I've been gone for awhile, well actually a long time and I apologize. I left this story to work on my mass effect fic, and a virus prevented me from using my computer. I haven't forgotten about this story, as I hope everyone who enjoyed my previous chapters has not as well. I will be doing my best to devote more time to this. As always, review, praise me, tell me off, and leave suggestions for characters that you would like to appear in the story.
Most girls who had been raised like a princess were volatile when they didn't get their way or were insulted. They would shout and scream, maybe toss some silverware at the object of their fury with unexpected accuracy. However, even those devilish divas could be tamed when daddy put his foot down. Kitana, however, was not like most girls. She is an actual princess, not to mention a trained assassin. Anyone who tried to put their foot down with her right now was liable to have it cut off, along with any other appendages they possess. Her little fight with Lui had left her peeved to say the least.
"Can't tell the difference between me and that knife toothed bitch." She mumbled to herself.
Her words surprised her. Despite Mileena's often insufferable nature, Kitana rarely spoke about her this way. She refused to admit to herself that she was insecure about her relationship, but the thought wouldn't leave her mind. Mentally sighing, she decided that she needed a distraction. The only problem was, she didn't want to be alone right now. Mileena wasn't really the company she needed right now. Her parents had left to the mountain city to establish a trade route, and Jade has taken Liu there as well. A horrifying thought about her beautiful best friend and her less than strong willed boyfriend crossed her mind. She shook her paranoia away quickly. Kitana realized that she was alone in the palace. She never pegged herself as someone who absolutely needed company, but wanted it badly right now. She went out into the courtyard to walk amongst the grounds. The sun was warm enough to be called hot, but cool breezes made it comfortable. A guttural purring sound could be heard behind her.
"Hello Garfield!" Kitana said to the large, two headed tiger like creature.
Garfield purred even louder as Kitana scratched underneath both chins. The large cat rolled onto his side and Kitana took the hint, scratching his man sized belly. Kitana noticed that Garfield had been chewing on some fabric. Upon closer inspection, she realized that they were the remains of Liu's favorite silk pants. At first she smirked at this, then her expression became gloomy again upon remembering the breakfast fiasco, then the argument, and just Liu's trouble with interacting with Jerrod at all. Still sitting on the ground, she looked up to see a shirtless man before her. He was ripped, not just toned but bulging with muscle. Sweat gave his body a moist gleam that made her want to touch him, among other things she realized shamefully. His strong looking jaw was cracked into to a slight but warm and welcoming grin, and his eyes were heavy lidded. Not from exhaustion, but from how he was enjoying the sight of her. His bass voice was delightful to hear.
"You certainly have a way with animals Kitana." Rain complimented her.
Kitana didn't reply immediately, honestly at a loss for words while still beholding Rain. She finally found her tongue when he looked at her expectantly.
"Oh um, yes I do, I mean thank you!" She was flustered. Why?
"I enjoy the company of simpler creatures. Ironically, they can show more intelligence than some people." She said, trying to sound smart for Rain. Again, why?
Rain stepped closer, and Garfield growled at him. He kept up his calm and happy demeanor, but inside it was a different story. He hated animals, but Raiden be damned if he was going to let this beast ruin his time with Kitana.
"Clearly, if Liu Kang choosing to leave you here by yourself is any indication."
Kitana's expression grew sad again. Rain smiled inwardly to himself. The two of them are having problems! Excitement and anticipation flooded his devious mind, and more than a few dirty fantasies. Feigning interest in her pain, he knelt next to her, ignoring Garfield's increasingly ferocious growling.
"Is something wrong my princess?" He asked, pretending to care.
"No Rain, I'm fine."
"Kitana, you are intelligent and cunning, but a horrible liar. Please, tell me what is wrong." He wore a venomous smile.
"Well, I had a little argument with Liu before he left with Jade, and I came out here to clear my head. I hate to admit it, but not having anyone to talk to really leaves me kinda clueless as to what to do with myself."
"I suppose you could talk to Mileena, have some sisterly bonding time, but it would be a shame to see two beautiful women covered in bruises."
The two of them shared a hearty laugh. Rain silently praised his own cunning and charm, which still worked on Kitana this moment, but was still incredibly overrated on his part.
