he had to use this strange power, it was to simply "air out." He could not risk accidentally harming his sister.

"You are far more foolhardy than I thought, boy."

Currents of blue electrical energy course through Raiden. He couldn't tell if the hairs on his body stood at attention because of the electricity or the adrenaline rush. Raiden didn't even truly notice, his eyes locked on the rapidly approaching demon as he took a combative stance. The demon lunges forward, arms stretched outwards and jaws open, ready to encompass Raiden and make them one in the most bloody way possible. Raiden tries to slow his breathing, but the rising panic makes him nearly paralyzed. His stance faltered as he shivered as though someone had poured ice-cold water on him. His breath shaken like a freezing man. His eyes flashed before his eyes, yet his mind was void of thought. He swung his fist at the opportune time so that he could connect his balled fingers with the monster's face. In all honesty, the punch was weak. For anyone else, it would connect, leave an irritating spark to the nerves, but not enough to cause any lasting damage. To this demon, it would've barely felt anything. It would've taken Raiden to the ground, jaws and rows of sharp teeth filling the farmhands' vision as that would've been the last thing Raiden saw.

But with that connection with Raiden's fist to the creature's face, an electric pulse surges from his fist, sending the demon flying in the other direction. The farm boy remained unharmed.

Raiden heaves as his chest rises and falls in rapid succession, gawking in bewilderment as he watches the demon not go through one slum house, not two slum houses, but four.

"H-how-"

"Focus, Raiden!" The voice scolds him. "Your martial skills will not be enough to overcome these creatures!"

"Who," Raiden quietly asks, "Who are you?"

"A voice of reason you have long been ignoring. I can't help you if you do not listen and wield me properly."

"Wield you prop-wait…" Raiden looks to his midsection where the amulet resided. "You…It can-are you-"

"Focus!"

A roar from afar is heard, the demon from before emerging from the wooden debris, absolutely pissed.

"I can help you, Raiden. Teach you how to control this power you must wield. However, proper training is in order; training we do not have time for right now, or perhaps never, depending on how this night ends. For now, you must give control to me."

"What?"

"Raiden!" Fuji shrieks as she backs away from the approaching "blind" demon.

"No!" Raiden runs towards the pair.

The demon snaps its head towards Raiden, snarling before sprinting towards Fuji and snatching the screaming woman. Bat-like wings unveil themselves from the skin of the beast, taking flight with Raiden's sister in tow. Raiden, despite putting his all into his dash towards the two, wasn't fast enough to reach either of them.

"Fuji!" Raiden screams, arm outstretched uselessly as though to reach for her. Fuji could only scream in terror as she's taken.

"Fly!"

Fly? Right, fly! Raiden picks up the speed, dirt kicking up as he continues to follow the flying pair on foot. A surge of electrical energy buzzes through him as Raiden makes one mighty leap; he soars through the air, arms and legs flailing about as he tries to reach the escaping duo, only to come crashing down to the dirt. Raiden grunts as he rolls on the ground, but he doesn't let the fall keep him down, scrambling to his feet and continuing his chase. Raiden can feel his lungs and feet straining as he pushes himself to catch up. Aside from needing to save his only family, his worry is only exemplified when he sees Fuji attempt to fight the demon off her, kicking and biting to the best of her ability; her struggle mostly ignored by the beast. Should the demon get annoyed by her, it could decide to drop her, or worse…

Raiden stops in his tracks as he watches the pair get further away. He takes a deep breath as thunder rumbles in the distance. He can feel the amulet surging with power. He can do this, he can control this. He can fly. Raiden's white hair glows brighter, white eyes taking in his target(s) in the sky. He focuses, forcing his mind to no longer focus on the persistent fear that grips him, but to look beyond it. His determination to keep his sister safe, that small courage to go toe-to-toe with that monster. Dirt gets swept away as the wind around him picks up, the already dark sky becoming a rainy gray as Raiden slowly begins levitating. For a moment, Raiden breaks his focus, looking down at his feet and faltering a bit as he becomes a bit astound at himself.

