"Princess"

I have fulfilled my destiny. I have replaced my sister and now I am in control of one of the strongest armies in all the realms. My name is Mileena, and I have taken back all that was stolen from me.

I watched as Baraka's forces were eliminated by Kitana's armies, and underneath my veil, I smiled. I knew now that I was in power. I knew that nothing would stand before me.

Then, my thoughts wandered back to my "sister", Kitana. I remembered Baraka telling me that the Dragon King was in possession of her body and is using it as his personal body guard.

I had crept into the throne room to see her with my own eyes. What I saw was not my rival. It was an empty shell. Her eyes were blank, much like mine are now, and she stood stiffly by the Dragon King's side. She stood straight ahead, emotionless.

I backed out of the chamber and down to the main entrance of his castle. That was not my sister, and I would not strike her down. When my revenge came, I wanted it to be full. I wanted her to fight me with all she had only to be shown who was better.

I was heading to Outworld. It was time to demand the head of the overlord, Zanku.

I snapped back to what was happening. Surely Baraka would be suspicious of me now that his hordes had been eliminated. As long as he knew the truth about me, I could not keep up my charade as Princess Kitana.

As Bo Rai Cho and Li Mei led my armies into battle against the Dragon King's army, I set up a meeting with Baraka in the Ancient Beetle Lair. I climbed in through a window and waited for him to show.

He walked in through the double doors that served as the main entrance into the lair. I decided to reveal myself. It was only right to give him a fair fight.

"Baraka…." I whispered.

He looked around confused. I dropped down from the ledge upon which I was perched and landed on my feet with a thud. He spun around to face me. Immediately, I punched him in the face and then kicked him in the chest.

He stumbled back and them growled ferociously at me. I assumed my Long Arm Karate stance and prepared to fight my lover one last time. He threw a punch. I grabbed his arm but he countered and struck me in the face.

To my embarrassment, I let out a startled yelp. I jumped up and kicked at him. He ducked, but as soon as I landed I followed up with a low sweep. He jumped over my low attack and landed on the opposite side of the room.

Then, with a vicious smile, he popped two blades from his arms. He swung at me. Again, I blocked but with a lightning quick turn, he dragged one blade across my stomach. Blood seeped from the wound and I cried out.

What was wrong with me? I was better than this. I was trained to be a deadly assassin; a cold blooded killer. I grabbed Baraka by his armor and slung him away from me with all my might.

He crashed into a crystal pillar and it shattered from the impact. As glass rained down on him, Baraka's blades slid back into his arms. He stood in a daze. I took advantage of his state to perform my Kick from Above.

I sunk into the ground. The feeling of teleporting is something you never get used to. Then, I was decending from the ceiling. I landed a 3-hit kick combo and Baraka was sent flying. He hit the wall on the far side of the room and crashed through it. I heard him land with a thud on the ground in the next chamber.

I walked to the gap and peered over it. Baraka was still moving. I jumped down from the ledge and landed a few feet away from him. He reached behind him and grabbed an ancient weapon that was housed in the lair. I saw that he was armed and pulled out my sai.

He charged at me with the weapon raised. I decided that now was the time to end the battle. I threw my sais at him and a purple glow surrounded them.

They shot through the air and plunged into his chest. He let out a horrible scream and fell to the floor. Blood seeped out from his body. I turned and walked out of the room.

"Sisters"

I remained a servant to the Dragon King. Any who opposed him met their ends in many ways. Then something happened that I will not forget. Sindel, my "mother", invaded the palace with the ninja Jade. The Dragon King, wanting to take advantage of their human emotions, ordered Kitana to attack them.

He then noticed me and said, "You. I want you to aid the Princess and destroy the intruders."

I nodded silently. It had been a long time since Kitana and I had fought side by side. That too, brought memories flooding back to me.

Kitana and I stood side by side. We wore our matching uniforms. The only difference being that hers was blue and mine was purple. She had chosen the Steel Fans as her weapons and I chose the sai. That was the only difference between us. At least that's what I thought at the time.

