#twisted reflecton

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@laismoura-art Hey, Lais! Here's another blog of @apepthehero, if the Deception Konquest NPC pfp wasn't enough to recognize me lol.

As I mentioned the last time, I really have fun creating HF minis of your characters and showing them to you, so I couldn't resist making a third one! And this time it is an special one. 😁

I kinda used the camera angle to make the hair look more accurate than it is in this picture lmao. HF doesn't have anything like her hair sadly 😭

I hope this will be an enjoyable recreation of your design, which I must link for any other possible reader to discover, because it's great 💯

Now, as usual with these, I had an idea for some interactions of her with one of my characters that I hope will be interesting. The very reason why I am posting this in this other blog: today, she's meeting her counterpart from this AU... to her dipleasure lmao.

Now, for this to be understood I think I'll have to make an as quick as possible lore exposition, because this is a very different AU 😅 Basically, Twisted Reflection or the Mirror Universe (I use both names for it, because the former was an attempt to make the name of the AU less generic) is like DC's Earth-3: an AU in which the MK characters have had drastically different lives and have taken very different decisions, to the point that the usual heroes are villains and viceversa.

An important example is that in this AU, Edenia's government is based in a dictatorship, the Edenian Regime, which is currently in some sort of crusade to dictate its 'peace' across all realms. Said 'peace' is rather twisted to begin with, as I explain here. I have also established the fact that in the Regime taking children to see public executions of rebels is considered an important part of their education, so... yeah, pretty bad place ☹️

Due to plot reasons, in this AU the Shirai Ryu were conquered by the Edenian Regime some centuries ago, and the ways of the Regime were instilled in the future generations, Harumi included. She's been a loyal follower of the Regime thanks to the vastly different way in which she was raised in comparison to regular AUs, and has been especially motivated since her Hanzo's death during a mission to fight for their cause, which includes enforcing the ways of the Regime in her clan as the new Grandmistress and eventually assisting in Earthrealm itself being 'pacified' like her clan was.

As I usually do with villains in this AU, Harumi has a completely different belief system which causes her to be a villain, but I still give her some redeemable qualities to show that she's still the original one under other circumstances.

Oh, and there's the version of Cetrion in this AU I mentioned in the interactions. I didn't mention explicitly in the bio, but basically her plan is to 'purify' the realms by brainwashing everyone she doesn't like/doesn't follow her, starting by the Netherrealm. The Edenian Regime and the likes are lucky she likes them, though lol.

And alright, after those five long paragraphs of explanation lmao, here are the interactions. I hope they'll be fun! 😊

Scorpion Harumi: I see your clan and I barely recognize anything! So much of our culture is gone. Mirror Harumi: To save us from ourselves, Edenia molded us into what we should have always been. Scorpion Harumi: That’s not called saving! That’s called controlling!!!

Mirror Harumi: The massacre of your Shirai Ryu was a vile, unforgivable act. For that, you have my condolences. Scorpion Harumi: notices sincerity, despite everything. I suppose there’s at least something we can agree on… Mirror Harumi: If only you could see the path that would prevent atrocities like that from ever happening.

Scorpion Harumi: You… You make your clan’s children attend executions!? Mirror Harumi: I will never understand what you see wrong in making sure the clan’s future generations know what the fate of evil is. Scorpion Harumi: So is that how you teach them!? Fear!?

Mirror Harumi: Your new Shirai Ryu Sanctuary could fall just like your old clan. My clan could assist you in protecting it. Scorpion Harumi: I already have friends protecting it, and I don’t want people like you anywhere near it. Mirror Harumi: You speak as if I had ill intentions. I just want to help.

Scorpion Harumi: Is there anything that matters to you aside from your… ‘peace’? Mirror Harumi: Of course there is, but I must not let it distract me from my duty. Any individual life is meaningless when it comes to dictating peace. Scorpion Harumi: All lives should matter as far more than cogs!

Mirror Harumi: One of my clan’s and Edenia’s allies is Lady Cetrion. What other proof do you need that our cause is rightful? Scorpion Harumi: I have seen what your Cetrion does in the Netherrealm. Brainwashing everyone who doesn’t follow her is not what the Cetrion I follow would do, ever! Mirror Harumi: Perhaps you should question if the ways of your goddess are too naive.

Scorpion Harumi: I know for sure Nightwolf would try to teach you to let anger go away. Mirror Harumi: I am not motivated by anger, I fight to bring a better future for my clan and Earthrealm. Scorpion Harumi: You may say that to yourself, but I recognize the anger I felt after losing Hanzo better than anyone.

