A/N: So I wasn't expecting the turnout that the first chapter got, but it was definitely very exciting to see that some of you wanted me to continue with the story! I had plans to continue it originally, but decided to just keep to the oneshot instead- this has changed now. Because, let's face it, as it was pointed out, there's not a lot of Sindel-related stories out there- let alone Sindel/Raiden.
I'm excited for this story to go on, but a little nervous too, so just bear with me for awhile until I get into the swing of things. I'm writing with some new characters I don't typically write with, and still trying to get myself into the MK mindset. Hopefully it turns out well.
"Ah, brother, it's good to see you are back. Tell me, how was Edenia?"
The words barely fazed Raiden as he continued to walk across the open courtyard of the Sky Temple- too lost in his thoughts to even acknowledge the other man. His mind was winding and reeling from Sindel's words- from her proposal.
A proposal...
A marriage of all things...
He couldn't stop the words from repeating over and over again in his head; it was as though they were taunting him for his answer of stunned silence in front of the Queen. She was far from being insistent with the offer, but... it was clear that this was not the first time she had thought of it- not the first time she had considered it even. And that observation in itself made his head spin faster.
"I see the Edenian Queen has rendered you speechless once again."
Raiden stopped as the words snapped him back into focus, bringing him back into the world of the Sky Temple- which, as usual, was covered in a fresh coating of rain. There was a minor chill in the air, and the breeze brought in the salt from the ocean nearby. A quiet rumble of thunder in the distance said that the storm had passed, but no doubt another would follow soon enough. No doubt influenced by his rather erratic thoughts.
He turned at the sound of wet footsteps and watched as Fujin made his way towards him from one of the temple's open archives- no doubt having just gotten out of meditation based on his calm aurora. Not that that would last long either.
"Fujin," Raiden finally acknowledged, "you must forgive me, I have my mind preoccupied at the moment."
"Is that so?" the Wind God questioned, his tone implying a sense of concern. "And what, pray tell, has your head in such a tight knot?"
He didn't quite believe his brother's mask of concern- especially considering he could already sense the untying of his energy. "I spoke with Queen Sindel," Raiden started, "and she made quite the proposal to me."
Fujin shot him a look of amusement now, providing the true show of his essence, before he leaned against the small banister between them. "Queen Sindel has always had quite the way with words- as all Edenians do. What kind of proposal did she offer you?"
Raiden paused slightly at the question, and wrestled with his mind over the answer- unsure exactly how to give one. "She wished to make the alliance between Earthrealm and Edenia more secure," he spoke.
"A noble cause," Fujin nodded, "Earthrealm has not... always been the greatest ally to Edenia."
... Raiden didn't wish to linger on such a true statement.
Many of times before, Earthrealm had drug its heels in favor of what the Elder Gods wanted.
If he himself had not been so insistent on following the Elder Gods' words, many things in the past could have been avoided. Many heartaches could have been prevented had they done what should've been done in the first place- rather than allow the Elders to strike down their proposals.
Edenia was just now healing after centuries in prison, when such a fate could've been avoided overall.
"She wishes to marry," Raiden finally answered.
"Marry?" Fujin repeated, all hint of amusement replaced by a stark sense of surprise. "Who exactly does she-" his sentence stopped the moment the words seemed to click; the moment their entire conversation seemed to come back, and an answer bestowed itself upon him. "Ha!"
Raiden frowned at the brisk laugh that left his younger brother, and narrowed his eyes at the Wind God's humorous expression- which was quickly replaced with a, rather poorly conceived, look of seriousness.
"Queen Sindel is a woman not to be taken lightly," Fujin began, his illusion already breaking as he fought back an obvious grin, "- however, the men who fall at her feet tend to be quite questionable-"
The Wind God was cut off as a quick bolt of lightning struck at the banister between them, causing him to jump back in surprise.
"Could you risk being serious just this once?" Raiden pressed.
"I was merely teasing," Fujin assured, as he nervously brushed off the front of his vest, but decided to keep his distance still. "Where did such a proposal come from? And perhaps, more importantly, what did you say?"
"I..." Raiden found himself stuck on the word for a few seconds too long, "... I didn't answer."
Fujin shot him a look of surprise and disbelief. "You didn't... ? Do forgive me, brother, but... when a woman like Queen Sindel asks for your hand in marriage... you don't not give her an answer-"
"It is a matter that I intend to look quite heavily into before I give an official response," Raiden interrupted, eager to cut his brother's words early. "Not to mention, I need to speak with the Elder Gods about such an arrangement; I need to make sure that it's even permitted to take place before I give it any further thought."
"You and the Elder Gods- have you considered that this might be a subject that does not need their approval?" Fujin pressed. "You asked me to be serious, so here, I'll play your part. Do you even want to marry Queen Sindel?"
The notable atmospheric change hinted that the hold over their combined erratic energy was becoming... loose and unstable. The wind was beginning to pick up once more, and the storm that had been departing over the horizon had shifted course and was rolling back towards the temple.
The salt in the air had been masked by the beginning drops of rain that were coming down around them.