"Of course, I would be honored to keep you company for as long as you need, if you would have me do so." Rain said standing up, offering his hand to Kitana.
Garfield growled even more. If he could speak, he would probably be telling Kitana "Stay away from this pompous douchbag!" Alas, his greater wisdom would be unheeded by Kitana, who took Rain's hand and pulled herself up to him. Both of them walked back to the palace, probably so Rain could put on a shirt. Not that he wouldn't be so vain as to walk around with it off.
"There it is!" Liu Kang exclaimed excitedly.
He took off at a sprint, surprising Jade because he had been complaining for the length of the trip that he was exhausted. She ran after him to make sure he didn't get into trouble. Liu Kang had outpaced her by maybe seventeen steps, and when she finally caught up to him, she found him on his knees, ecstatic.
"We finally made it to the city. It's beautiful, it's wonderful, it's, it's, it's very small?" The 'city' had only three small houses.
"What kind of a city is this?" Liu Kang asked Jade, still on his knees.
"This is just the guard's outpost. The entrance is up there."
As soon as he heard 'up there', Liu Kang knew he was in for it. He looked to where she pointed, and saw a horrifying sight. A flight of stairs, looking at least to be one hundred steps leading to another small guard checkpoint, which in turn lead to another flight of stairs that disappeared around the mountain side. Liu Kang mentally cursed Raiden, Fujin, Argus, and the rest of the Elder God pantheon.
"I'm doing this for you Kitana."
Kitana was holding Rain tight against her. Her wet, and as usual scantily dressed body was pressed against him tightly. The two of them had been in town for maybe three hours when a rain storm came out of nowhere. The umbrella Rain had was very small, so small in fact that Kitana had to cling to him so tightly that he needed to wrap his arm around her to get her under the umbrella. They both laughed kindheartedly, or at least it was kindhearted on Kitana's part, at the other people who were scurrying about to find cover from the unexpected downpour. Rain took advantage of his greater height and the added distraction to steal a gaze at Kitana's breasts, which were, because of her being pressed against him, bulging to the point of of making one wonder how they stayed in her corset/bra/lingerie at all, let alone during kombat. It made the effort required to conjure up this storm worth while.
"There it is!" This time Jade exclaimed this excitedly, almost with hysteria.
Twenty minutes. The rest of the journey up the flights of stairs took twenty minutes, and Liu had complained more in those twenty minutes than he had for the entire trip. The whining, the pleading, the exhausted moaning! Her earlier threat of tying him to her staff and gagging him with her razor rang grew on her, but she wouldn't give in when she was so close. The large wooden door remained closed to her until a guard on the ramparts saw her.
"Open the gate for General Jade!" He shouted to someone behind the door.
The large gate opened slowly, until green energy took hold of it and forced it open faster.
"Jade!" Jerrod in Ermac's body was on the other side.
Jade embraced him in an a long awaited hug.
"It such a pleasant surprise to find you here my dear."
"You have no idea how happy I am to finally be here." Jade said to Jerrod's confusion.
"If you wanted to come so bad, why didn't you just travel with Sindel and I when we left?"
"Someone else wanted to come see you, so I brought them here."
"What are you talking about? Your the only one here."
Jade looked behind her and saw that Liu Kang was not there.
"Where is Liu?" She said going back to the stairs.
"Liu?" Jerrod questioned, and he joined her at the top of the stairs.
Jerrod looked along the stairs and only saw a man lying face down ten feet from the top. A crow circled overhead, probably thinking he was dead.
"All I see is that hobo asleep on the stairs." Jerrod told Jade, who was face palming.
"That is what is left of the man I have been dragging around." Jade said with slumped shoulders.
The whole point of this trip was to get Liu to make a good impression on Jerrod. He was off to a bad start with an already track record. Jerrod used Ermac's telekinesis to scrape Liu off the ground and stand him up at the top of the stairs. As soon as Jerrod released his hold of Liu, he immediately fell backwards. Jade moved to grab him, but Jerrod already grabbed him again with his powers.
"Need... to see Jerrod... make Kitana happy." Liu said aloud, apparently unaware of Jerrod being right in front of him.
"He looks exhausted. We should get him some food and drink before he keels over." Jerrod said to Jade.
