Disclaimer: OK peeps. Sub Zero and the rest of the gang aint mine. Though I sure wish I had Sub Zero around. He old but still cool! Oh and Raimei is mine! Touch and feel my wrath! Anyhow. Uhm… this takes place I guess during the Deadly Alliance. I'm stupid so if stuffz in this story aren't correct based on the game… email me! I need corrections! They're a good thing! Now! On to the story!

Wandering Mistress

She sighed softly to herself as she walked along. Her long locks of ivory hair extending well past her hip and continuing down her long legs to mid-thigh. A part in the front allowing two chunks of that long hair to fall in the front, over the sides of her cheeks, extending down to her hip. Eyes of gold stared down at her bare feet, the tops of which where covered by her hip hugging jeans that flared out a bit at the bottom. A tight, white 3/4s-sleeved shirt covered her from her collarbone to her belly button, leaving her fragile, cream flesh unprotected against the cold winter air. Her hands rested inside her jeans pockets having found no better place to remain. She looked up from the ground, her eyes finding her destination was still a ways away. Of course there where other, faster options of transportation yet she had had a rough time escaping from the institute earlier and just wanted to relax for awhile.

The thought kept leaping into her mind, how they considered her mentally insane and a threat to the human society fairly because she had gifts. Sure she was a threat, but not to human society well once she's gotten to her destination and gotten some answers she'd no longer be a threat. But she certainly wasn't insane! Those golden eyes of hers traced upwards to watch the dark night sky. A streak of lightning flaring across the indigo cloud painted sky caught her attention. She heard no thunder and felt no rain, and never before had she seen a heat storm in this area. They where beyond rare, they where non-existent. Her now self-walking feet stopped as she continued to stare up at the sky. The rhythm created by her steps was now broken and dead, never to be reborn again for every beginning created a new rhythm. An orange hue graced itself over the sidewalk from the awakening streetlights, forcing her to blink and redirect her mind from its distractions. Rest time was over; she now knew what all she needed to do and walking wasn't one of them. With that she stepped off, her feet taking on that new rhythm.

A new beat of fast paced steps as she sprinted forward, sidestepping here and there to dodge people. One of her rules was to make absolutely no contact with other people. Whether it be through flesh, cloth, or mental/emotional issues, she preferred to be alone. She had been hurt in the past, her emotional feelings burned beyond their own living regulations. She stopped running and stood before what looked to be a temple, yet when one looked up the one tall tower that resided at a side of the temple, they only saw the clouds. It seemed everyone else disregarded the building, paying it no mind even though it looked like it came from the dynasty era. She shrugged and stepped up to the door, raising her hand to knock yet hesitating for a moment.

Thoughts began to fill her mind, caressing her brain with complex, meaningless and stupid questions that she normally wouldn't have bothered to worry about. Although, it was strange how she just escaped from an institute and then found herself standing at the door to an old temple, drawn to it by the flashes of lightning that seemed to stray from its lone tower. She didn't know why she was there. She merely had a gut feeling, telling her that she belonged there. Something inside her told her that someone in that old, probably unstable tower could show her to the light. Yet what would she say? The questions continued to flood her brain and before she knew it she had already knocked on the door once. One could say it was accidental, she meant only to put her hand down to really think things through, yet before she could walk away to play it off, the door was open.

She looked up at the tall man that stood before her. He gazed at her with a stern yet welcoming look that had a hint of seriousness to it. As though he didn't get company much and never expected it, yet was a kind man. His long black hair was pulled up into a ponytail that rested close to the top of the back of his head. Old clothing of Chinese decent maybe adorned his muscular figure. Dirty-white, baggy pants hung loosely underneath his grey, long sleeved tunic like shirt. He was no muscle man, but had that definite masculine figure that so many of the other "men" in the area lacked.

" Uhm ... I uhm..." she could barely stutter out anything as she looked up at him, seeming shocked for no real reason. The man's stern face grew gentle as he smiled at her and stepped out of the door way to allow her entrance into the temple like building, closing the door behind her as she did. He then turned and started walking away, motioning for her to follow, which, naturally, she did. It was then that she found a reason to be shocked. A large hat rimmed with a steel blade was tied to his neck and hanging loosely at his back. She swallowed down the dryness in her mouth and the nervousness that resided within her and continued to follow him, down a quiet hall and into a door-less room. She looked up as she walked through the stone doorframe wondering why no door rested in the frame. She shook the thought from her mind and looked straight after bumping into the man's arm and shoulder, thank God he turned sideways. They now stood before another man. Great.

