A/N: Since you all asked so nicely, I'll upload more. I'll be so glad when I'm done with finals (class of 2012!) today was my last day of high school...bittersweet...Anyway, enjoy the rest of the story and thanks for your reviews!
BTW I don't own Mortal Kombat or its characters, that belongs to Ed Boon and John Tobias and their gang, so thank them for inspiring me.
Chapter Three
Sick. Wet. Tired. Hungry. Angry. Ashamed. Cold. Stupid, that voice added snidely to the list, you should have listened to me. Was that food really poisoned? I guess I'll never know since it's probably done its work. I heard that if you can tell you've been poisoned it's usually too late to do anything about it. Is that what's going to happen to me, is this how it's going to end? Me dying with my hands on my knees and puke all over my clothes, soaked to the bone while freezing rain continuously stings my skin and numbs my body?
I had declined the Earthrealm warriors' offer to sleep in their tent and had fallen asleep amidst the dry twigs, brittle leaves and rough dirt. Shortly after I'd been jarred awake by my aching, turning stomach and had heaved up my dinner in front of me. Seeing myself even more soiled and ruined than I already felt had broken down that dam I'd installed over the last three days and my newfound emotions came crashing over the debris. I was no longer stomach-sick, but my head was pounding and my back was no better. I was beyond uncomfortably wet, and was starving all over again. I felt things I couldn't quite explain, like shame and embarrassment, and was angry at myself for feeling these things.
I heard noises coming from the tent. Did they hear me retching? Was it my crying that woke one of them up? I don't know, but I knew I didn't want them to see me like this. They were supposedly beneath me, but surely not now, not now that I was one of them and at my worst—then again with my dumb luck, there could be more terrible things to happen to me between now and the near future.
"What's wrong?" Sonya called as she emerged from the tent. Spoke too soon, I thought miserably as the blonde strode towards me. I lowered my eyes instantly.
"You're crying." She stated with shock, and this made a lump form in my throat. I ignored it.
"No I'm not. What do you want, wench?" I choked out, hoping that it would sound more like a forceful growl.
"Ew, you," she got even closer, "you stink. What, did you step in something or—"
"Y-you don't sm-smell like r-roses either, Blondie!" I retorted through quivering lips. Don't you think I know I smell bad? Just leave me alone already!
"Why you!" she turned red for a minute and I thought I'd goaded her into a fight. Good, it would distract me, and then I wouldn't have to explain myself.
"Oh," she whispered, "I see." she claimed. "I'm sorry, I should have realized this sooner."
Her softened voice and compassion threw me off. "What a-are you talking about, wench?" I stammered. No, get angry! I can do angry but not...this.
"Mileena, you..." Sonya knelt beside me and smiled gently.
Her blonde hair was stuck to her cheeks and her clothes melted against her body. There was mud and dirt on her legs, shoes, and socks but even then she still looked beautiful, flawless, with her rose-flushed skin and petal-pink lips. Me, I was just a monster. My own mouth was chapped, sore, bloody, and raw. These hands of mine were sticky and my nails were filthy. There was puke all over my body and clothes. This sensation, this feeling, it runs deeper than jealousy, my hatred towards Kitana was closer to that. No, this feeling is absolute loathing.
"Mileena..." Sonya reached out and placed her hands over the tops of my shoulders and I jolted back.
She was touching me! Touching my filthy body with her clean hands! "Get off me!" I screamed, and with a wince she did.
"Look, Mileena, you probably got sick for a number of reasons, like maybe you waited too long to eat and should have taken it easy. A few days without food can really do some work on your digestive system," she explained, "Or maybe because you were turned human, your body had some trouble adjusting to your new diet. I don't know, but I should have realized this sooner, maybe I could've warned you and all this could've been prevented." she sighed.
She's...she's blaming herself? I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't. I just sat there while she rambled on to herself for another few moments.
You need to get away from these humans, that sinister voice growled from the bowels of my mind. Great, just what I need, that psychotic voice giving me orders.
"Where are you going?" Sonya cried as I stood abruptly.
"What's it to you, wench?" I sneered.
"Why don't you stay with us? At least until we can get you to the lab and see what's wrong" she suggested.
I faltered, and Sonya implored me to give in with her eyes. I almost did.
Don't you dare! It's a trap! They'll use you like Shang Tsung did! The voice screamed, and I held the back of my head to ward off the sudden thumping. I rounded on the woman.
"Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea, Blondie. Put me in a lab, strap me on a table, run some tests, have your fun and then what? Then what'll you do with me?" I asked caustically.
Sonya was a guilty kind of quiet.
"I already know what you'll do. You'll throw me away. Just like he did." I spat, and once again turned away from her. I started hiking off but she stopped me.
"Here." she said. I saw that she was holding something out to me. I came forward slowly and jerked it away from her. It was ribbed and wooden.