She nodded her agreement and moved to support Liu. Although, to her surprise, Jerrod took the burden upon himself to help Liu inside, and not with his powers, but by putting Liu's arm over his shoulder to help him walk straight. She watched the two of them go, and despite the nearly unbearable trip she just shared with Liu, she couldn't help but smile at the unexpected tenderness. Then the smile faded when Jerrod turned to bring Liu through the door, and ended up slamming him into the door frame head first. Jerrod didn't seem to take notice as he pulled Liu inside, who was probably very close to being unconscious again. Jade wasn't worried about the state of Liu's cranium. She was worried about whether or not it was accident.
Rain was as happy as can be. He felt like a teenager who got to spend time with a girl he liked and getting opportunities to get close to her, among other things. The two of them walked through parks, went into shops to look at things they had no interest in buying, and watched performers in the street. all thw while, Kitana had been pouring her heart out to him. He hadn't really been paying much attention though, mostly just picking all the things about her and that pathetic Earthrealm monk Liu. To his frustration, she hadn't said a word about the years that they were engaged to each other. The fact that she had lost her chance with him only to fall into the arms of a small mortal angered him greatly, and bruised his massive ego. They were inside a lavish cafe style restaurant. The ambiance was high class and intoxicating. This was a perfect opportunity to work his magic on Kitana. If only she would stop talking!
"So then he tells me that he thought I was Mileena and I was like what the fuck!" She ranted on, unaware of his previously glazed over eyes lighting up again.
There is something I can use.
"He's an idiot for saying something like that! Who could ever mistake you for Mileena?" He did once.
"Your just saying that. She is an identical, or nearly identical clone of me. If both of us wore the same outfit with masks on, everyone would be fooled." She said sadly.
"I wouldn't." Rain said sincerely in voice only.
"Really? What makes you so sure?" She leaned over the table to stare directly at him with a playful, mocking expression.
Rain leaned in as well, despite his pants growing tighter from his arousal.
"I just would not. There is something about you that, well just makes you so easily distinguishable from Mileena. And you deserve someone who realizes that."
"I just wish a guy was capable of doing that." Kitana said.
What the hell, you can't take a hint? Rain thought.
"I'm sure they are. Some guys are just in positions where they can't show it. A lot of us like to act tough in front of buddies and family, but alone, some men can be hopelessly overwhelmed."
Kitana broke eye sight momentarily, looking like she was in deep thought. Then a happy grin spread across her full lips, and she looked Rain in the eye again. She then leaned in more to him.
Cue Bruno Mars's 'Just The Way You Are'
Rain pants tightened even more, and he leaned in mirroring Kitana. Their faces were getting closer. The light reflected slightly off of her glossy red lips, twinkling in her beautiful eyes. Her large rack hovered over the table threatening to knock over their drinks, and he could see the curve of her ass behind her. He stealthily commanded a small splash of his water to put out the candle so that her long, silky brunette hair wasn't singed. Rain closed his eyes and puckered his lips slightly, ready to taste her. He never pressed his lips to hers. Thinking he missed, he opened his eyes and saw that she was hugging him!
Whrrrp!
Oh crap, don't let this happen to me! Rain thought with horror.
"Thanks Rain, you really helped me today. Your a good friend." Kitana said, still hugging him.
It was like his balls and scrotum had been tied in a knot. Outside, several people unfortunate enough to be out there were struck by lightning powerful enough to impress Raiden.
"Listen, I need to go take care of something. I'll see you back at the palace?"
"Of course!" Rain said biting off each word.
She smiled at him and released the hug, then exited the cafe. Rain just sat there, stuck. Stuck, in the friend zone.
"Here you go sir, your blueberry tarts." A waiter said holding a plate of tarts garnished with blueberry.
Rain turned an icy gaze to the waiter. He then calmly got up and tucked in his chair. He then took the plate of desserts from the waiter and placed them on the table. He took a deep, relaxed breath, and them super kicked the poor waiter through the wall. And the wall behind it, and the one behind that, and the one behind that, and so on until the waiter ended up in the clothing store that was two buildings down. He picked up one of the tarts and imagined his testicles were as blue as the berries.
