Quan Chi was still sitting in the tower with Ashlynn. He got up as if to leave, but she put a hand out to stop him.
"Don't leave me yet," she said, "Please."
"I will get us through this," he said, leaning back against the wall, "You believe me, don't you?"
"I believe you," Ashlynn said, staring into the darkness.
"I will let Delphine keep thinking I have joined her," the sorcerer said, "For now."
Ashlynn looked at him, "Don't let her trick you into doing anything."
This time it was Ashlynn who was being cryptic.
"Trust me," he said, smiling, "You have no need to worry about that."
He reached out to touch her face, and their lips met. But it was different than it had ever been before. There was a tenderness that had never been there.
"You should have done that a long time ago," Ashlynn said.
Edenia...
Jax had entered Edenia almost an hour ago, and still hadn't seen any sign of Maria or Scorpion. So, desperate, he stopped a passing villager.
"Hey man," he said, "You seen a Mexican chick and a guy with white eyes?"
The man only stared at him, confused.
"Jax!"
He turned, and was almost knocked over by Maria.
"Girl you're cutting off my circulation..."
"How did you get here?" she asked.
Jax raised an eyebrow, "The portals are working now, didn't you know?"
Maria shook her head.
"No," she said, "I've been...busy. Is everyone else okay?"
"Dunno," Jax said, "Sarah went to get Cherin, I don't know about the others. But you gotta find Scorpion, Raiden's waiting for us."
The Chaosrealm...
Sarah planted her hands on her hips, staring defiantly at Havik, who had been blocking her path for the last few minutes.
"For the last time," she said, "Move. I have to find Cherin."
"Exactly why I can't let you through," he replied, "I don't want Cherin to leave yet."
"I don't care what you want!" Sarah yelled, trying to push past him. He grabbed her arm, pulling her backward but, frustrated, she backhanded him, sending him staggering backward. Without looking back, she made her way toward the tent where Cherin had been staying for the last few days. Lifting the flap, she found her friend, sitting on the ground.
"Sarah!" she squealed, sounding like a an excited school girl.
"Yeah," Sarah said, "Girl, the portals are working, let's go."
Cherin and Stryker followed her back through the now operational portal, to find everyone but Quan Chi and Ashlynn waiting in the Nexus.
"I'm glad everyone is all right," Raiden said, "Now is the time. Delphine has stationed herself in Quan Chi's fortress, and I'm sure she's expecting you. I don't want you to hold back. The Siren has the amulet, this will be no easy task. So...I have called upon someone who may be able to help you."
There was a flash of scarlet light. Every face had taken on the same look of shock.
"You all look like you've seen a ghost," Jay Yung said.
It was strange. It looked like Jay Yung, only it was as if he wasn't really there. He was insubstantial, like he was only a projection of the real Jay.
Outworld...
Ashlynn walked in another circle, her legs had fallen asleep sitting down. Suddenly there was a voice from somewhere downstairs.
"No! You cannot be here!"
She ran to the door, listening intently, and was surprised when it opened. She stumbled, almost knocking Noob down the stairs.
"Thank you," she said.
He nodded, "You're friends are here. I figured it was the right time."
He was right, she could hear the sound of fighting. She thanked him again, and rushed downstairs. The ground had been littered with the bodies of Delphine's servants, Jax and Sub-Zero were finishing off the last of them. She started toward them, then stopped dead, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"No," she breathed, "It's not you...it's a trick. Delphine did this."
Jay shook his head.
"No," he said, "It's me Ash."
"This isn't possible," she said, "It can't be."
"No!"
She turned, the Siren herself was standing at the top of the main staircase, furious.
"Awww," Amilee pouted, "Did we ruin your plan?"
Unexpectedly, Delphine smiled.
"I will destroy all of you," she said quietly.
She held her hands aloft, and the room was filled with a thick fog.
-Ashlynn waved her hands in front of her face, trying to clear away the mist. She could no longer see her friends, in fact, she couldn't see anything. She was surrounded by the fog.
"This is the end."
Ashlynn turned. At first she thought she was looking into a mirror, she was staring at an exact image of herself. The reflection smiled, circling around her.
"This isn't real," Ashlynn said.
"You've been fighting with yourself your whole life," the fake Ashlynn said, "Now it's time to end it."
The image lunged forward, with a dagger than had appeared out of nowhere. Ashlynn moved aside, sweeping the reflection's legs out from under her. She fell, landing hard on her back. Ashlynn picked up the dagger, holding it above her head.
"You can't-
The image was cut off when the blade pierced her chest.
-Quan Chi had been heading in Ashlynn's direction when the fog appeared. Now he was facing a man that looked like Jay Yung, but Quan Chi was clever, he knew it was just another of Delphine's tricks.
"I've always been better than you sorcerer," Jay Yung said, "She'll always love me. You are nothing. You-
Suddenly the image vanished, along with the fog. Quan Chi glanced at the stairs, where the real Jay Yung was standing, pulling his sword from the dead Siren's body. He was only a spirit, Delphine's trick had not affected him as it had the others. He glanced down at them and nodded, smiling.
"Tell the girls I love them Ash," he said, and then he was gone. Ashlynn blinked, still unable to believe what she'd seen. Jay had been standing right in front of her, and she hadn't said anything. The others were sitting at the bottom of the stairs now, exhausted, and glad that it was finally over. Quan Chi, however, was examining the amulet.
"That has to be destroyed," Ashlynn said, walking up the stairs to join him. He nodded, pulling his eyes away from it with some effort.
"I know," he said, setting it on the floor again, "You look tired."
Ashlynn nodded, "I am."
"Go to bed," the sorcerer said, a slight smile on his face.
Ashlynn raised an eyebrow, "I don't want to go to bed."
"I did not mean go to your bed..."
"Shhh," she warned him, afraid that one of the others would hear. They were too busy talking to pay any attention however.
"Mom!"
Ashlynn turned. Arilayn and Rhapsody were rushing down the hall toward her.
"Where were you?" she asked.
"Noob told us about Delphine," Rhapsody said, "So we locked ourselves in Arilayn's room."
"I don't think she cared though," Arilayn said, "I don't even know if she knew we were here."
"Anyone hungry?" Ashlynn asked, glancing at her friends.
Jax was the first one on his feet.
"Ooo, I been waiting for you to ask that," he said, "What are we waiting for? We gotta celebrate!"
"You just want to stuff your face," Amilee said.
Jax only shrugged.
They would have four years of peace after the defeat of the Siren. But, being the Chosen Ones, they knew it couldn't last...