We had been ordered to assassinate the Earthrealm warrior Lui Kang. He posed the greatest threat to out father Shao Khan. We approached the Earth warriors' encampment and searched for Lui's tent.

When we found it, Kitana snuck inside. I heard no sounds, but she emerged later and said it was time to go. I would only find out much later that Kitana had betrayed us. She had learned that I was not her sister, but a clone created to be a more vicious and loyal version of her.

This news traumatized me at first, but I began to think. Had it not been for Kitana, Khan would have loved me. It was because my face was marred and she was beautiful. I began to hate my sister. Because of her, my whole life was hell.

I think that's when I began to hate my sister. She got everything that I wanted. I dare say Khan even had some affection for her. IT was then that I learned of my true origin.

And I decided to fullfill the purpose of my being. I decided to kill and supplant Kitana. When she regained her full memories, she turned on Khan and the rest of us and joined the Earth Warriors. I decide that now my killing her would be just and Khan could say nothing to me.

That's when I faced my first defeat. I challenged my sister. I was so much more ruthless back then. I snuck up on her and plunged my sai into her back. She cried out and leapt away from me.

Then, in a blur of motion, she whipped out her fans and spun them. A wave of energy spiraled out and I was caught in it. I couldn't move. I watched as my sister removed her mask to reveal her flawless face. My rage boiled up inside me and I struggled to get free. Then, she threw her fan at me and I met with darkness.

I was later resurrected by the fallen Elder God, Shinnok. To my horror, my face was even worse this time around. My skin had faded from death and my eyes were glazed over so that they appeared almost white.

But, I was also gifted with a new ability. I could hear my sisters thoughts in the back of my head. This way, I was able to help Shinnok and for once, the bad guys stayed on step ahead of the game. But I let my anger and hatred consume me, and this eventually led to my second downfall.

Hearing Kitana's thoughts every waking moment is not a pleasurable experience. I heard everything she thought. Thoughts of me rarely crossed her mind. She did not even know I was alive. Well, she would find out soon enough.

Kitana had holed herself up in her palace. She had grown weak. I could tell. She was constantly blaming herself, always trying to make up for her past crimes. I walked boldly into the throne room.

Kitana jerked into attention. "M…Mileena? How?"

"Not to worry sister," I said, "I've only come back to claim what is mine."

"What are you talking about?" She glared at me.

"I want to be princess of Edenia." I said. "As your sister, it is my right."

Kitana stood from her throne and walked toward me. Then, colder than I thought her capable of, she said, "You have no rights. You are not my sister. You aren't even human. I should destroy you now."

Her words pierced me. Even though I had no feelings for this woman, she told me something I did not want to hear. I was an abomination. An imperfect copy of her. I sank to the floor, "No, no, no!" I shouted.

She stood over me. I thrust upward suddenly and sent her flying back to the throne. "If I have no right to the throne, then neither do you!"

I readied my Sai Throw, and advanced toward her. Suddenly, the floor opened up beneath my feet and I plunged downward into darkness. I looked up to see the floor close and let out a shriek.

I snapped back again. Kitana had already charged at Sindel and Jade and I approached the three.

"The Dragon King"

Jade held off Kitana. Sindel watched me warily.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" I asked.

She glared at me. I performed my Rolling Thunder, and flew across the ground towards her feet. She low blocked and I bounced back into the air. Suddenly and ear-piercing shriek filled the air and I knew what was coming. This was bad. Really bad.

I was frozen in midair and could not move, just like back then. Then, Sindel opened her mouth and a purple mass of energy launched forward. It struck me and I flew back into a pillar.

I fell to my knees and watched as she marched towards the sarcophagus in the middle of the room She picked up a spear-like weapon. She screamed out something in ancient Edenian and thrust the spear down into the Dragon King's heart.

He yelled out in pain and a green light leapt from his body and swarmed into the corpse. It came to life, and cried in agony as Sindel's weapon prevented its heart from reforming.