The Wind God's question made him pause as he became unsure of how to go forward with answering it. "It would create a sustainable pact between Earthrealm and Edenia- and it would certainly thwart anyone who would attempt to take control over Edenia again," Raiden started. "Which, such a pact would be beneficiary to both realms considering our stress with Outworld right now. And considering that we too faced the possibility of losing Earthrealm, we're in dire need of as many alliances as we can get. The Netherrealm will always throw something at us, and Outworld still harbors strong opposition towards Earthrealm; and Heavens forbid what might happen should the seal around Chaosrealm finally erode. The Special Forces is struggling enough to keep the realm's pockets of energy from escaping through the portal. By a political standpoint, a marriage between Queen Sindel and I is reasonable- and beneficial to all."
His brother did not immediately respond to him, but judging by the way he crossed his arms, it would not take him long to find his words.
"You failed to answer my question," Fujin spoke. "Is this something you want to do? Something you would be happy with? Have you considered the implications of this pact if the two of you come to a point where you no longer wish to remain married? You are next to immortal, as are Edenians, this will be for a longer run than you are thinking. Is a pact that important if you end up unhappy with one another?"
Raiden frowned once again at the remark, not willing to admit to how the words dug under his skin, before he turned and walked away from the man- continuing on towards the temple. "This is not a personal matter, Fujin. We will discuss details after I speak with the Elder Gods."
He heard the roar of wind pick up in the distance.
"... I'm just trying to look after you."
"- Considering our previous ordeal with Shinnok, having added security will be nothing less than a positive for Earthrealm," Raiden spoke, watching as the Elder Gods before him looked to one another at the words. It would certainly be impossible for them to forget just how close Shinnok had come to slaying all of them- how close he had come to releasing the One Being on them. If the Dark God had not been brought down when he was... things could've turned out for the worst- for all of them.
If there was one positive from it though, it did put fear into the hearts of the Elder Gods. And if there was one way to convince the Elders to agree to something, it was to have something that could affect them as well.
They had ignored Shao Kahn's cheating in the Tournament decades before because it did nothing specific to them.
They ignored the Revenant, and the continuous pleads for help, because the Revenant could not touch them.
... But all it took was Shinnok being one step away from the stairway to the Heavens... and suddenly they were vulnerable.
They were... approachable.
"Very well," one of the Elders finally spoke; his voice echoing quite heavily in the empty space surrounding them- shaking the air with an articulate vibrato. "If you wish to proceed with this arrangement, then so be it."
"Edenia is weak, however," another Elder reminded, and warned, "if she threatens to drag us down, be prepared to cut all ties."
The words caused the breath in Raiden's chest to catch, but he held the motion stiff and close to him- making it invisible to the outside eye. They had their reasons, he was certain... They were looking out for Earthrealm's safety and sovereignty as well. This entire situation, it was simply a matter of investing in both realms- and the Elders would not like to lose their investment.
"... Of course."
"Then we have reached an agreement, and our business here is through."
He left before another word could be spoken- before a last second objection could decide to throw itself into the open.
...
Raiden thought of nothing as he returned to Earthrealm, as he set foot back into the Sky Temple. He would choose to forgo seeing Fujin at this time- the harsh winds and hail outside told him that the Wind God was still in turmoil over their previous conversation.
... And the heavy bolts of lightning and roaring thunder said that he himself was dealing with it in the same manner.
Even if they were to speak and calm down, the storm would still rage on for a few hours longer- so there was no sense in trying to bring it to an early stop.
"What did the Elders say?"
Raiden was startled by the question and stopped as he noticed that Bo Rai Cho seemed posed to meet him at the end of the stairway. And considering that he had told no one else of his trip to the Elders, he could only presume one thing of it. "Let me guess," Raiden started instead, as he reluctantly moved to greet the man, "Fujin?"
"Your brother means well, Raiden," Bo Rai Cho spoke, "he's just trying to look after you- especially after what had happened regarding Shinnok."
He frowned at the reminder and looked away from the man- hearing a roar of thunder pick up outside.
Not only had Shinnok beaten him nearly to death... he became corrupt with the Dark God's energy after purging the Jinsei, and Earthrealm, of his essence.
It took him nearly a year of self-isolation and assisted meditation before he was able to overcome the influences- not before causing some lingering damages to a few of the people he swore to protect.
That year alone had been utter Hell for him as he battled it out with a presence that did and did not exist- a presence that never should've existed. It had felt like he was being torn apart from the inside; like his body had been ripped to shreds, only to be put back together as a different person. It drove him through bouts of insanity, which wrecked utter destruction upon the land as unstable energy created pockets of dark matter across Earthrealm.
It was a 'clean up job from Hell', as General Blade had put it.
... Fujin did everything in his power to help him through the corruption; and while the Wind God did eventually pull him through it, it left his brother with plenty of scars and weight to bear on his own.
All of that was behind him now though... there were more important matters to discuss, and he'd much rather not linger on the past.
"I know-" Raiden started.