Mirror Harumi: I couldn’t imagine losing Satoshi too. Scorpion Harumi: I know that you mean it. I wish you could see what your Satoshi must be turning under the same system that made you… like this. Mirror Harumi: … doubts for just a moment before telling herself she must never doubt He’s what he must be, a great Shirai Ryu, an agent of peace.

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Mirror Shao Kahn/TR Shao Kahn Bio

The protector god of Outworld, humble and dedicated to the people of his realm. Shao Kahn is known for being compassive, while always ready to fight if the situation requires it.

In recent years, Shao Kahn has desperately tried to stop the constant attacks of the Edenian Regime and its allies against his realm. He has reunited multiple times with the Elder Gods and asked them to intervene, but they have always decided to keep their non-interference policy (since, unlike his counterpart’s Empire, the Edenian Regime doesn’t merge realms). This decision by his creators has really disappointed Kahn.

Although his efforts alongside those of Outworld’s different societies have been able to repel the Edenian forces, Shao pities that he is unable to help other realms which are suffering from unfair regimes. Luckily, in recent years he has found a way to help without getting directly involved.

Alongside two dear allies of his, Reiko and Kotal, Shao has been able to contact leaders of rebellions from the different realms associated with the Edenian Regime: Nitara (leader of revolutionaries in Vaeternus), Syzoth (leader of a rebellion against the current government of Zaterra), Daegon (leader of the Red Dragon, who, while not a revolutionary, is of great help to combat the Regime forces too), etc. He offers them his help in strategy and coordination, hoping he can help them enough for them to be able to liberate their realms and finally stop the conflict initiated by the Edenian Regime.

Here we have the good big bad himself.

I was going for short of a superhero vibe in his design, but maybe it has ended up looking weird lmao. Feel free to tell me your opinion in comments.

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Mirror Hotaru/TR Hotaru

For centuries, the Democratic Republic of Seido has been at peace, but on alert due to the growing campaign of the Edenian Regime and its allies to take control of the different realms. The protector god of Seido, Abacus, decided to help the elected members of the ruling Court to form a defense force in case it was needed, the Seidan Guard.

Commander Hotaru is the current leader of the Seidan Guard, inspired by the heroic deeds of those who came before him and whom he admired during his younger years. He is a dedicated person, strict but a fair leader and friend, ready to defend his realm in case the Edenian Regime or any other menace across the realms target it. Recently, with the help of a known protester called Darrius (who is against the non-interference politics of the Seidan Court in regards to the Edenian Regime's conquests) and his dear friend, former Seidan Guard and current police officer Dairou, Hotaru and the Seidan Guard have formed an alliance with the group of Chaosrealmers lead... Chaosrealmers do not have leaders, narrator! … Sorry, I mean, the Chaosrealmers who usually like being around the peaceful follower of Chaos Havik, who agrees with them that, despite their different lifestyles (which Havik actually respects, anyway), they must be ready to face together the expansionism of the Edenian Regime when the need comes, which could always be sooner than they imagine.

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Mirror Raiden/TR Raiden Bio

The protector god of Earthrealm alongside his four siblings, the gods of Wind, Fire, Water and Earth. Raiden initially decided to follow the Elder Gods’ philosophy of not intervening in the affairs of mortals so they could develop and grow themselves.

Millions of years ago, Raiden and his siblings had to break their non-interference policy due to constant territorial wars which were escalating between different groups of the Raptors (future Zaterrans) and threatened to damage Earthrealm. Unfortunately, they were too late, and a catastrophic event (not defined for now, but would probably be a soulnado caused by an evil ancient sorcerer among raptors) caused the extinction of the dinosaurs and the Raptors having to move to the realm of Zaterra. This event deeply affected Raiden. He blamed himself and swore he wouldn’t let anything like that happen ever again.

When new intelligent life developed in Earthrealm in the form of humans, Raiden decided to intervene much more in their way this time. While mostly allowing them to develop their own society, he reunited many of them to follow the White Lotus, an organization which takes care of eliminating any threat to Earthrealm Raiden perceives. While initially well-intentioned, his methods have slowly become more and more questionable with the passage of time.

Raiden had always felt conflicted about the Edenian Regime. On the one hand, he still wished to let the mortals he cared about the free lives they deserved. On the other hand, the Regime was fully trusted by his old friend Argus and his family, and he couldn’t deny that their ways to preserve ‘peace’ and dealing with menaces were tempting.