She took a moment to secretively study the new guy. Yet another man dressed in an ancient (maybe) Chinese outfit. An odd hat made of some bronze metal rested atop his head. His hair was hidden completely from view both by the hat or the cloth that clung tight to his neck and back of his head like a hood. She then made the mistake of looking at his eyes, nothing. Pure whiteness, no pupils, no iris, just whiteness. It freaked her out. She attempted to find something else about him out of the ordinary and ignore the white eyes but her mind couldn't get away from them. Electric bolts flared about his body, she could relate to it but anyone else would be more frightened from this than his white eyes. She then heard his thunderous voice.

"Raimei Shimofuri, correct." his deep and non-fitting voice vibrated inside her ears, more or less stating then asking. She nodded an answer feeling a bit alienated. How'd he know her name? But then again, that's always the question being asked isn't it. She felt that dryness in her throat again and tried to swallow it down but to no avail, she was either too shocked or actually too scared to do anything. She felt semi-comfortable around him partly because he had the same power she had. Well something like it anyhow. Yet she remained scared, no maybe just nervous. She didn't scare that easily. She thought about it for a moment and realized she really was just nervous. There was nothing in here scary besides these two tall, muscular men standing at her side and in front of her.

"So you came, Excellent. Follow me" more orders spilled from his lips before he walked past her and back into that big, quiet hallway. The three of them went down into the hallway even farther, she was surprised to see that the temple was this long. He stopped at another door less doorframe, this time it was a double door less doorframe. Inside the temperature seemed to drop a bit from a comfortable warm to a "wear a jacket" coolness. She wasn't too bothered by it, another trait of hers, didn't get cold. She noticed another man was standing before a large concrete brick that was mounted up on a stand of some sort, made with two blocks of wood that was placed so the brick had space under it. He just stood there for a moment, concentrating. She was too busy watching him to look him over.

She blinked away for a moment and studied him as she had the others. He was different, clad in some black pants and an odd trouser looking top. Weird overalls, she thought to herself, yet she paid her mind no attention as she continued to watch him. He was tall (or maybe she was just short!) yet not as tall as ol' white eyes beside her. His build wasn't hidden by cloth as the others where. A firm chest, well-toned abs and a pair of muscular arms like there were none. She haphazardly avoided looking at his head for now, fear of more white eyes maybe, but back to his buffed arms. His arms looked familiar, they where different, as if from another world. First glance you would think he were wearing light blue/ cyan gloves that traced up to his biceps then faded away. It was until she saw the condensation flowing from his arms that she realized where she knew them from but she forced herself to look on instead of think anymore about that. She noticed he had a semi purplish complexion. As if he had been swimming in the frigid waters of the arctic and just came out. It wasn't too noticeable, just something that you'd see after staring for a minute or so. She then braced herself and looked at his head. He looked normal enough; just old. His hair was gray and slicked back, probably with water. He didn't look like the type to really care about his hair. She noticed the blue scar on his right eye that went from his forehead to the bottom of his cheek. It seemed to just look like a clan marking. His wrinkly forehead assisted in giving away his possible elderliness.

She went back to watching him preparing and good thing too, for just as she looked away from his face, he raised his hand and slammed it down into the brick, slicing it in half faster then she could blink. She couldn't even study his form, to that she grunted with disappointment. He looked up at the three of them with a serious look upon his age worn face. The man beside her, white eyes as she thought of him, suddenly moved, changing directions from facing the icy guy to facing her.

"Raimei. Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Raiden, the elder god of thunder." he gave a small respectful bow before continuing. He motioned to the other man next to her whom she met when she first arrived." this is Kung Lao and that is your new trainer and guardian, Sub-Zero."

A look of complete confusion and utter shock befell her face. Her new what? The icy man, Sub-Zero, had stepped up to her and had nodded to her a hello. He seemed to force a comforting smile or grin, it was probably fake but it worked. Her nerves rested and she began to calm down enough to allow herself to utter out a few words.

" Training for what?" she continued to stare dumb foundedly at Sub-Zero through her question was directed to no one or everyone.

" That, we shall find out." Sub Zero held his inviting hand out to her yet she remained still. His gentle expression changed to a bit of confusion as to why she wouldn't take his hand. He looked to Raiden for a moment then nodded and dropped his hand. " Well then, follow me." Sub Zero turned around, walking to the other side of the room to what seemed to be one of the few doors in the place. She did as told once more and followed him as he opened the door and let her go outside first. They continued to walk, just her and Sub Zero, until they came to a brook. She had never noticed the woods before and had no idea that there was actually natural running water in the woods she never knew existed. She stopped behind him and tilted her upper body, putting her weight on her left leg, and looked up at him, able to see part of his face, the side anyhow. She was ready to say something but then he looked at her and motioned for her to stand next to him, which she did. Then he spoke.

" Now begins your quest"