"You do have impressive control over this amulet for someone who scarcely uses it." The voice compliments.

Raiden snaps his head back to the demon and his sister. The creature hasn't killed or dropped her yet, which means he still has time. The thunder wielder breathes slowly and prepares himself to fly after them. What he couldn't prepare for was how fast he would actually catch up with them. Like a lightning strike, one moment, he's down near the streets of Fengjian, then suddenly, Raiden finds himself crashing into the back of the demon in no time. Raiden yelps, scrambling and holding tightly onto the creature as his arms wrap around its neck and head. The demon snarls in annoyance, trying to shake Raiden off it as it begins picking up its own flight speed and making frantic movements. Raiden struggles to hold on while the demon performs such crazed maneuvers, especially when he accidentally brings his hand far too close to the monster's mouth, hollering in pain when sharp, jagged teeth dig into his flesh and meet bone. Fortunately, thanks to Fuji, she was able to break one hand free and attempted to punch the demon. Emphasis on attempt as it took a couple of punches to get the demon to let go of Raidens' hand. Raiden doesn't get a moment to seethe in the pain as an even greater pain skids across his back as he feels the roof tiles scraping across his back and his head; the demon having positioned them so that Raiden was forcibly scraped across the roofs of Fengjian.

"Raiden!" Fuji cries as she tries to get a better look at what's happening whilst trying to pry the inhuman fingers off her person.

Raiden tightens his grip around the demon, enduring the malicious pain as debris dug its way into his back and skull.

"If you don't fight back, it will kill you!" The voice warns in Raiden's head.

Raiden grits his teeth and yells, a current of lightning coursing through him and the demon, but also Fuji as she screams in pain with the demon. Hearing Fuji screaming was enough to make Raiden stop his assault. Still, it also became a blessing in disguise as the demon flew away from the roofs, gracing Raiden with the stinging cool air against his backside and a moment of reprieve.

"Fuji are you-!!!"

Raiden braces himself as the demon sprints through the air, sending the three of them up, and up and up at impossible speeds. Raiden grunts as he holds on for dear life. He's running out of options. He dared to look down from where they were, and his stomach dropped when he could make out clouds and small dots of what he could presumably believe to be fires in Fengjian. They must be hundreds of feet in the air by now! He has to get them closer to the ground! Raiden examines the demon's body for a moment. Pulling at its wings will do more harm than good, for at the moment, they are at its mercy in terms of flight, especially if he intends on freeing Fuji. Aside from the demon's meaty neck, Raiden's best bet was the deceptively halo-like horns that protrude from its head. If he can maybe reach its horns, then he can perhaps forcibly maneuver the beast. It's no guarantee, but his only other option is electrocution, and with Fuji in tow, that's not a safe option right now. Raiden slightly moves himself so that he has the demon locked in his right arm, tightly pressing against the creature's neck as he tries to reach for its horns. The rushing winds and increasing altitude became a greater struggle for Raiden as he felt his breathing becoming labored and his body struggling to find the strength to push past the winds and the shortness of breath.

"Come on…Come on!" Raiden says behind gritted teeth as he feels his fingers brush against the horns.

Suddenly, the flow of air stops. It gives Raiden enough time to firmly grasp the horns, but in that exact moment, he realizes that they were no longer ascending. He can still hear the distinct sound of leather wings flapping, so they were by no means falling, but they were simply levitating in the air. Raiden feels the head of the demon turn to look at him. Well, what Raiden can assume would be looking for a seemingly blind demon. His skin crawls when he sees the demon smile, dark gums, and sharp teeth for him to see…Why was it smiling?

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

Oh…

Raiden looks down, his heart dropping as he watches Fuji descend at rapid speed to the ground.

"FUJI!!!"

