An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Even in a new timeline, viles seeds do germinate.
Sub-Zero embarks on a mission to the Netherrealm to retrieve a soul in possession of great power. But this is not an undertaking he can face alone. Cruel necessity forces him to cooperate with an old foe. Suspicion hounds his every step, as Skarlet surely operates under an agenda of her own.
The voyage into Hell commences in a lonely shore...
Preview:
One night, in an ethereal recess between matter and soul, a deity befriended a mortal. It was through retaining the memory of her Mother and her Brother’s schemes in a timeline unmade that Elder God Cetrion made a fateful decision. The Elder Gods’ detachment from the living experience of mortals could only lead to ruin, even if indirectly. She humbly realised that the Thunder God Raiden had the right of it. His bond with mortals was a truer path to balance than her own steadfast allegiance to Kronika.
Thus, she reached out towards some curious soul; any may do. In doing so, her voice resonated within a man’s meditation. That man was the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei: Kuai Liang, known across the realms as Sub-Zero. In him, she found a sober mind, and a soul full of deeds and principles. Their alliance proved extraordinarily effective as a force for good. But sometimes, their talks would stray from the ever-present concerns for the welfare of the realms.
“Is there room for love in your heart, Kuai Liang?” Cetrion asked him once.
“Love gets in the way.” His tone fell strangely on her ears; his speech was often formal, but rarely cold as this.
“Love leads the way.” The Elder God declared without a doubt in her mind. She knew Sub-Zero would hear no more on the subject, yet she trusted time would prove her right.
