Facets

"Peace can only be achieved when the last drop of blood falls from the last warrior on the battlefield..."


Reptile, Kotal, D'Vorah, Ermac sat in the lobby of a hotel. From the outside nondescript, but the inner chambers spoke of wealth. Gems shimmered in the very architecture, golden pillars glittered. Even the beams above their heads were aglow, the carpets beneath their feet woven silk. A small yet perfect place for important matters. The four spoke of usurpation. Mileena's rule crippled the realm, she cared not for her people, her duties. Only she mattered, deeming herself 'important'. People dropped dead around her carriage, and she 'tried' to appear caring. Their downfall did not phase her. Saying 'Boo hoo, poor you' to the people who begged for assistance wasn't in her nature. Only glory and the spoils of war were what had her unnatural, dead eyes gleaming in delight...


A slight cough alerted the group to another presence. D'Vorah stood, bowed at the knee and left the room.


"Kara?"

Kara heard a strange tone utter her name. A chirp? A squeal? An odd utterance, all the same. She stood, seeing a slim woman approach her, skin yellow, eyes shimmering varying shades of grey, spectrum shifting constantly. She found them terrifying, yet strangely alluring. Almost pretty.

If you skipped the spiked tendrils that were protruding from her back, anticipating. Kara knew it was trepidation. She could attack them if she wished. After all, she was from Earthrealm, and, from wandering around the realm, she'd heard that where she came from, their people were barbarians. They cared not for diplomacy, rules, regulations. She had zero idea where anyone got those views from, but knew she had a point to prove. Also, she knew both of her positions in her realm would hold some weight here.

She just wasn't sure how much, and if her weight would snap the ever thinning threads that were the Reiko Accords, the only thing keeping war from erupting between Outworld and Earthrealm...


D'Vorah eyed the young woman, ill intent clear. She did not like humans, that was for sure. Kara gave a small smile, following, but giving the other woman a wide berth.


She walked up the stairs, almost bumping into a tall, wide man at the top. She stopped abruptly, backing up, hands up, posture defensive. D'Vorah clicked. Kara saw her shake her head. She followed the hive queen's gaze and saw, what she assumed was the man to usurp Mileena.

Only, he didn't look like a mere man, his aura did not feel like the average human either. Odd golden runes covered his chest and abdomen. Tattoos? She couldn't be sure, but, what she could glean was they were runes from a bygone era. If she was correct, that would make him a few hundred years old. This intrigued her, mind wondering which part of history he came from.

She bowed her head automatically as the man stood. He walked towards her, topping her by at least a foot. She coughed and craned her neck.


"Kara Amakura?"

The small woman before him nodded, blowing hair out of her face as she lifted her head.

"Ko, er, Ko'atal is it? Or Koa'tal? Also, do I bow or not?"

A combination of hissing and tutting down her ear made her shudder, moving her head away from the sound. Kotal directed a shake of his head in his friend's direction. D'Vorah squinted, walked around the two and sat next to Reptile, the chirping in greeting.

"That matters not. Why is a human here? What is she contributing?"

Kara flinched. Kotal looked over his shoulder.

"D'Vorah, this woman represents Earthrealm. The Reiko Accords matter, they include Earthrealm, therefore, her presence is necessary".

Kara frowned, a split second of annoyance. She? Her? She had a name. She is the cat's mother...

She coughed. "I don't know if this matters or not, but, I'm a demi-God. I can help against Rain", she stuttered, "he is one too".

Kotal looked at her disbelievingly.


A demi-God? He towered over her, a pillar of strength, the runes upon his body a testament to his power, his status. The woman before him looked like a child, nothing said 'God' to him, nothing emanated from her, nothing for mortals to be in awe of. In his time, mortals praised him, giving him their devotion, love. Did this 'God' receive any of that on Earthrealm?

Even her clothes spoke 'human'. She wore robes, but no armor, no gold, no bones of her enemies, no trophy skins of her prey.

Did she not hunt? Display her strength? Did she not dominate over her people in any way? This woman was not a 'Goddess' to him. She was a meek little human attempting to be a Goddess...


Much to his surprise, Kara called his bluff.

I'm telepathic. You need a better shield on your mind.

She moved up onto the balls of her feet.

Also, I don't desire worship. Compared to you, I am just a 'mortal'. I still have Goddess blood in my veins. Oh, and, Earthrealm's people are not 'my' people. And, its Kara, NOT she...her.

She bowed, a slight smirk on her lips.

"Excuse me"...


The task of sitting was easy. The task of working out who to sit next to, without her body being used for target practise wasn't.

Acid dripped from Reptile's fangs, so, he was out. Flesh burning, then rotting off wasn't on her agenda.

D'Vorah looked as if she was itching to kick her face in. That, and the young woman could distinctly hear, bugs? Flies? Some sort of buzzing followed the woman as she walked by. Death by insects didn't appeal to her either.