The demon darkly chuckles, not at all choked up from Raiden's attempt to grapple its throat or horns. Its smile disappears as hot, white eyes face them. The demon successfully shoves Raiden off them, expecting Raiden to fall with Fuji, but found itself surprised when Raiden maintained a steady flight flow with it. Its worries were only heightened when it began to hear the roars of thunder and see the sights of lightning, with dark clouds surrounding them.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!" Raiden screams.

With little to no buildup or warning, strikes of lightning zap at the demon from various angles, the creature shrieking in pain as it tries to fly away and dodge the electrifying assault. Yet, it wasn't fast enough to not face Raiden's fury as the young farmhand crashed into the back of the demon, feet firmly planted on its back as his hands gripped its leather wings. The monster tries to throw Raiden off it, digging its sharp nails into his ankles and legs, but the moment it felt its own bones pop, the demon could only screech. Raiden hollers as he pulls and pulls at the wings, conjuring unbelievable strength as skin and muscle tore away at the monster's back.

"Raiden, your sister!"

Even with the brief reminder, Raiden was too consumed by his rage to hear the voice. However, tearing this filth's wings required a bit more work. So, Raiden settled for death by electrocution, sending thousands of volts through the demon until he was satisfied, sending the monster falling to its own death if the electric currents didn't kill it first.

"YOUR SISTER!"

Raiden's eyes widen as he looks behind him and then below. Fuji! Does he still have time? Raiden speeds back to earth, looking through the dark clouds and open air for his sister. The moment he could still hear her faint screams, it gave him both relief and extreme panic. She was alive, but for how long depends on how quickly he can reach her. With his mind preoccupied with the monster, even with his incredible speed, he was still a ways away from the falling Fuji.

"Come on, COME ON!" Raiden says as he tries to push himself to reach Fuji, but she was falling faster than he could fly. He can't even imagine how he was able to zip as close as he did to the demon before.

"FUJI!!!" Raiden screams, his arm outstretched as though he were trying to reach her. In another 3 or 5 minutes, give or take, she'll hit the ground. He's not going to make it.

In a flash of blue, Raiden found himself crashing into Fuji, both of them scrambling to cling onto the other like koalas as they both continued to plummet to the ground.

"Raiden," Fuji exclaims in worry as she looks between him and the ever-approaching ground.

"Course correct, boy! Course correct!"

They had a minute left before they would splatter to the ground. Raiden tried to conjure what little flight he had so that they would safely land, but he knew that he wasn't going to be able to correct his descent quick enough. Raiden shields Fuji from the impact, hoping to take the brunt of the fall before she suffers from it too.

"For fuck sake!"

What came next was darkness, and the sound of the ground being disturbed, while buzzing electricity filled Raiden's ears before he passed out from the impact, his body shutting down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A long trail of upended earth destroyed the tranquil line of crops as Fuji and Raiden lay still on the damp dirt, both of them separated after the impactful descent. It was a peaceful silence, calm yet breezy winds, wheat flowing in the wind as light rolls of thunder could still be heard in the distance. Fuji gasps and coughs violently, pain jolting her nerves and making her let out a terrified scream. She tries to move even a little, and immediately regrets it. Everything hurts. Her legs, her head; she dares to entertain that her arm was broken because trying to move her left arm was god awful. If she had a choice, she would simply lie here, in the dirt, surrounded by the crops and ants, and maybe merely die here too. She forces her eyes open as she realizes that she's belly-down on the ground, the village of Fengjian a 5-10 minute walk away from where they were. They were…Raiden!

Fuji slowly moves her head this way and that, looking for her brother. The major hint she got to where he landed was the small dirt crater & trail that was not too far from her.

