Prologue
"Jin Kazama. Awaken."
He opened his eyes slowly. Looking around at his surroundings, Jin guessed he was in some sort of garden. Something was off though; he felt as if the area was almost too peaceful. For one thing, it was eerily quiet; the only thing Jin could hear was the sound of his feet moving through the shallow water beneath him. The place also seemed endless as he could see no change of scenery for as far as his eyes could look.
He wondered if he was dead.
It was then that Jin decided to chance looking at his right arm. To his disdain, the mark of the devil was still branded on him.
"So I'm cursed to live this way even in the afterlife..."
"You are not dead."
Jin looked in the direction in which he heard the voice. Suddenly, he was startled by a brief but powerful flash of lightning that struck only about a few feet away from him. It was so powerful that Jin had been knocked off his feet completely. As he got up slowly, he noticed there was a figure standing where the lightning had struck.
He was a rather large man, larger than Jin at least, and was wearing white robes covered partially by a light blue tunic. He was also wearing a blue cape that hung off his shoulders and a conical hat that partially shadowed his face. As he looked at Jin, his eyes seemed to be glowing blue and radiating electricity. In fact, he constantly had a faint aura of electricity surrounding his entire body. Despite all this, Jin strangely felt no danger from this man, and actually felt compelled to speak with him.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Raiden. I am the protector of the realm of Earth, and god of thunder."
If it hadn't been for his intimidating appearance, Jin would have naturally scoffed at what Raiden had just told him. However, he also knew better than anyone that the existence of the supernatural was not an impossibility, and so he conceded to finding out more about his current situation.
"Fine. What is this place?"
Raiden looked the slightest bit annoyed at Jin's unenthusiastic response to his introduction. Perhaps he was used to people usually regarding him with more respect. Jin however, cared little about his own fate anymore, and over time this had manifested itself in his attitude towards other people.
"This garden is a figment of your imagination, Jin. It is the physical representation of the last remaining purity in your soul. The rest of your being has been tainted due to the corrupt nature of your own lineage."
"Am I dreaming then?"
Raiden nodded, "Yes. Although unlike normal dreams, no one has access to this place except for yourself, otherworldly entities such as myself, and those close enough to you that help keep this garden clear of evil."
Jin closed his eyes and sighed, "I can only think of one person."
Raiden seemed to fully understand who Jin was referring to, "Would you like to see her again?"
Jin looked down at his arm and sighed, "I don't know anymore. I used to think that if I could find my mother then I could be truly happy and live a solitary life with her, but now I don't even think that's possible."
"Because of the devil gene in your blood?"
He nodded.
Raiden turned away from him looked into the garden's endless scenery, "Tell me Jin...what do you know about the devil gene?"
"I know that I obtained it from my father Kazuya, and that it is constantly battling me for control over my body and will. I also know that it keeps me from dying, even if I have to endure the worst situations."
Raiden turned his head slightly, although his back was still turned to Jin, "Do you wish to die?"
Jin nodded, "I have nothing else to live for."
"Even if your mother was still alive?"
At this, Jin said nothing. That was a question he had been asking himself more and more as of late.
Raiden turned back towards him, "I am not going to leave you in the dark, Jin. Your mother, Jun, is still alive. After the assault from the beast known as Ogre, she narrowly escaped with her own life, but at a terrible cost. She noticed that she too had somehow been branded by the devil. As such, your mother decided to embark on the same quest that you have been on for some time – she decided that she would distance herself from others in an attempt to try and purify her soul once again. While doing this, she learned of how Heihachi betrayed you, Jinpachi's resurrection and your control of the Mishima Zaibatsu. She now resides deep in the mountains in Japan, honing her skills until she deems herself strong enough to wipe out the Mishima clan for good and save both of your souls."
It wasn't shocking to Jin that his mother was alive. In fact, on some level Jin had subconsciously known this, but decided to suppress these feelings as he felt that he himself was too corrupt to ever be worthy of seeing her again. There was one thing he didn't understand however.
"Why did she not act sooner if she already knew of what I have been through with the Mishimas?"
Raiden looked away, "I am uncertain. If I had to guess, I would say it was because she thought that you would denounce them and follow her example, but then when you took over the Zaibatsu she finally decided to take action."
Jin sighed, "Raiden, why are you telling me all of this?"
Raiden looked back at Jin, his piercing electric blue eyes focused on him intently, "Because I need your help, Jin."
Jin shook his head immediately, "I will not put others in danger. I have done that enough for one lifetime. If you want me to fight, you've come to the wrong person. I will fight the evil in my veins until the very last, but no longer will I do it while endangering the innocent."
Raiden didn't even seem phased in the slightest at Jin's immediate rejection of his plea. "What if you were fighting to protect the innocent instead?"
Jin allowed himself a single laugh, "Leave that to the true heroes. I can't be the only one worthy of that task."
"You're not."
Jin quirked his eyebrow slightly, a bit more intrigued now. Raiden continued explaining.