"But what did the Elders say?" Bo Rai Cho interrupted with... perhaps too much eagerness. "Will the proposal hold merit?"
Raiden wasn't surprised that Fujin had spilled the entire matter out to the man- and he supposed he couldn't blame him either. "For now, yes-" before he could so much as finish his thought, Raiden felt the man sweep him into a stiff bear hug- nearly lifting his feet off of the ground with it.
"We need a time and date my friend! You and I should celebrate tonight!"
He wheezed slightly at the tight compression, feeling his ribs slightly shift, before the monk dropped him back onto his feet. "Let's not... make haste with this just yet," Raiden spoke, trying to catch his lost breath. "I haven't made a concrete decision on the matter. I'm still thinking it over- it is quite a big decision to make."
"Do not make the Lady Sindel wait long," Bo Rai Cho spoke, as he planted his hands on his arms and squeezed them, "she is a gift to this realm."
He didn't sleep well that night, or maybe at all considering he watched the sun set and inevitably rise in one setting. The storm eventually dissipated, and the lack of wind howling said enough about his brother- although there was still enough of a breeze to offset the wind chimes outside.
As soon as the morning had settled in, and the monks had left for their morning rituals, he departed from the temple.
There was one more thing he wished to cover before he made his decision- a few more people he needed to speak with.
"Raiden."
He watched as Sonya barely looked over the report in hand to acknowledge him, before she went back to the work in front of her. She wasn't in her office this morning, which was unusual for her, but it made her easier to locate in one of the recreational tents. Perhaps she was taking the morning off to get away from her ringing phone, enjoy her coffee in peace, and focus on the paperwork that had been piling up- as judged by the stack that was in front of her.
"Blade," he replied, letting the tent fall close behind him as he stepped in- cutting out some of the noise from the rest of the base.
"The next time you and Fujin want to get into a disagreement, try to take it somewhere else- the two of you nearly knocked all my birds out of the air," she spoke; her tone stiff, although it underlined with a hint of frustration and exhaustion. "I can't afford to replace a couple of vertibirds every time you two want to conjure up a storm."
Right.
It wouldn't be the first time her arsenal of air support had... gotten damaged by their antics- although that was more so on Fujin's behalf.
"I apologize. We butted heads over... an important matter- one that I now wish to discuss with you," Raiden replied. "It would involve everyone's opinion, but considering that you are the one I trust most, and are the easiest to locate, I came to you first."
Sonya looked up to him once more, before she slowly set her report aside- convinced that what he had to say was worth her time. "Alright," she offered, "let's hear it then."
Raiden hesitated, before he nodded and began to speak. "I visited Edenia just yesterday, and... Queen Sindel made a rather interesting proposition. One that could benefit Edenia and Earthrealm as a whole."
"Yes well, Queen Sindel is a diplomat- true to her word."
"She proposed a marriage between her and I," he finished, watching as Sonya paused in the midst of drinking her coffee. He watched as her eyes shot up to his, as though looking for a hint that he might just be toying with her. "It would strengthen our pact, and officially declare our alliance to one another. In terms of a political standing, it's... not a farfetched idea."
The SF General set her cup aside and ran a hand over her tightly braided hair- looking lost for a response. "Raiden, I'll be honest with you," Sonya finally started, sounding more exhausted now than she had before, "if you want to talk marriage... you're speaking to the wrong damn person. From a diplomatic standing, sure, it makes sense- especially considering Edenian's history with being overruled. You would secure her standing as Queen, and Edenia's security as a realm. If someone wanted to try and upset that balance, they would have to go through you first in order to get to either Edenia or Sindel. I mean, doing so would bring more issues to Earthrealm, but hey, at this point, who isn't trying to kill us?"
"It's good to know that you're seeing this from a diplomatic state as well," Raiden nodded. "I have to admit, I'm still thinking the situation over, but... it seems hard to pass up on. Everyone is still in the process of recovering, and having the added security ourselves would help smooth things over in the future."
"Maybe then you can start breathing down her neck instead of mine," Sonya retorted, as she picked up her cup once more.
He hated to admit that he felt a sudden rush of heat come to his face at the remark- at the unnecessary... imagery.
"It was a joke, Raiden," she reiterated, as she pushed herself to her feet, and gathered up her papers.
"Coming from you, Blade? I'm surprised."
Raiden turned back to watch as Jackson stepped into the tent.
"Ha ha," Sonya mocked, as she got her papers in order, before she tucked them under her arm. "Here's an idea for you Raiden. Since you and I talked politics, you can talk domestics with Jax- and maybe get a clearer picture of what you're getting yourself into."
Without so much as a word of objection, Raiden watched as the SF General brushed past the two of them and walked out. The woman was in a constant state of being busy, but if there was anyone to take second after him in terms of caring for Earthrealm's safety... it was Sonya. So knowing that he had her approval on the matter was comforting- knowing that she agreed with where he stood on the whole thing... made him feel less intimidated by it.
"Do I want to know what the hell she's talking about?" Jax questioned.
"... We have much to discuss."