"R-Raiden," Fuji whimpers. She tries to crawl closer to where she believes her brother resides. She knew she had to get up; crawling wasn't giving her any mileage. "Ok, ok-" Fuji breaths. "You can do this, you can do this," Fuji digs her fingers and nails into the dirt and grass, groaning and gasping in pain as she tries to bring herself back to her feet. She yelps as she hears something snap. Whether or not she intentionally snapped something in or out of place was irrelevant, for her body still burned in agony.

Her legs wobble as though she were a newborn learning how to walk, and the moment she could stand up, somewhat alright, she takes a moment to let the cool breeze wash over her and to steady herself. Fuji closes her eyes, focusing on those breathing exercises Madam Bo taught her. She opens her eyes, looking at the dirt hole, and heavily limps towards it. Fuji expected the worst, to see her brother lying in that pile of dirt, dead, as much as she tried to tell herself that it wasn't the case. They quite literally, as unbelievable as it still was, fell hundreds of feet from the sky. No amount of incredible lightning powers can stop gravity from being gravity. But she wanted to believe, she HAD to believe, that Raiden was alright. The moment she reached the edge of the upended ground, her breathing slowed as she found her brother lying on the ground, blood seeping through his clothes and running down his head.

“R…Raiden…” Fuji tried to not choke up seeing him like this. He's alive. He has to be alive. "Raiden…" Fuji tries again, her quivering voice betraying her as tears start to rush down her face. If only it were raining…

There was no movement, not even a peep from her brother.

Fuji couldn't contain herself, falling to her aching knees as she sobbed loudly, her brother's name slurring out of her lips as she crawled closer to him, holding Raiden's body close. What does she do now? What's going to happen to her? Mom…Dad…Raiden…She wished the impact killed her, too. It would be better than suffering the dread of surviving all of this. She brushes Raiden's hair out of his face, the man-bun he wore before having long been ruined with blood, dirt, and other assaults made to him earlier. She hates how peaceful he looks. If he felt even an ounce of pain, it must've been over quickly for him, while she has to suffer this pain. This broken body, these unbearable emotions. All alone. All by herself. Fuji wishes she could smack him awake, tell Raiden to quit playing dead on her. This wasn't happening. She'll close her eyes, and she'll be back home, the sun peaking through her white curtains in her sky-painted room (mother always said how much Fuji marveled at the sky). She'll wake up and have to share the bathroom with Raiden because he overslept during his day off, and now they both have to (fight) share the same brush and debate on who gets to shower first. Then they'll have breakfast. Fuji was thinking of making steamed buns and stuffing them with the leftover chicken their neighbor gave them, along with a side of rice. Then she'll do her chores: cleaning up the house, watering her mother's garden, and reminding her father for the fourth time that he may not attempt to go on the roof to fix the leak (they have already paid someone to look into that for them already!). Then she would end the day talking with her friends as they hung out at the convenience store before cooking dinner for everyone.

They would all be sitting there as a family. Raiden, mom, dad, Kung Lao. They would all be there. Laughing…Talking…Alive…

This isn't a dream… It's reality…Cruel, unforgiving, confusing. And the only thing that brought her away from her solemn thoughts was the sound of nearby screaming. Fuji looked up, and far ahead was a group of individuals. Squinting her eyes, she could make out that it was those…Monsters…Yeah, they're still a thing…They were carrying people. People from the village were not too far from where they were. Innocent civilians screaming, crying, and vocally worried. Men, women, children; all gathered together like cattle. Suddenly, a flash of red swirls from nowhere, and more of those wretched things come out of it. A…Portal? How is it that she isn't dreaming? How is this possible?

Fuji watches as the demons chain and round up their prisoners, forcing them through the portal. Fuji watches in bewildered silence as the scene unfolds. Her blood froze over when one of the monsters took notice of her, gesturing to its compatriots where she was. Under any other circumstances, she would be running…But run where? And to whom? Fengjian was in ruins and probably devoid of any survivors. Her family was dead. Kung Lao…And the nearest city was MILES from here. Fuji lets out labored, yet quickened breaths. They're going to take her away. Into that portal to…God knows where…Are they going to kill her? Torture her? These frightening possibilities swirl in her mind, yet she couldn't find the courage to attempt running as the demons slowly approached her, seemingly knowing that she wasn't going to get far.