Liu became fully aware of where he was when he smelt the food. After climbing those stairs, he was groggy and only half alert, but he did notice that he had a bruise on his forehead. Someone was supporting him, but it wasn't Jade. All that took back seat to his voracious hunger however. He unhooked himself from the shoulder of the person carrying him and stepped into the food hall. Warm fires were burning, suckling meats were roasting.
"I see your feeling better."
"Yeah, I had to travel all this way just to come see King Jerrod and I'm exhausted. And starving."
"Well then eat something, I don't want you talking to me while your drooling like a dog."
"Talking to you? Why would I Oh!" Liu exclaimed after finally turning around to find Jerrod was the one who had been carrying him.
Jerrod rolled his eyes at this, but Ermac's constantly glowing green eyes made it unnoticeable.
"Come, lets get you something to eat." Jerrod walked over to where the roasted meats were laid out.
Liu followed him nervously, too late checking to make sure he was presentable. He joined by the place where the food was laid out. He took a plate and offered another to Jerrod, whom just looked at it once and then back at him. It took Liu a moment to realize his mistake, at which point he just put the plate back and began piling his high with food. At a table, Jerrod watched with rapt attention as this average sized man devoured enough food to feed a Shokan. Liu searched for something to clean his hands with, and almost conceded to wiping off the food on his clothes before Jerrod handed him a rag. Unbeknown st to him, Jerrod was making a mental note of all these things.
"So Liu Kang, what did you want to see me for?"
"Well, I thought this would be a good time for us to get to know each other. I mean, I am in a relationship with Kitana,"
"Yes, that much is clearly evident by your 'interactions'."
Liu felt a knot build in his throat. He knew that Jerrod was referring to the time he walked in on Kitana and himself doing the do.
"Ya, about that. I'm really sorry for not asking for your permission, especially since it was in your palace."
"Humph, it can hardly be called my palace. I've only taken up residence in it these past few months, after being freed from Shao Kahn's control."
Jerrod saw a little twinkle of hope in Liu's eye. He knew what it was for.
"As I understand it, I have you to thank for that."
"You don't need to thank me for that." Liu lied.
"Bullshit. If it wasn't for you I would still be one of thousands of souls trapped inside this body being forced to do Kahn's bidding. That gives me reason enough to respect you."
"Well thanks Jerrod. It really means a lot to hear,"
"That being said, it isn't reason enough for me to like you."
Liu was slack jawed, cut down in his moment of pride.
"Uh," He began.
"If you think it is about you sleeping with Kitana, your wrong. I'll concede to you that whatever the two of you like to do in bed is your business, and beyond what I have a right to control. But I'm not impressed by what I've seen so far. You're unsanitary, have poor table manners, and bicker too much."
Liu got angry. The first point was a one time incident, hopefully. He yielded to the second point, his own parents had been telling him that for years. The third point however, wasn't all his fault.
"With all due respect Jerrod, Rain was the one acting like an ass the entire time!"
"Don't use that tone of voice with me."
"Don't speak to me like I'm a child!"
"Then stop acting like one!" Jerrod's eyes flared slightly.
"Why do you favor Rain so much?"
"Because I think he is better for Kitana!"
Uncomfortable silence fell over both of them. The fact that they were alone in the food hall made it worse.
"You have been gone from Kitana's life for so long. She was convinced that Kahn was her real father, she forgot about you. What authority do you have to say who is bad or good for her?"
Uncomfortable silence fell again, this time at the expense of Jerrod.
"I guess I don't. That still doesn't change my opinion of you. However, Kitana does love you, and you seem to love her."
That he said 'seemed' made Liu more angry.
"So long as you don't betray her, or hurt her, or do anything that so much as makes her frown, I'll tolerate your relationship with her."
Tolerate? You self righteous piece of,
"Alice!" Jerrod stood up and called to a servant girl passing through.
Liu turned to look at the girl that came walking over. She was cute. No, she was pretty. She looked Asian, had nice boobs and a fine rump, and her serving dress was split at the sides to show off the majority of her legs.
Nice. Is what Liu rated her on the Guys Immediate Ravishing Looks Scale meter. (GIRLS meter.)
"Alice, this is Liu Kang. He is going to be staying her until we leave. Show him to an available room."
"Yes my king. Please master Liu Kang, this way." Alice walked off nervously.
Liu followed her, sparing one last look at Jerrod before he teleported out of sight. Liu followed the pretty little servant to a room.