By Ermac? She could hear several voices in his head, they swirled around, misting his 'mind'. Sitting by him would distress her, she'd learned to tune out most people's thoughts, training in crowded places from when she was young, honing her skills. Still, the soulmancer's aura was off, all over the place, swaying, as if heavy, drunk. Feeling inebriated? Kara would give that a miss. She needed a clear head here, not have it filled with screams of frustration and pain...


The Lin Kuei acolyte perched herself on the arm of the empty couch, which was as far as she could get away from her new 'friends', and the would-be Emperor when he sat.

"Tell me what you know of Mileena".

Kara pursed her lips. "Not much, other than she is a clone of Princess Kitana, of Edenia. She is currently a revenent, for the sorceror Quan Chi, alongside my", she stopped, unwilling to speak her brain's chosen next words. Kotal broke the silence.

"Revenents?"

Kara's gaze shifted to the curtains of the balcony.

"Puppets, so to speak. Soulless husks. They look and sound like who they are, but they certainly don't act like them". She recalled, with a grimace Sub-Zero, or, the shadow of his former self attacking her, almost succeeding in encasing her head in ice, before she broke free and ran like her ass was on fire.

When she found out Smoke hadn't had this fate, despite him being mechanized, and what he had done to her, she cried, tears of both grief and relief.

"My master is one, and, unless was can kill the source, sever Quan's power, we can't get them back. Several of the last Mortal Kombat's kontest kombatants are under his spell. But, Mileena? She was created by Shang Tsung, as Kitana refused to be Shao's toy. He wasn't her Father, he murdered him and claimed both Outworld and her Mother, Sindel with it. So, Mileena was created, the opposite of Kitana. She is ruthless, heartless, doesn't give a damn about the people. She only cares for rule, and what comes with that. She is guarded by Prince Rain and Tanya".

Kotal listened intently, ignoring the other presence in the room.

"Prince? Has he challenged her rule?"

Kara shrugged. "Not that I know of, though, he could, and there have been rumors circulation. Perhaps he is waiting for someone else to make a move, weaken her, before striking", she dared a look, "that someone being you, Kotal". She'd given up on trying to pronounce his God name quite some time ago.

Kotal's brows slunk downward, the corners of his mouth following.

"Do his dirty work for him? I think not. Mileena is due here this day, and I will defeat her, claim the throne and be done with the matter. This charade must end".

Kara felt a little confused. She thought the wannabe Emperor would have some grand scheme, something utterly over the top, bordering grandiose stupidity...

But, no. He would just attack, then say 'I am the Emperor now'? This didn't sit right with her.


She coughed. "Surely, if you wish to be the next Emperor, you'd know of the previous ruler's doings?"

The warrior nodded. "Tell me".

"What I know is second-hand information, but I've no reason to believe that my friends lied to me". She took a slow, unsteady breath before continuing. "Shao was more dictator than Emperor".

"I have witness many rulers, many having the same issue. Vanity. They believe themselves above everyone else, only they matter, their word is law. I shall not be this way".

Kara raised a brow. "There is a reason they turn out like that though, Kotal. I doubt its because they are, as you say, 'vain', it's part and parcel of the job. They have to show strength, wisdom, know-how. If they don't, people won't take them seriously. Being kind is nice and all, but, you don't hear of many kind rulers in history now, do you? There's a reason for that. Being Emperor won't be a cakewalk, nor 'nice'".


Kotal would have replied, but scurrying steps outside made Kara cock her head.

"Who invited Tarkatan? I mean", she waved her hands, "hey, whatever and all, but, I like my limbs, and I hear they are fierce. Rather", she gulped, "brutal with their wrist blades".

Kotal growled, startling her. She would have fallen backwards were it not for her grabbing into the arm of the chair. Haphazardly, she pulled herself up, red in the face, watching the man in front of her puff up his chest. She would have laughed were the situation not so glum.

He was 'peacocking'. She had no idea why, and to whom, but, nonetheless, he was showing off.

Her head followed Kotal's gaze towards the hallway door. As soon as Mileena walked through it, all hell broke loose. Kara was flung from the balcony by Baraka, hitting roughly hewn stone hard. He jumped out after her, only being stopped by D'Vorah and her pincer. She sneered at the woman, who got the hint, standing, brushing herself off, and scampering away with her tail between her legs...


Kara bolted to the portal chamber, gasping for air. She lent against a pillar, panting, rubbing the sweat from her brow. She looked at her now sopping wet gauntlet and frowned, saying 'yuck' to herself. She hated that she hadn't been ready to fight, having knocked herself off balance. She hadn't trained since she was a small child only to make a fool of herself when the time for fighting came...

A few minutes later, she summoned the portal back to Earthrealm. She knew she was a coward for fleeing, but now was not the right time for peace talks. She and Earthrealm would have to wait.

Just as long as this 'Kotal' was a man of his word, and he respected the Accords, everyone could sleep safely, for the moment.

Little did she know just how much she would find out about the man, what lengths he would go to to acquire and keep the throne. He'd have her questioning loyalties, friendships, even her own mind.

Yes, she was telepathic, but she couldn't see the future. See her or anyone else's fate for that matter.

All Earthrealm could do was wait, with long held baited breath...