"I know why you care little for your own life now, Jin. Fate has been cruel to you. It has robbed you of the hope in your life and caused your mind to be consumed with thoughts of revenge. As a god, I am not allowed to interfere with the fates of humans, but I am able to guide you. And by that, I mean I can tell you how to get rid of what caused the tragic turn your life to occur in the first place."
Jin's eyes widened slightly, "The devil gene..."
Raiden nodded, "Yes. When your father made a deal with the 'devil' all those years ago, the spirit that appeared before him was in fact not the devil at all. It was a manifestation of a being known as Shinnok, a fallen elder god, extremely powerful sorcerer and my sworn enemy. Shinnok saw the weakness in Kazuya in that particular moment, and made him a false promise to get revenge on his father. His real reason for doing this was so that he could fill your world with enough evil so that his influence could allow him to control this realm for himself. Up until now, he has been biding his time, waiting for the right moment to seize your world for himself and merge it with both his own realm and the realm of his ally, a man known as Shao Kahn."
Jin was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed, "I didn't even know there were other realms. What does all this have to do with me?"
Raiden didn't say anything to this, but instead turned around and spread out his hands. In one fluid motion, he projected some electricity from his hands into the empty area in front of him, which started to literally rip apart the reality of the garden and replace it with a new scene. The two men were now standing in what seemed like a more realistic mountainous region. It seemed gentle, and there was a cabin not too far off in the woods. Suddenly, two figures emerged from the cabin and Jin realized them to be him and his mother. Both were laughing and walking together throughout the woods, and Jin realized that his other self seemed to finally be at peace. He also noticed that the mark on this other Jin's arm was nowhere to be seen.
"This is the life I can promise you Jin. If you get rid of the devil gene in your blood by defeating Shinnok, you can reunite with your mother properly and live the life you always wanted. Not to mention you would be saving Earthrealm from complete destruction in the process."
Jin looked long and hard at the scene before him. He and his mother looked so happy...this was his life until he was 15. Sometimes, the only thing that kept him going was his memories of his peaceful life with his mother, and he often wondered if he would ever get to experience it again. Indeed, he longed for this life more than anything else, but had come to the conclusion that it was impossible because of the devil's influence. But now Raiden had come and exposed Jin to the truth, and provided him with an opportunity to finally have peace and meaning in his life. With that realization, Jin decided that he would either seize this opportunity, or die trying.
"What do I need to do?"
Raiden grinned slightly, truly pleased for the first time since they met, "First of all, I would like you to realize that you are not alone in this endeavor. For many years I have assembled Earthrealm's greatest warriors to combat any threats that befall it. Despite his overwhelming power, Shinnok and Shao Kahn are unable to just seize this realm outright. They must earn in through a contest called Mortal Kombat. Think of it as The King of Iron Fist Tournament, except that it is not uncommon for people to die in this particular competition. But if you are able to emerge victorious and defeat Shinnok, then our realm is spared and the devil gene will cease to exist."
Jin simply nodded. He was no longer afraid of death, and had seen enough in his life to accept anything that might happen to him in Mortal Kombat. The only thing that he could feel at the moment was determination. "So who will I be fighting alongside? And where is this tournament?"
Raiden sighed, "Although it pains me to say it, the tournament this time will be held in Outworld – the realm ruled by Shao Kahn and home to some of the most savage of the tournament's competitors. You will be fighting alongside the greatest that your realm has to offer. Some of these warriors you know, and some you do not. But what you must remember is if they are from Earthrealm, then they are your ally. As the tournament progresses you will need to work together to bring down some of the more brutal opponents."
"Will you be helping us, Raiden?"
Raiden shook his head, "Unfortunately, I am unable to assist you as it is forbidden due to my status as a god. Shinnok however, became mortal after I had defeated him many years ago, but that does not mean he will be an easy opponent. Throughout the tournament I will be there to assist all of you in any way that I can. As protector of Earthrealm it is my sworn duty to make sure that those who harm this world are destroyed. But I will need your help."
Jin looked back at his other self and his mother. They were sitting together on the grass near a river, skipping stones and chatting up a storm.
I will see you again, mother. I will win this tournament for you.
"I accept your invitation, Raiden."
Raiden genuinely smiled, "I am very pleased with your decision, Jin Kazama. With you on our side, I have faith that we shall save Earthrealm from complete destruction once again. I will now release you from your subconscious. When you awake, there will be a portal in front of you. Summon all of your courage and walk through it, Jin. From there, your journey begins. Good luck."
With that, the a fierce bolt of lightning once again flashed in front of Jin, and he took one last look at him and his mother before he finally awoke.
Looking around at his new surroundings, Jin found himself in the middle of a desert. Not far away he saw the ruins of the temple that once housed the demon Azazel, who he had managed to destroy before falling unconscious. Soon after, a swirling pool of light appeared before him, beckoning him to enter.
My cursed bloodline ends here. I'm coming for you, Shinnok.
With that, Jin walked into the light, a smirk on his face for the time in years.
A/N: Well, there you have it! Where does this mysterious portal lead? And who is going to be fighting alongside Jin as he attempts to destroy Shinnok and Shao Kahn? Stay tuned and review!