"So, you are Liu Kang?" Alice asked walking next to him.
"Yes, that's me. Your Alice right?"
"I am. Your are the champion of Mortal Kombat?"
"Well yeah, but I had a lot of help from my friends like Sonya and Sub Zero and Kung Lao,"
"Surely you were the most instrumental in ending Shao Kahn's tyranny. After all, you defeated the Emperor himself." She stroked his bicep, in a way that sent shivers up his spine.
"Um, I guess I did." Liu was getting flustered, but like a typical guy, he didn't shy away from it.
"I bet the Emperor practically begged for mercy in the face of such an amazing man." Her hand moved to his back, and then lower. Much lower.
"Oookay, were is that room?" He said taking a step away from Alice.
"Right here." Alice opened the door to a room with a large window overlooking the market square.
Liu stepped inside when to admire the room when he heard the door shut. He turned and saw that Alice had closed the door behind her.
"Um, thank you for showing me the room. You can go now." He said taking a step back from her.
"I am here to satisfy your every need master." Alice unbuttoned her dress seductively.
Liu took another step back and tripped onto the bed.
"That's okay, I don't really need that!"
Alice had her entire dress off, and was stark naked except for her heels. Liu couldn't help but stare. She walked to him and crawled onto the bed, and onto him!
"Let me take care of you."
Liu wanted to push her off, but no where was safe to touch her right now.
"Please Alice, you don't to serve meeee," She grabbed his crotch.
"Why are you Edenian women always trying to rape me!" He yelled as he tried to wiggle out from under Alice.
"What the hell!" Lui heard a bunch of people say.
Liu and Alice turned around to see not a crowd of people, but one person.
"Jerrod, this isn't what it looks like!" Liu pleaded before the bed he was on was lifted into the ceiling, with him still on it.
Alice had managed to dive off at the last second, and managed to sneak by Jerrod, whose fury was completely focused on Liu. Jerrod brought the bed back down to find a dusty Liu, who had left an imprint in the concrete ceiling.
"You lying little son of a bitch. After I just told you about betraying Kitana, I found you trying to shtup my handmaiden!"
"She came onto me, I didn't do anything!" Liu defended himself as he tried to get up.
Jerrod put both his hands together and charged up a telekinetic push that sent Liu crashing through the window and into the market square, which was a thirteen foot drop. He then levitated down himself. He looked around but could not see Liu Kang. Then a fire ball struck him in his back. He turned but still couldn't see anybody. Frustrated, he unleashed Ermac's telekinetic power and pulled everything that wasn't nailed down toward him. Carts, boxes, and Liu came flying towards him. Only, Liu was in a flying kick. His own effort, coupled with Jerrod pulling him forwards, made the kick exponentially more powerful. Liu caught Jerrod in the chest and sent him crashing into a fruit stand. He wasn't down for long though.
"I'm done trying to ask for your respect old man. Now I'm going to beat it out of you!" Liu said in his battle stance.
"I'm going to turn you inside out you cheating bastard. Fight!"
The both of them charged each other. They were finally spending time together.
Kitana was out in the courtyard with a letter in her hand. What Rain said made sense. Liu was out of his element, and by himself. She wrote a note to Kung Lao asking him to come and stay with them so that Liu could be more comfortable, and be more easily get along with Jerrod. She was in the courtyard because she had opened a portal to send the letter through. If she remembered correctly, all she had to do was focus on who she wanted to send the letter to and the portal would send it there. She put Kung Lao in her mind, and let the letter levitate in mid air. The portal began drawing the letter in. She was focusing as hard as she could on Kung Lao, but the sun's glare in her eyes was annoying.
I should get a pair of sunglasses. Like Johnny Cage, he always had a pair of sunglasses. Kitana thought.
The letter was then passing through the realms, to Earthrealm. To the set of Dragon Fist 3.
Uh oh. I know this chapter wasn't as slapstick as my previous chapters, and that it got more dramatic between Liu Kang and Jerrod. I hope that doesn't disappoint any of you who regularly read, or were expecting something awesome after so much time. If you leave a review, feel free to leave a suggestion as to who you would like to be introduced in the story. We've already had an appearance from Reptile, and if you can't guess who is next, then you need to die.