My first Mortal Kombat fanfiction. I know I know, I have the Elder Scrollsto deal with. But I wanted to do something different. I suppose this could be a one-shot. Let me know if I should continue this.

I do not own Mortal Kombat. Just my OC in this story.

Reviews are always appreciated. Please let me know what you think.

Enjoy.

Her very presence oppressed others. It was like she carried a cloud with her, a heavy cloud, that caused you to feel emotionally drained, which physically and mentally affected you. She was quite a young woman, barely seventeen. She was not beautiful, but tolerable. She had long, dark blonde hair that was slightly wavy. She arrived on the island wearing jeans, sneakers, and a black tee-shirt. She wasn't exactly human. From what was understood, she had been seventeen for a long time. No, she wasn't a vampire or anything of that sort. But she was cold, she was depressing, she was pale, and she had steel gray eyes that could peer into your soul, and strangle your will. At least, that's what it felt like.

Johnny Cage held his ribs after being kicked brutally. She now stood still, arms at her sides and shoulders slightly slouched forward. Who was this kid? Johnny rose, slightly limping. The girl had a temper. He landed a few hits before, and something snapped in her, and she was a whirlwind of punches and kicks. He was wounded, and so was his pride. He resumed fighting stance, as did the girl. Fists held up, turned sideways, right arm further back than the left. Definitely different from the others. Simpy, simple. Before Johnny realized it, he got another punch in the face, hard. He went out cold.

I knew about Mortal Kombat. I had played the video game many times. Who knew it was actually real? I smirked at the idea. I wish I had found this out sooner.

It was days before the real tournament started. So I took these days either practicing or relaxing beneath the cherry trees which were blossoming beautifully. Nobody bothered me. I was typically avoided, which I was fine with. I noticed a few things though. Scorpion would stare at me from across a field, unmoving. I would always smirk. The closest I could ever get to a smile. I was once approached by him. He simply stood before me. I looked into his white, hazy eyes. I could not read the emotions beneath them. I smirked which caused him shift his stance.

"Are you not bothered, Spirit of Vengeance?" I asked. He blankly stared.

"Are you not bothered, Pestilence?" Scorpion's demonic voice boomed. I chuckled.

"I am not. Nice nickname. I might start using that." I stood, Scorpion towered over my five foot five inch figure. His shoulder's broad and his muscles huge.

"You should be afraid, child." At this, I laughed loudly.

"I may look like a child, and that's probably my advantage over you, Undead. I've been this age for a very long time." This new information peeked Scorpion's interest.

"How long?"

"Longer than you've been dead." I replied, almost mournfully.

"How can that be?" His demon voice was almost music to my ears. It was utterly handsome strangely. I shrugged at his question.

"Seems I cannot die."

"I'll kill you." Scorpion replied, and I knew he definitely wasn't joking. I actually smiled at him.

"I've already tried, Undead." Then, I glared up into his white eyes, and allowed the gloom inside of me to oppress. Scorpion's eyes softened from defiant and angry to sad. His very will shattered. His eyes lost their glaze, and brown irises were visible. I took this moment and saw what was behind them. I already knew what happened to Scorpion's family and his reason for vengeance, but I wanted his emotions. Anger, sadness, torment, and hatred. It flowed through me, and I felt it all. I could manipulate emotions, control them. And I honestly had pity for him. I gave him a moment of contentment and peace. Then I collapsed as the anger left me and back to him. He looked around, and at his hands, then at me.

"How did you do that, Pestilence?" He demanded. I stood.

"Emotions are my speciality." Scorpion looked blankly at me, then slightly nodded to me. He turned, and started to leave. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and he looked back at me.

"It wasn't Sub-Zero, Hanzo." Scorpion paused, then walked away.

Oddly enough, the next day I was visited by him. He stood, glaring down at me as I sat beneath a tree reading a comic book. I looked up at him, and he went to the court yard, motioning for me to follow.

"Fight me, Pestilence." He readied himself in a fighting stance.

"As you wish, Undead." I stood with my hands to my sides. His emotions were strong, and when it comes to emotions, they can be used two ways. Fuel for the fire, or choking smoke. Scorpion used his as fuel, but if manipulated as strong as they were...

Scorpion roared. He punched and kicked, some landed, some were dodged. The Pestilence slipped behind him, kicking his rear in a taunt. As Scorpion turned to her, he roared in rage. How dare she? A warrior did not fight like such. He would teach her. He grabbed the Pestilence by the shoulders, and then he got caught in her stare. Dark clouds swirled in her gray eyes. He saw visions. His clan brutally slaughtered. His wife and child, murdered by the Lin Kuei in the blue robes. His anger was usually what came next. But strangely, instead of anger, he was overwhelmed by sadness. He paused, looking at the smirking girl, and then she hit him. Hard. Scorpion fell to the ground, drained. He got a kick to the ribs. Stomped in the gut. Once she was finished, he was bloody and bruised. The girl sat on the ground next to him, knowing it would take a while before he felt able to get up. He blankly looked up into the sky.

"So how is it that you have flesh, and you have a fleshy face, yet you take that mask off and it's all skull on fire?" I asked, picking at grass. Scorpion grunted. He did not want to move.

"Your presence is taking a toll, Pestilence. Leave me." He growled. My mouth turned up in a half smile.

"It's not me. It's you. All you. I merely manipulate what you feel." After that was said, there was long silence between us. After a while, though, I made an attempt to lighten the mood.

"People avoid me because I tend to cause negativity." I paused and beneath the white glaze I saw Scorpion's eyes roll. I continued. "But I set off my own, melancholy emotions, as well as manipulate." Before I began again, Scorpion spoke.

"You waste my time." He began an attempt to get up. I caused him to stop when I laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Remember? I can make the negative stuff go away as well." I looked into his eyes and tried to take away the emotional pain and anguish, bottling it up within myself. I almost fainted. Almost screamed. Almost cried. But I could control it all, after years of manipulation.

Scorpion sat up, putting his hands over his face and, not that he needed to, breathed a sigh of relief. He only felt physical pain now. He remembered his clan and his family, but he felt almost at peace with it. He was still dead, still a demon, but for the first time, weight was lifted. Looking over, he saw the Pestilence, eyes shut tight and a hand over her chest. Once she relaxed, she stood, helping Scorpion's sore body up as well.

"What's your name?" Scorpion asked. The girl smirked.

"Pestilence." She looked up at him.

"The real one." Scorpion pressed. After a moment, Scorpion felt oppressed again. Had she said something about setting off emotions? Was she in pain? It was like a thick and heavy fog. The girl seemed dazed. Then, slowly she looked up, and the cloud was gone.

"Come to me if you need your hate and anger back. I already have enough of it." Then she briskly walked off, comic book now in hand, leaving Scorpion to stand alone in the court yard.

For the first time, he almost felt pity.