Sisters

A Mortal Kombat fanfiction

by Jonathan "KnightMysterio" Spires

All characters not original copyrighted to Ed Boon, Netherrealm Studios, and anyone else pertinent to such issues., and used for non-profit amusement reasons. All characters that are original are copyrighted to me, so permission must be obtained from me before using. Comments, constructive criticism, and especially compliments are not only appreciated, but encouraged.

Story takes place during the events of the new game, in what is essentially Kitana's Arcade Ladder ending. SPOILERS possible if you haven't played through/watched a playthrough of Mortal Kombat (2011)'s story mode.

Author's Note: I HATED the Kitana/Mileena rivalry in the original timeline. I am a huge Mileena fan and felt that she needed something more than 'replace Kitana' as her defining goal. I wanted her to have a happier fate than that.

+++A palace in Outworld...+++

A lone figure sat on a bed overlooked a blasted, dreary landscape. She was clad simply, in only a long, flowing, translucent robe of magenta that accentuated every curve of her athletic, beautiful body. The only thing marring her beauty was her mouth, which was filled with razor-sharp teeth, and her eyes, which glowed a predatory yellow.

She normally wore a veil over her mouth, but here, in her private chambers, she felt no need to.

And honestly, she needed to feel some level of comfort. After Shao Kahn had been defeated, things had fallen apart. Shang Tsung had fled, Reptile had been taken away by a female of his species that had apparently survived the cullings of Reptile's people, Quan Chi was on the run from Scorpion after he found out what the sorcerer had done to his family, the Tarkata had broken out into a civil war after supporters of Kahn, led by Baraka, began to clash with supporters of the Edenian royal family, the Centaurs had gone into hiding, the Shokan had switched sides...

And her? She was a prisoner. The policeman, Stryker, and Kitana's friend Jade, had seemed more than ready to kill her, but she had been taken prisoner in her own personal quarters instead at Kitana's insistence.

To be perfectly honest, she was terrified.

It wasn't a feeling she was used to, and she hated every second of it. What was taking so long?

She paced around her room, wondering what was going on, wondering what was going to be done with her.

She knew Jade hated her. She knew the Earthrealmers feared her. That thought gave her some measure of pleasure as she pondered her fate. She knew on an intellectual level that she would probably be killed. Battle was battle, and fun as it was, sometimes things like that just happened.

But just sitting here, contemplating her navel, stripped of her weapons and her battle garb... she felt helpless. And the more she contemplated, the more she realized that she did not want to die. At all. There was so much she hadn't seen yet, so many more interesting things to see, people to fight...

Everything was so confusing. She missed Shang Tsung. He always made things simple for her. Kill this, destroy that, Kitana is your enemy...

That part was the most confusing. Kitana was her enemy. She was Kitana's replacement, designed to take her place. That's why Shang kept her in stasis for so long instead of just releasing her right away, so that she could jump right in to her role as Kitana's replacement instead of wasting time growing up as her rival. None of that angst to deal with, Shang had put it.

Whatever angst was.

So why did she see pity in Kitana's eyes when she looked at her?

She paced around again, wishing something would happen. She shivered, and went over to a secret compartment, opening it discreetly. She needed to see them, her secret hobby. Not even Shang Tsung knew about it. It was her secret, and...

The door to her quarters started to creak open. Mileena's blood froze, and she quickly went over to grab her veil. She put it on just as Kitana, Jade, and to her surprise, Sindel entered the room. Kitana and Sindel were in gowns, but Jade was in full battle garb, so Mileena didn't drop her guard.

Kitana smiled thinly, looking around the room. "So... so this is your place? It's... it's nice..."

Mileena snorted. "I haven't had much time to decorate it. I've literally been working every day of my life since I woke up."

Kitana winced, and nodded, sitting down on Mileena's bed. "And that's something I'm truly sorry for..."

Mileena gave her a confused look. "...Sorry? For what?"

Kitana sighed, and held out a sheaf of notes. "I wanted to hate you, Mileena. But for some reason, I could never bring myself to that level of rage. And then I found out about these..."