Fuji closes her eyes. What else to do but pray? Pray that a higher being is listening. Pray that a miracle would happen. What kind of miracle? She couldn't tell you. For this to be over? For what to be over? Her life? This invasion? This suffering? Pray for some divine intervention? A last-minute save, as unrealistic as that may sound. Anything…Fuji prays for anything and everything. Because anything would be better than this. All of this.

“Fu…Ji…”

"…Raiden?" Fuji slowly opens her eyes, looking at her brother. His head was turned away from her, looking in the direction of the still-approaching demons. "Raiden!" Hope. Hope cruelly snakes around her heart as she scrambles closer to her brother, who was miraculously still alive. God must really be real if Raiden was able to survive the fall and these injuries. Fuji looks back at the demons before steadily helping Raiden to his feet, muttering apologies as Raiden hissed and groaned in pain. "C-come on, we gotta go! We have to leave!"

“Run…Go…” Raiden weakly says, his vision blurred and dizzying.

"Not without you. Come on, we," Fuji looks back at the village, "we can hide in the village! We just have to get there. Come on, use your feet!" Fuji rushes as she limps towards Fengjian with Raiden in tow.

"We…Wont…Make it," Raiden wheezes. He squeezes his eyes shut and moans in pain. "Please…Not now…"

"Not what?" Fuji doesn't get an answer from Raiden, but she surely receives an answer from the ever-approaching demons, who were now right on their tail. They moved with disturbing fluidity, calmly walking towards them as though they had all the time in the world, while the siblings uselessly limped away.

"We-we can make it. We just," Fuji could not hide her fear. They weren't going to make it. Four injured legs and exhausted bodies. There was no way in hell they were going to make the full 5-10 minute walk back into the village.

All that was said between them was Fuji's panicked gasps and Raiden's pained breaths as they limped away from the demons. Their silence is broken as Raiden's eyes go white behind his half-lidded folds, uttering his final words.

“Save her…Please…Save Fuji…”

"What? Save me?" Fuji questions before grunting as Raiden places his full weight on her. "R-Raiden? Raiden, come on, get up! We gotta go!" Fuji struggles to drag Raiden with her before tripping over her own feet and falling to the dirt road with a thud. She hisses and curls in on herself. "Raiden, what the fuck? Those monsters are still-!!"

Fuji stared at the demons, their sickly chuckles filling the air as they talked amongst themselves. Fuji slowly kicks herself away from them, looking between her, Raiden, and the monsters. What is she going to do? She can't carry Raiden by herself…Wait a minute…

Fuji watches as Raiden slowly picks himself up from the ground, but his stance was…Different. She couldn't put a word to it, but she could say that it was more confident. Despite the pain he must've been feeling, he was powering through it, unlike what he was before. There was still a limp, but the hunched-over posture from before was gone, and he no longer needed assistance walking (granted, he hadn't asked for Fuji's assistance earlier). And he was…Approaching the demons?

"R-Raiden!"

"Stay back, Fuji. Let me handle this," Raiden responded, pain still laced in his tone, but with the pain was also power.

The demons gloat and laugh as Raiden approaches them, pointing at the smaller, injured man like a bully would. Raiden didn't give them a chance to push him around for even a millisecond. For in a flash, he conjures an electric blade and stabs into one of the creatures' midsection, twists the knife, and slices through them, bisecting the creature halfway as it roared in pain. The moment it fell to its knees, Raiden stabbed the demon from its lower jaw to its skull, the demon going limp afterwards. The other demons were shocked that Raiden still had some fight in him and prepared to grab him, but they were struck by currents of high volts as a growing sphere of electricity shields Raiden and lashes out at the remaining demons, frying them to death as they all collapse upon Raiden's dismissal of the electric sphere.