The inner conflict of Raiden grew when the Edenian Regime started its ‘pacification’. The rulers of the Regime constantly tried to form an alliance with him and the White Lotus, proposing they could help bring ‘peace’ to Earthrealm. While he believed he shouldn’t intervene with the paths of other realms and remained neutral for centuries, the temptation for the Edenians’ promises grew until it was too much. He agreed to their alliance under the condition that every action the Edenian forces take in Earthrealm will need his approval.

The White Lotus is currently the main Earthrealm ally of the Regime alongside the members of the Golden Dragon, and they could prove essential participants in the conflict sooner or later.

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Mirror Mileena/TR Mileena Bio

The younger Princess of Edenia. She was once created alongside her sisters, Skarlet and Kyoko, through magic means, provided to Queen Sindel and King Jerrod by some of their allies, the Kreeyans, who had long ago acquired the knowledge of a magic capable of creating life. The purpose of their creation was giving the Edenian Regime even more capable future leaders who would be needed during the process of ‘pacification’, which was the reason why Mileena, alongside her sister Kyoko, was given part of the DNA of a Tarkatan, people of Outworld who were famous for an exceptional capability for combat.

The royal family took the three recently created children, and they formed part of their family from that day on. For the rulers, they were all daughters who they cared for just as much as they did for Kitana, and for the Princess, they were sisters she loved dearly, and they were of the few she could talk about her worries without shame. Mileena was also raised to be an excellent servant of the Edenian Regime while she was given all the love she needed by her family, she really felt like it was all perfect… until her family started to break.

Her youngest sister, Princess Kyoko, started to doubt what they were doing, the methods they used for peace. She eventually decided she didn’t want to take part in it anymore, and expressed it to her parents. They were disappointed, and they expressed it to their daughter, but they loved her and decided to allow her not to take part in their missions of ‘pacification’ and just stay living in the palace. Mileena was very concerned about her sister, but decided to keep focusing on her responsibilities, believing Kyoko would be capable of dealing with her own problems. There is no day she doesn’t regret that decision.

Kyoko eventually ran away from their home because, as she said to her family in a note which devastated every single one of them, ‘she could not keep enjoying the luxuries of a palace knowing the means through the were obtained’. She was never heard from again from what Mileena knows, and every family member dealt with it in their own way.

While Kitana and Skarlet tried to keep focusing on their duties as a way of distracting themselves and not thinking about what had happened, Mileena decided she wanted to discover more about what had made her sister abandon them. She started to go to the places Kyoko used to frequent, and she discovered it soon. When she went out of the most privileged zones of Edenia, all she could see in citizen’s eyes once they saw her was fear, fear that the minimal transgression of an Edenian law in front of their princess would ruin their entire lives. Doubts started to raise in the princess as she realized this. That wasn’t just how the Edenian people, but also everyone in their ally realms actually felt under ‘peace’?

Doubts started to invade Mileena just as they invaded Kyoko, but she decided to keep them hidden for the sake of their family, who would start to fear the story would repeat, and her still strong loyalty to the Edenian Regime’s ideals. Little she knows that those doubts may lead to drastic changes in her life.

For this AU I am honored to use a version of Kyoko, an OC of my friend @odie1441 :)

Go to watch her stuff, btw, it's awesome!

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Mirror Khameleon/TR Khameleon Bio

Khameleon was born in Zaterra during the rule of its previous monarch, King Tetsurri. She grew to become a Zaterran patriot who joined her realm's army in order to protect her people. She ended up meeting and becoming a friend of the then known as Supreme General Sytholin, who she started to serve as one of her loyal soldiers since then. Her abilities in the battlefield earned her a place as Sytholin's second-in-command.

The ideology of Sytholin was to protect Zaterra from external menaces at all cost. She despised every potential threat to the peace in her society, and wanted to eliminate them all. Soldiers like Khameleon shared the intentions of their leader, but they were limited by King Tetsurri and most other members of the Zaterran court, who considered some of their methods, especially her suggestions to intervene in other realms affairs just because certain groups in them had the potential to be a threat, too extreme. Despite their disagreement, both Sytholin and Khameleon respected the decisions of their leaders... until their meeting with Queen Sindel, that is.

Sindel secretly reunited with Sytholin and Khameleon due to their reputation, she knew that, unlike the softer ruler of Zaterra, they could be good allies. She spoke to them about the eternal 'peace' she wanted to establish in every realm, about how Zaterra could be as free from crime and evil as Edenia was, according to her, if they only allied. All they needed to do was getting rid of their current rulers and establish a new government by themselves. Despite doubting at first due to how it could affect their realm, Sindel's words ended up convincing them that her eternal 'peace' would be worth some sacrifices.