Mileena, frowning, cautiously reached out and took the notes. She glanced over at Jade, the warrior's arms folded, one hand idly fiddling with a razorang, while Sindel sat nobly in a chair near her closet. She then turned to the notes, and began reading them. Or trying to, at least.

"I don't..." she said, "What is all this language?"

Kitana blushed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Even I needed someone to translate this for me... It's an old alchemic language. It basically says that you were created years earlier, when I was still a baby, shortly after Edenia had been conquered. Shang Tsung was going to present you to Shao Kahn as a backup plan in case I ever turned on him, but Quan Chi, who's master Shinnok had been having visions like Lord Raiden had been having, advised Shang to keep you in stasis, not hinting of your existence until I did learn the truth and turn on Shao Kahn. I... I woke you up too early..."

Mileena blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Sindel spoke for the first time. "Have you ever noticed, my dear, that you have trouble thinking at times? That things seem confusing on a regular basis?"

Mileena shifted uncomfortably. "...From time to time... Shang Tsung always kept me on track, telling me how to do things..."

"Your development was incomplete," Sindel said, "Shang couldn't create a fully developed soul without much more time. You're still so very young in so many ways, Mileena..."

"Am not," Mileena said petulantly, cursing herself for how childish it sounded.

Jade chuckled despite herself. Kitana gave her an admonishing look. She turned back to Mileena and sighed. "I'm offering you a chance, Mileena. Join the royal family. Become my sister for real this time, live your own life, instead of the life of a 'replacement.'"

Mileena frowned, although with her Tarkatan jaws, it was barely noticeable. "...What's the catch?"

Kitana frowned. "Catch?"

Mileena shook her head. "No one gives for free. What's the catch?"

Sindel just smiled indulgently. "I suppose it'd be impossible for you to accept that we just want you in our family?"

Mileena nodded, glaring suspiciously. "I was your enemy ever since my birth, Kitana. What's the catch?"

Sindel sighed. "Don't kill unless ordered, and remain loyal to the throne of Edenia. That's the only catch. To satisfy the others, you'll be supervised by Jade until they're sure you won't betray us, but I believe that won't take long. We won't take the throne of Outworld away from you, and I personally shall teach you statecraft."

Mileena's eyes widened. ...That was it? Is she really that naïve? Still, a part of her wanted to believe that it was true...

Jade was uncomfortable with all of this. Mileena was a psychopath. A killer. There was nothing redeemable about her in Jade's eyes. But she was willing to give it a shot, for Kitana's sake. She just wished there was something to what Kitana believed. Something to justify Kitana's idea that Mileena just needed guidance.

She paced around the room, muttering to herself. As she did, she noticed a slightly open compartment on the wall. "...What the?"

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Mileena shrieked, grabbing Jade and roughly pushing her aside, "THAT'S NOT YOURS! IT'S MINE!"

Jade blinked, startled as she was slammed against the far wall. She growled, and extended her staff. "What is in there, Mileena?"

"NOTHING FOR YOU!" Mileena hissed, preparing to pounce.

Kitana stepped between the two of them. "Mileena, Jade, calm down!"

"She's hiding something, Kitana!" Jade snarled.

"It's MINE! Not yours!" Mileena snarled, pressing tight against the door to the secret compartment.

Kitana shook her head. "Mileena... Is it a weapon or anything like that?"

Mileena glared at Kitana for a long moment. "...No..." she said hesitantly.

"Then what's the harm in showing it?" Kitana said reasonably.

Mileena seemed to whimper, looking back at the door, and then back at Sindel, Jade, and Kitana. Sindel just smiled, nodding slightly, Kitana smiling as well, Jade glaring at her suspiciously.

Mileena hissed petulantly, and sighed, slowly opening the door and revealing the contents. Kitana, Sindel, and Jade, Jade in particular, were very surprised.

"...Plush toys?" Jade said, staring in shock at the various plush toys in the hidden shelf.

Mileena nodded and blushed, embarrassed. "I... It's a hobby I have. Father didn't know, and neither did Shang Tsung. I tried to give one to that ghost ninja, Scorpion... I have a little bit of a crush on him... He was really mean about refusing it, though. Didn't even take it just to be polite..." she huffed.

Kitana approached the plush toys, mainly teddy bears, cautiously. She looked to Mileena and asked, "May we see one?"

