Letters with Liutana
Absence
A/N – Set in the original timeline between MK4 and Deadly Alliance
Kitana's life was nearly perfect, and she could hardly believe it.
It had been nearly two years since Edenia was suddenly invaded and overrun with Shinnok and his hordes; and only three since Edenia was finally freed from Outworld. The realm was still vulnerable, still fragile and a bit broken from the previous battle, but it was growing in stability by the hour. Kitana worked hard to make it so, as did her mother and their loyal subjects, even those that were wary of them and their ties to those who destroyed their world in the first place. There was some tension at Assembly meetings and with a few regional lords, but all were willing to cooperate to meet a common goal; a free and secure kingdom where it's citizens could thrive. And every time Kitana peered through the window of the Royal Carriage and saw her people bustling about, smiling and laughing and working, they seemed to being doing just that. At times she would even don a cloak and plain clothes to walk among them herself, conversing with some on occasion as well, hearing their insights and experiences in a candid way that she would not dressed in all her royal finery. For the most part, Edenia's people were happy. And thusly, Kitana was happy.
Her life was nearly perfect…
Nearly…
But there was one last thing she wished could fall into place. One thing… one person she longed for more than anything else. And every time she pictured his tender smile, loving eyes and calm, warm voice reassuring her, a pang of longing tightened her chest.
It had been almost two years since the Kitana had last seen her beloved Liu Kang, and with each day that passed the void he left behind seemed to grow larger. She did well to mask her pain from those around her, disguised it by feigning being lost in thought or masking it with smiles. Her work helped, Elder's knew she often had mountains of scrolls to read through a day. And she also had dignitaries and other members of the court she entertained nearly on a daily basis. Their feedback, eloquent suggestions and even angry demands did well occupy her time, focus her energy. And during the rarer times when she was not working, she trained hard. She'd spend hours in her private training hall, practicing her katas or sometimes sparring with Jade until her muscles burned and she nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
But at night, the time that Kitana found herself drowning in introspection, his face would appear again.
Liu Kang… she had probably spent all of a month with him if she accumulated every actual moment in each other's presence, and yet the profundity of her bond with him could not be escaped or denied. She loved him in a way she never imagined herself capable of loving anyone. It was pure, acute, insatiable and frightening… and as of late very, very painful. Looking back, she wondered if they had been doomed from the very start, a hopeless cause never meant to be pursued. They were literally of two different worlds, bound to two starkly different lives. He was the Champion of Earthrealm, and she was the very "daughter" of his enemy. Yet somehow, what initially was an alliance forged to achieve a common goal became a relationship that utterly changed her life. And even more remarkable to the former assassin was that Liu loved her in turn. He never said the actual words, nor had she, but it was evident in every action. In every word of encouragement, every smile, every touch of her hand or shoulder, embrace, and the few kisses that graced each other's lips. It was in how he sided with her without question, always believed in her, defended her, sometimes even with his life. She felt undeserving of such love, given the horrific things she had done in her long life, and yet he gave it to her unconditionally.
Kitana never dreamed she would find something like that. And she was unwaveringly certain she would never find it again.
And so his absence was ever felt, ever mourned, ever aching. And yet somehow Kitana found the pain comforting; a permanent reminder of what once was, something sacred and cherished that she would hold onto forever.
And it kindled the smallest, slightest hope that perhaps… one day in the future, she and Liu Kang could have the chance to rejoin their love again.
GASP!
That's right folks, I'm not dead.
I apologize for leaving you guys high and dry, but alas my life has kind of moved away from the fan community… mostly. But as I've finally managed to get a hold of Office instead of crappy WordPad, I felt a bit inspired. IDK if it's quite enough to resume my old, unfinished works (yet...), but I think I can crank out a few random bits. I haven't written this way in a while so I gotta knock the dust off. So here's to me attempting to get back into the swing. I hope to have a new chapter corresponding to a word matching letters in the alphabet at least once a week.
So with that being said, I'll see you in the next one!