A militar rebellion against Tetsurri and the rest of the government silently started to form until it fully exploded. Eventually, Sytholin herself killed Tetsurri and became the new Queen of Zaterra. Sytholin didn't think it twice before naming Khameleon Supreme General of her armies, knowing her friend was worthy of it.

Nowadays Khameleon still follows her queen and Zaterra's new government loyally, willing to do what is needed to what she sees as protecting her realm, including helping the Edenian Regime in their 'pacification' of all other realms so all possible external menaces are gone forever.

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Mirror Agile/TR Agile Bio

A young Vampire who, as all children of her realm, was raised and educated to have an idealized vision of her realm’s government and army. As such, once she had the appropriate age she decided to enlist in Vaternus’ army, where she would meet her idol and close friend in the form of her superior, Nitara.

When Queen Valentina reached the throne of Vaeternus and established an alliance with the Edenian Regime, Agile followed her queen with no question and took part in many battles of the ‘pacification’ of Outworld. She even took many times to talk with Nitara for her doubts on Valentina’s decisions, reminding her what they had been taught all their lives, they had to fully trust their ruler’s wisdom and follow her without questioning.

Agile would be torn apart the day Nitara deserted. All of the sudden, the person she admired the most was declared a traitor, ‘the worst type of criminal’, by Queen Valentina herself, and she was ordered alongside the rest of her fellow soldiers to capture her, dead or alive. While her sense of absolute loyalty made her keep following said orders without apparent questioning, deep down Agile was conflicted, which would be shown in the most crucial moment.

Nitara was found by Agile and other soldiers when she was about to escape Vaeternus. It was when she saw her friend desperately trying to avoid capture that she couldn’t take it anymore. Acting on impulse, she turned against her fellow soldiers and helped Nitara escape through a portal to another realm, but she was knocked out and captured by new arriving soldiers before she could follow her. Now considered a traitor too, she was condemned to be imprisoned for the rest of her life.

As a prisoner, Agile was forced to perform all kinds of exhausting hard labors in poor conditions, being now considered deserving of suffering for the rest of her life by the government she had once served with all her being. Seeing how much other prisoners, many who turned out to be more ‘humane’ than she could have ever imagined, had been suffering there also started to make her open her eyes, see what kind of things she had been assisting in for so much time…

Fortunately for Agile, she would have another chance to make things right. When Nitara started her rebellion, she organized a prison breakout knowing that there would be many allies for her cause there. To her joy, when the breakout succeeded, she found out that her old friend was there. Agile cheered being free and reunited with Nitara, and decided to join her rebellion when offered the chance, now wishing to free Vaeternus from their current tyrannical system.

Another revolutionary ready to fight to the very end, she will surely be a great problem for Queen Valentina.

An OC created by my good friend Skyla, who has given me permission to use her. ❤️ Here there is her Twitter, you can find the amazing stuff she does there! https://x.com/SkylerP70474845

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Mirror Reiko/TR Reiko

Nowadays known as the Hero of Outworld, Reiko was once a simple citizen of a peaceful village of his realm. Life in his village wasn’t always easy, however, given that in a world with as many conflicts as Outworld, many violent individuals such as warlords or menaces from other realms constantly threatened to harm his village and its inhabitants… but they always managed to persevere thanks to the efforts of its warriors accompanied by the dutiful and compassive protector god of their realm, Shao Kahn. Reiko was thankfully able to grow up happily alongside his family.

During his younger years, Reiko developed admiration for Shao Kahn due to his heroic acts and the way he helped people of Outworld, which led him to follow his example by becoming an Outworld in order to protect his home village. Reiko proved quite an admirable soldier, respected and beloved by all his fellow citizens.

When the humanoid Dragon Onaga decided to negotiate an alliance with multiple Outworld communities, Reiko saw his good intentions and advised the leaders of his village to accept Onaga’s offer, which they ended up doing. He became a known warrior among the forces of Onaga’s alliance, eventually acquiring the rank of General.

Due to the recent attempts of the Edenian Regime to conquer Outworld, Reiko has decided to form his own special group among Onaga’s alliance, the Kahn Guard, with which he has done everything in his power to protect Outworld’s citizens in these times of war. It has actually been during these recent times that he has been known as a Hero throughout Outworld, as well as an annoyance and threat by the Edenian Regime and its allies. 

Reiko is always ready to defend his home realm and hopes to be eventually able to put an end to the Edenian Regime’s aggressions with the help of his allies.