Fuji stares in awe at what transpired. Where the hell was this not too long ago? Despite this train of thought, Fuji holds her breath when Raiden looks back at her, eyes still glowing a godly white with his hair to match. Despite the dirt and blood and scars, he looked almost regal, as though he was looking down at her. God and mortal. A smile crosses Raiden's face, both familiar yet so different at the same time.

"It's ok, Fuji. Everything is going to be alright." Raiden calmly says. He gazes ahead where the portal and imprisoned villagers were. He glances back at Fuji, "Stay or run back to the village. Either way, wait until I get back. I'd recommend keeping your distance for the time being."

Lightning emits from his fingertips as he levitates from the ground, having more control over his flight powers compared to before. He flies away, a boom left in his wake as he breaks the sound barrier. Fuji covers her ears and shuts her eyes at the last second, having been so close to the sound, and hisses in pain. She slowly opens them again to see her brother hovering over the demons and trapped civilians. Thunder and lightning are heard as Raiden sends a trail of lightning down on the demons, each trail linked together as it pierces one demon, then the next, chaining them together as the monsters feel waves of electricity course through them; some exploding from the high voltage. A few demons decided to fly towards Raiden, only to be struck down by lightning coming from the dark clouds above. If not that, then Raiden cut them down with an electric blade, slicing through their wings and sending them back to the earth before sending a healthy dose of electricity through their veins.

Fuji did not have a word for what she was seeing. To see her brother fight those monsters effortlessly, saving those people…Nothing could deter her sight from the fight, even as freed civilians ran past her back into the village. Even as she felt someone trying to pull her up to her feet and drag her with them in an attempt to protect her, Fuji remained where she was. And she wasn't alone, as a few others, once they were a safe distance from the violence, stood and watched as Raiden cleaned up house. Even when more demons spilled out of the portal in an attempt to stop her brother, they didn't stand a chance against his lightning.

"L-look!"

Fuji hears someone in the growing crowd as they point to the sky. Fuji follows their gaze, seeing a flying flame rush towards where her brother was. Panic swells within. Is this a demon, too? Shaping her fingers to represent a megaphone cone, Fuji yells to her brother, "RAIDEN, LOOK OUT!"

Whether or not her brother truly heard her was moot; for the moment, the flaming comet drew near to Raiden's position, a roaring cone of flames engulfing the still-approaching demons, burning them to a crisp. At the same time, Raiden's lightning struck down those who were untouched by the flames. It was then that the monsters finally retreated back into the portal, not that Raiden was backed up by this other being. Cheers and cries of joy are heard around Fuji as the portal dissipates. Fuji couldn't help but smile and shed tears. It was over, it was finally over. They survived the night! Those monsters were finally gone! They're alive! All that was missing was the rising sun basking them in the morning glow (it was still way past midnight, though Fuji doubts anyone in this village was going to get any sleep). Fuji covers her mouth, trying not to openly sob as she looks towards the clearing night sky, dark clouds parting to bathe the surrounding area in beautiful moonlight and stars. If there truly is a god out there, then she thanks him, her, them, whoever they are, for giving her a savior she could always count on: her brother.

Fuji looks back towards the horizon where her brother was and the other third party. They were both…Standing there…It didn't look like they were conversing or anything. Just…Staring at each other. Fuji tilts her head in confusion; do they know each other? Suddenly, Raiden collapsed, the other party quickly grabbing hold of him before her brother could reach the ground.

"Raiden!" Fuji says as she limps towards the pair despite the other villagers trying to stop her. She hisses in pain as she pushes herself to reach Raiden as soon as possible. Never mind her own injuries, her brother was on the brink of death not too long ago! She needed to know that he was alright!

"Raiden!" Fuji calls out as she approaches the pair. "Raiden! Is he alright?" Fuji worriedly asks as she gets closer.