Mileena frowned, suspicious, but nodded. Kitana smiled, and picked up one of the bears, which had black, fluffy fur. "The craftmanship is amazing," she said, handing it to Sindel, who smiled warmly at it. "Did you make all of these yourself?"

Mileena nodded. "...Yes. Since I was a princess, the servants willingly got me the materials I wanted..." She fidgeted, and added, her voice a little hopeful. "...You really think they're good? Baraka... he was the only one who knew about them... thought I was just wasting my time..."

Sindel smiled warmly. "Mileena, these are amazing. With no professional training, you've crafted something adorable!" she said, hugging the bear. She looked to Jade, who was looking longingly at something inside the shelf.

Mileena and Kitana looked inside, and saw that Jade was staring at a plush dog. Kitana gave Jade a concerned look. "Jade? What's wrong?"

Jade blushed. "I... That plush dog... It reminds me of a toy I had centuries ago... When Edenia was conquered and I was conscripted into the Emperor's service, a lot of my old possessions were destroyed. I remember that I loved that little plush dog I had..."

Kitana gave Mileena a look. Mileena, confused at the longing expression on Jade's face, nodded. "You can... you can have it, I guess."

Jade blinked widely. "Really?"

Mileena scowled. "Just... just take it before I change my mind."

Jade gave Mileena a grateful look, and picked up the plush dog, staring at it. "Amazing," she said softly, "If I didn't know that it was destroyed years ago, I would swear it was the same toy..." She tightly hugged the plush dog, a goofy-looking toy with a friendly, cartoonish face, smiling. "This brings back so many good memories..."

Mileena fidgeted uncomfortably.

Kitana smiled warmly, and hugged her. Mileena flinched, instinctively freezing, thinking Kitana was attacking her. But when no attack came, she stared at her in confusion.

"I... I don't understand... What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice cracking a little.

Kitana looked directly into Mileena's eyes. "I want you to join with me. To work with me instead of against me. To become my sister for real. I want you to live your own life, and not feel forced to be just a replacement."

Mileena frowned. "'Replacement,'" she said softly.

Sindel nodded. "That's all you would have been under Shao Kahn, darling. Just a way of replacing Kitana once he didn't need her anymore. We are offering you a chance to live your own life, to become your own person. I'll even help you learn to be a good ruler and lead Outworld."

Mileena hesitated. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that they were right. The duties Shao Kahn assigned to her, they were just the same duties Kitana had. Had he just intended her to take Kitana's place? Had her own father just meant to treat her like some replacement toy?

Jade frowned, looking down at the plush dog, and hugging it again. "...I admit it will take me a while to fully trust you. But it is evident that you were nothing more than Shao Kahn's pawn. If Kitana is willing to take a chance on you, then I am as well."

Mileena's mind was racing. She was terribly confused. She whimpered, clutching her head, wishing Shang Tsung were there to explain things to her, wishing there was someone she trusted there to help her have things make sense again...

Sindel went up to her and hugged her, Mileena going tense. "I am willing to be a mother to you, child. If you'll let me be one," Sindel said softly.

Mileena stared at her, shivering softly. If it was true... Mileena thought, something inside her finally breaking, ...then to father, all I am is a replacement. Kitana... Kitana is offering me a real family... And my own kingdom... She's giving to me instead of taking away... To Jade's surprise, she saw tears starting to form in Mileena's eyes as she relaxed into Sindel's hug, laying her head on the older woman's shoulders and softly whispering "Mommy..."

Kitana smiled, joining in the hug. Jade, for her part, was still unsure. But for Kitana's sake, she'd give it a shot. She actually did feel a little sorry for Mileena after finding Shang Tsung's notes on her, his plans for her.

And to tell the truth, she couldn't really even be mad at her for her past actions, either. She and Kitana had done far worse in the Emperor's service, while Mileena had lived for only a few months, maybe a year at most.

Perhaps... Perhaps by saving Mileena from a life as the Emperor's servant, from a life as a 'replacement Kitana,' they could start to redeem themselves for what they did as Shao Kahn's assassins...

And who knows? Maybe she could start to think of Mileena as a sister as well...