I watched breathless as the Dragon King's body faded into that of the ninja Reptile. The corpse died and The Dragon King went along with it. Kitana's eyes filled with energy and the fight between her and Jade ended.

I knew what this mean. My charade was over, and my sister was back. I crept through the room and slipped out through a window. At least now I would have the opportunity to fight Kitana at her full strength.

I lay on a grassy hill just outside of the Dragon King's palace. My thoughts wandered in every direction. I thought about my past. I thought about Baraka. And I thought about my final match with Kitana. This would decide it. This would decide who was better.

I remember that once, Shang Tsung had promised to fix my face if I could defeat Kitana. It was more than enough to get me motivated. Shang Tsung was a powerful sorcerer. His magics could surely repair my features.

I thought more about my past. I had been trapped in Kitana's dungeons for a very long time. I didn't know exactly how long. But, it was long enough for two enemies to emerge and be defeated.

First, my master Shinnok was defeated by the monk Lui Kang and cast into the Netherrealm. After that, there was relative peace on earth. Then, however, Shang Tsung emerged from hiding and allied with the sorcerer Quan Chi.

This truce became know as the Deadly Alliance. They planned on resurrecting the army of the Dragon King. Kitana had allied Earth and Edenian forces to stop this attack. Lui Kang and Shao Khan had both been seen as possible threats, and both were eliminated.

Kitana was saddened by this. Alone, there in the dungeon, I cried when Lui died. Kitana's emotions coursed through me and I came to know how she felt. Days later, I stopped hearing my sister's thoughts. She had been defeated in battle.

The floor opened up above me and Baraka threw a rope ladder down into the pit. I climbed out.

He told me that his new master, the Dragon King, had returned.

"Traitor"

I lay there thinking. Then, a large shadow passed over me. I looked up, into the glaring eyes of Baraka. I jumped up, startled.

"Y…you're dead!" I said.

Baraka laughed. "Foolish girl. I sent a decoy. I am not that stupid."

As he said this, his blades slowly slid from his arms.

I drew my sais. Surely I could win this battle. He was a sloppy fighter. Suddenly, three more tarkatans emerged. I looked around, planning out my next move. I decided to run. I back flipped and kicked one of the tarkatans in the face and then turned and ran away from Baraka.

How could I have been so stupid? I should have known it was not Baraka when I fought the decoy. I should have recognized that it was not his scent. But something had been distracting me. A familiar presence had been gaining power. Someone I knew was returning.

I decided to go to Outworld. Surely, he would go there first to reclaim his throne. I emerged from a portal close to the Ice Caverns. I began walking towards the fortress. My old master was somehow alive, and I was returning to pledge my allegiance to him.

Maybe this time I could win his favor as his most loyal servant. I let down my hair so that my bangs hung down into my face. I wanted to cover my face as much as possible. I shred the Arabian outfit I wore and replaced it with a much more revealing outfit. I wanted to draw attention away from my face, so I would use my body.

This body actually belonged to Kitana. Or rather, it was a copy of it. I now wore a one piece outfit that consisted of straps and ribbons. It was black and purple and I put on thigh-high boots to go with it. I also wore wrist guards and a headband. I then continued on her way to the fortress.

I passed a small village. I drew stares from many men and the women looked on with disgust. I smiled and kept walking. Up ahead, I saw a dark figure enter the Living Forest. I knew she should keep heading toward the castle, but my curiosity got the best of me. I entered the woods quietly.

I peered around a tree to see a man dressed in purple. It was the ninja Rain! But Khan had supposedly killed him years ago. I had witnessed it. I looked on as he met up with his "brother" Ermac.

Ermac looked at his brother cautiously and then, a green glow emitted from his body. Suddenly, an image appeared. It was Lui Kang! I gasped a little and almost gave away my hiding place.

The three looked around. Suddenly, Lui Kang's eyes lit up and a beam of white light flew from them into Rain's. He gave a slight sigh and then joined the two. Lui was turning people good!

I decided I had to leave. I turned only to hear Lui's voice coming from behind her. "Kitana?"

I turned around to look at him. He looked at me for a moment. Then realization filled his eyes.