The stranger turns to look at her and…

White dragon tattoos, black hair, glowing eyes…No…

“…You…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raiden wakes up in…A room…His eyes blinked away not only the strained weariness, but also the blinding sun that conveniently decided to shine in his face. He shields his face from the sunlight and moans. He adjusts his vision to the room…This isn’t his room…Where are his stuff? His bed? Hell, the structure of everything was wrong. It felt too spacious, too empty. He feels around, and he realizes he is lying on a simple futon. There were several others in the room, too. Was he in a guest room? Raiden attempts to sit up, but that immediately becomes one of the worst ideas he could ever come up with as jolts of pain run down his spine and course through his veins. He gasped and hissed in pain, bearing through it until he could fully sit up and place his back against the wall. Raiden looks down at himself when he becomes more conscious that he is wrapped in something. He’s shocked to see that he was practically bandaged from head to toe (or at least it felt like it). White wrappings around his arms, fingers, across his chest and stomach, he can feel healing wraps on his forehead. He wants to believe that these are not here because of…

“Raiden?”

The farmhand snaps his head to the sound of his name being said, only to find Fuji right next to him, sitting on a futon.

“Fuji…” Raiden feels relief wash over him. He’s not alone here; there’s a familiar face with him. But his heart sank slowly as he noticed that his sister had been gifted the same bandages as he was, albeit in different places.

“Are you ok?” Fuji quietly asks, her eyes unfocused as she kept looking at and beyond him.

Raiden could only nod. He feels alright, for now. Perhaps a couple more days of rest before he gets back to work-

…

“…Fuji…What happened?”

He didn’t need to ask that. Unfortunately, being tossed around and falling hundreds of feet from the air didn’t grace him with amnesia, even temporary memory loss. There’s a growing, deafening silence between them. Raiden wished he hadn’t said anything as Fuji opened and closed her mouth, searching for the right words to say before ultimately breaking down.

“So much had happened, Raiden…Mom…Dad…” Fuji couldn’t even finish her thought before giving in to her grief.

Raiden scoots closer to his sister and holds her tightly. Taking in her being, grateful that she was here. REALLY here. Not a dream, not a mocking nightmare. But an unfortunate reality. And for the first time since the attack on Fengjian, Raiden breaks down with her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you guys liked this new installment. I'm gonna try to challenge myself to make a shorter chapter mainly because the next idea and scene I have for this should be a short side thing and not a full blown epic like this.

Also, hope the fight scenes were bearable. I was honestly impressed by myself a few times, but I'm still not that confident with how I write fight scenes

~Ends notes from AO3~

Also, a little extra thing I wanted to add, but I decided to tag this a "Canon Non-Compliant" mainly because, although MK1 had a fairly short run, I figured there were probably going to be those who will be sticklers for the minute details (I say this affectionately) and I did FINALLY get around to watching Khaos Reigns and…It was eh lmao. I'm not a big fan of how Bi-Han becomes Noob Saibot, nor how they kinda didn't bother with somewhat improving the relationship between the brothers. So I figured I'd make my own reason for why Bi-Han becomes Three Days Grace, but that would mean ignoring Khaos Reigns and most of the establish seasons. So, if it wasn't already already said before, it has been said now, for those who might be "This didn't happen in canon" type of people, you might want to run as far away. Though, I'm always open to hearing how canon can still get interwoven into this story. We still got a ways to go before we get to the juicy Noob stuff!

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 #raiden #Liu Kang #Kung Lao #Geras #Smoke #tomas vrbada #mk1 raiden #mk1 liu kang #mk1 smoke #MK1 Geras #Ashrah #MK1 Ashrah #MK1 Fujin #OC: Fuji #Fuji #Wilted Cherry Blossoms Dark Thunderstorms Burning Hopes #Fire God Liu Kang #subzero #mk1 subzero #bi han #mk1 kung lao

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