Chapter 3: Right Time to Take a Soul

Shao Khan, the Emperor of Outworld wanted his closest advisor Shang Tsang to waste no more time in his observation with the old couple he was with. As soon as Shang Tsang still in his old homeless man disguise went into the restroom to do his business, a green flame flared up on the mirror over the sink.

"Oh what is it this time, can't I have a bit of some privacy here?" asked Shang Tsang.

"Sorry to disturb you, but take a look at this" replied Shao Khan.

Suddenly the mirror itself then showed the reflection of Courage running toward the house carrying some sort of a strange green emerald amulet. Shang Tsang gasped, as he knew he could be exposed.

"You must get me that soul now" said Shao Khan to which the reflection on the mirror along with also the green flame disappearing.

Back outside, poor Courage was in a race against time trying to find Muriel and expose the not-so homeless man for what he really seemed to be. He raced into the entrance of the house, to not find Muriel at her usual rocking chair but Eustace still a bit dizzy from Shang Tsang's little tricks in levitating him up in the air. Then the pink little dog then headed up stairs as the only place where Muriel could be located. She was up stairs, yet she was taking a weekend nap on the bed.

"Yes, that's right" said Shang Tsang as he crept into the room, "sleep while I take your soul from you."

Poor Muriel was quite well unaware of Shang Tsang's presence or that he wasn't in his homeless man disguise. The shape shifting soul taker reached out with his hand, and a green light could be shown. Just then, Courage had managed to get up to the second floor and was quite sweating like crazy from all the running.

"Oh no!" cried Courage as he saw the green light from the master bed room.

But as Courage attempted to bust into the scene in attempt to ruin Shang Tsang's soul taking ceremony, it was too late for the little pink dog. Muriel was turned into a zombie, after her soul was taken from Shang Tsang. The evil shape-shifting wizard turned toward Courage.

"You're too late, I have taken your precious Muriel's soul to present it as a gift to Shao Khan and the Elder Gods so that my Emperor can take over a realm without being engaged in Mortal Kombat" laughed Shang Tsang, as he gloated to the poor pink dog.

Courage was quite mad at Shang Tsang, and attempted to lunge forward toward him. Yet the evil wizard managed to use his powers to push him away right into the bathroom and closing the door locking him inside.

"What a fool you really are" laughed Shang Tsang.

As the evil wizard continued his gloating, a portal opened up from behind where he then exited from the scene. About an hour later, Eustace got up to use the restroom only to find Courage locked up in it.

"Stupid dog, what are you doing here using the restroom?!" cried Eustace to which he promptly grabbed the pink little dog and kicked up straight into the master bed room.

While Eustace was heading to do his business, Courage then noticed Muriel still in her zombie form. Yet she desired no taste for flesh as what zombies usually do. Instead, she kept on calling for her soul to return instead.

"Oh, there must be something I can do to help Muriel" said Courage.

About another hour later, Shirley the Medium and also Doctor Vindaloo were on the scene.

"Normally I don't usually make any house calls dog, but it seems there is nothing that I can do here" said Dr. Vindaloo, "at least she's not like the zombies in the movies."

"You foolish doctor" said Shirley, "Muriel's soul was taken by an evil wizard from another realm."

"So who's going to cook my food?" asked Eustace.

"Listen you stupid one" replied Shirley, "you are not fit enough to go into Outworld and rescue Muriel's soul from the evil wizard. Yet I know that you Courage, you must help your Muriel get her soul back."

"The things that I do for love" sighed Courage.

"But how in the heck is he going to do that?" asked Dr. Vindaloo.

"I can help you get into Outworld" said Shirley to Courage, "but we must do it outside the house. In the mean time, we'll watch over Muriel in her zombie form."

Another few minutes later, Courage soon found himself outside the house with Shirley the Medium performing some sort of a chant. Courage was given a red emerald amulet of some sort. As Shirley continued her chanting, a portal opened up.

"Go dog, go rescue Muriel's soul in Outworld" said Shirley, "I can't keep this portal opened up any longer."

"Oh, I hate saying this again, but the things that I do for love" sighed Courage as he decided to head into the portal which it then promptly closed.

"That's a neat trick you managed to do" said Dr. Vindaloo, "could you show me how to do it?"

"Get back in the house and keep an eye on the zombie form of Muriel" replied Shirley.

Meanwhile back in Outworld, a certain Shao Khan was waiting impatiently for his closest advisor Shang Tsang to arrive with Muriel's soul. The Emperor couldn't wait any longer, and was about to summon some other warriors of his to go into Earth and retrieve the soul. Yet before he could do that, the portal opened up with Shang Tsang exiting from the scene.

"It's about time you came, did you bring me the soul?" asked Shao Khan as he sat down back on his throne.

"Yes my Emperor" replied Shang Tsang as he took his hand behind his back and threw a strange green

The Emperor quickly grabbed the soul in his hand. He could see it was Muriel's soul, the soul of a kind, gentle person whom would never even hurt an annoying fly.

"Please, let me go, I've done nothing wrong!" cried Muriel's soul.

"Ah, you found the perfect soul for me to present to the Elder Gods as a gift" said Shao Khan whom ignored the soul's plea.

"Yes my Emperor" bowed Shang Tsang, "I hope that you'll give me my reward for helping you."

"Fine, as promise, you'll oversee the new realm that I'll acquire from this little precious gift" replied Shao Khan, "you'll have a realm to your own to control."

"You two are horrible people!" barked Muriel's soul.

"Take this soul and put it some place safe" continued Shao Khan.

"Will do my Emperor" replied Shang Tsang.

Meanwhile, a certain pink little dog had managed to make his way into Outworld. As he stepped out of the portal, the poor little dog wished he was back in Nowhere as he stepped right into a scary wasteland.