"Wait, you're…"

I teleported and landed in a tree branch far from him. I jumped down and began to run. I'd almost been caught. Whatever the monk was doing to people, I didn't want it done to me. I ran fast and suddenly, I came upon Shao Khan's fortress.

"Reunion"

I walked in through the front doors which were hanging open. Dust was everywhere. The fortress was old and run down compared to how I remembered it. When I had lived there, it was very fancy and the color red stood out the most.

I walked down the main hall toward the throne room. I entered into the large circular chamber and gasped. As I had suspected, there was Shao Khan, sitting in his throne with a magical aura surrounding him. He was healing fast and would soon be back to full health…and power.

He sat up and looked down at me. "Ah, Mileena. My child, why have you come back?"

I immediately bowed. "Father, I wish to serve you. I will strike down your enemies. Even if I have to do it alone."

"As always Mileena, you please me."

I swelled with pride. It was Shao Khan that had kept me alive. When Shang Tsung had been perfecting the cloning process, many of the specimens had been killed. But I was the one who survived. I was the one that was closest to Kitana.

As Shang Tsung declared another failure, Khan stopped him. He said that I was just as good as Kitana. He fitted me with a mask and gave me my name. That's when the existence of Mileena became a reality.

I stood by my old bedroom. I wasn't ready to go back in. I wasn't ready to see what I knew was in there. The evidence of a lonely past. The only one of my kind, or so I had thought. It would be years before I would have someone to talk to. Besides, Kitana that is.

I recalled first meeting Baraka. I was training out in the court yards when I heard voices coming from the other side of the wall. I crept over to the wall and began to scale it. Soon enough, I had reached the top. I perched atop it like a cat and looked down onto the figures below.

Shang Tsung was talking to a gruesome looking man. He had a weirdly shaped head and a horrific mouth. It was wider than a normal human's and was filled with razor sharp teeth…just like mine.

I looked on in curiosity and heard the word Tarkatan. Was that what I was? I leaned over a little bit more and crashed into the ground. I sat up and rubbed my head.

"Lady Mileena, what are you doing here? Shang Tsung asked, sounding a little more than angry.

I hurriedly thought up a lie. "I was practicing my teleporting…" I said, "I must have got it wrong."

"Indeed," Shang Tsung said, looking down his nose at me. I jumped up and hurried inside, my heart beating fast. Baraka had laughed at me.

I returned to the present, still outside my room. I opened the door and it creaked loudly. I looked inside. My bed was ripped apart and my dolls all lay around the room, every one of them with their heads missing. There was a dresser with a mirror adorning it, but the mirror had cracks running through it.

I looked down at my fist. I remember first seeing my face in my teenaged years. I had punched the mirror, shattering my knuckles and sending blood and glass to the floor. I knew then that something was wrong with me. I had seen Kitana without her mask, and she did not look like me.

Khan walked up beside me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"We will find a way…" he whispered.

I bowed my head. He knew what I still wanted. To look like Kitana. To look…normal. I looked back up at him and saw something I've never seen before. Compassion.

"Calm Before the Storm"

I had trouble sleeping that night. It had started again. I could hear her thoughts. I tried to block them out, but it wasn't working. I squeezed my eyes shut. And suddenly, the thoughts stopped.

I sighed and drifted off to sleep. I awoke the next morning with sunlight drifting through my window. I sneered and yanked the drapes shut. It cast the room into a dark purple. That suited me just fine.

I dressed and walked into the hall. I heard a loud rumble and ran into main foyer. The doors shook violently. That's when I knew, we were under attack. How could anyone have found out about Khan this early?

I prepared to defend the fortress. Suddenly, 3 robots emerged. Cyrax, Sektor, and Smoke. I knew then that the battle had just gotten a lot easier. Then, Tanya appeared. She was covered in cuts and scars, but looked eager to fight.

I wandered where all of these allies had come from but then realized that it didn't really matter. One more person showed up. She reminded me of the Lin Kuei ninja, Sub Zero. She went by Frost.