"What's this for?" I frowned. It looked like an ordinary old wooden piped instrument.
"Didn't you say you were looking for Nightwolf?" she asked, wrapping her arms around her and shivering. I was tempted to do the same.
"Yeah, so what? How is this going to help me?" I retorted testily.
Sonya brought the instrument to her lips and rolled her eyes. "Just blow on it like this and it'll summon the shaman. Make sure you're out of the forest before you use this, though." she instructed.
I pocketed the pipe between my hip and bottom half of my costume without a word. The sooner I could get to this shaman the better. I took off, running barefoot over the wet squishy earth so different from the Netherealm terrain I was used to.
The more distance I put between the other humans and myself, the calmer I began to feel. My heart stopped racing and my skull quit thumping. It was nice to be in control of my body once again, but I found that I was still deep in the woods and were those trees…growling at me? I had to stop and rest for a moment, catch my breath.
Something snapped and broke to my left but I was sure it was no twig. Run, get out of here! The voice screamed. I rolled my eyes but before I could make a move someone emerged from the dark and chuckled.
"Surrender, and I won't have to use force." The smooth voice commanded. I scowled.
"Come at me, mortal" I retorted, but the guy was insanely quick and had me pinned by my shoulders against a tree.
"That's where you are wrong, woman," he said, "I am no mortal"
I got a pretty good look at him even though it was still dark and I could see that he had incredibly long, wavy blonde hair; not a nice clean glossy blonde, but a dirty blackish blonde, like it had been sprayed with tar. His eyes gave him away, for they were a bright red hue unlike many I've ever seen. He wasn't muscular, not that I could see, and he looked to be about the same age as that Edenian punk, Rain.
"I have been sent to fetch you," he smirked, "Please do not make this difficult."
Please make this as difficult as possible, was what his mirthful eyes were screaming, so naturally I obliged. I ducked from under his arms and landed a backwards kick against his chest.
He grabbed my offending foot and jerked it towards him so that I lost my balance and slipped in the mud. My entire backside was dirty and there were sticks stabbing into the back of my head. I ignored it.
I swung at him a couple more times but he was quick. I could be quicker, though, and managed to sneak his right hip with a powerful kick. He didn't seem to be affected as he grabbed my leg again, but this time I anticipated the move.
I clenched my free leg around his waist and pulled my other up as well. My hands sought his neck and out of habit I tried to sink my dull teeth into his neck but tasted only sweaty skin, not coppery blood. I felt him dig his nails into my thighs and heft me over his shoulder. I hit the ground hard and lamented my failed attack. If only I had my fangs, he would've been finished! I swear I'm gonna' kill that pasty-faced sorcerer when I see him, I vowed.
By the delicate fabric of my top the warrior dragged me to my feet and smirked before pressing two fingers against my temple. I was out before I could get in another punch.
"Did you find her?" The dark-haired shaman asked tensely.
His blond companion nodded with a muted grin. "Indeed. She was not hard to overcome. She was carrying this." The young man handed the piped instrument to his chieftain.
"Hm, I recognize this. She must have been seeking me out." the lean Apache chief mused. "Where did you leave her?"
With a chuckle the young warrior answered, "With the healers; she insisted on putting up a fight."
"You do know why I asked you to bring her, don't you?" the chief murmured lowly.
Instantly the red-eyed assassin perked. "No, you've kept that a secret Nightwolf, but I'll be glad to hear your reasoning behind kidnapping this woman"
"She's no woman, Tvari" Nightwolf said severely.
Tvari grinned "She sure did look like a woman, and a fine one at that"
"Is that so? Well I suppose her fangs and slitted eyes were hard to see in the dark" Nightwolf remarked to himself.
"What? She didn't have fangs or anything, she looked like an average mortal woman...okay, so maybe a little more than average." Tvari joked.
Nightwolf frowned. "So if what you say is true, she must have been the recipient of Quan Chi's latest spell."
"You mean the one that you said was wiping out the tarks?" Tvari questioned. His leader nodded.
"I believe she'll want me to reverse the spell." Nightwolf sighed.
"Could you?" Tvari asked.
"It is possible." Nightwolf nodded.
"Would you?" his subordinate asked.
"Perhaps, provided she offers me something in exchange." Nightwolf replied ominously.
It was quiet in the woods as the two men stood in the clearing with their eyes to the moon. Often Nightwolf came to speak in private with his general, his confidant, his friend, Tvari. Ever since Tvari helped Nightwolf regain his soul and mind from the clutches of Shao Kahn two years ago, a bond was formed between the shaman and the immortal.
A/N: Sorry for the enormous, long wait! I had to change the rest of the story so now it's unscripted and liable to twist. I did use some of Nightwolf's MK9 ending; he was possessed by Shao Kahn but managed to free himself, but not completely. I hope you are enjoying this so far, and please leave me reviews if you can, thanks!
~DymondGold~
