Soul of the Dragon Queen

Chapter 10: Reminiscing

(Kenshi's POV)

By the time my injuries healed Li Mei had departed from our group. I have a vast variety of reactions to that but the one that seems to…creep up on me the most is the sad one. I know when she came back I didn't make things any easier for her, but now that she's gone again I think I should've made that effort.

Her thoughts must be overflowing with guilt, considering what I heard about her actions as Onaga's queen, and well betraying all of us. I wonder how she feels about me, us. I can't really say her treachery is what broke my heart. In all honesty it was the painful icing on the even more painful cake.

We had been through too much, for me to ever give up on her. Even now I hope with all of my heart that I will find my way back to her. It's strange how no matter what she does before hand, but when Li Mei leaves, my heart yearns for her. Yuck, I sound like a love sick puppy.

I remember when she betrayed us, my heart shattered when she gave me that malign look as she journeyed towards Onaga. But my heart was already broken and when she decided she wanted to be Dragon Queen just added to my confusion. I assumed it was why she couldn't say it…Guess I'll never know. She left again.

"Kenshi, we wish to speak with you." Ermac interrupted my thoughts and took a seat beside me in front of the fire, beneath the night sky.

"What?" I was still irritated by Ermac's kiss with Li Mei.

"We know why you're in pain."

"Because I was slashed by Tarkatan blades?" I quipped.

"No, becau-"

"Don't you dare say-"

"-se Li Mei left."

"I told you not to say anything!" I angrily screamed.

"We seem to encounter this problem, every time."

"Hah! Last time you flipped out and kissed Li Mei." I spat.

"You seem to have not moved on."

"What was your first clue?"

"Kenshi, why can't you forgive us?"

"Let me see….Oh right! You kissed Li Mei."

"Do you honestly feel that betrayed?"

"You, have no idea…" My tone now sounding more melancholic.

"We know you will call us 'nosy' again, whatever it may mean," He put a sympathetic hand on my shoulder.

"but we still want to know everything that happened between you two."

"I first met her, when she was traveling through the Living Forest."

"You're actually talking?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"We did not think you'd open up…"

"Ugh, whatever. Anyway," my annoyance resurfacing. "She figured out I was lost. She took me to Master Bo' Rai Cho, who she said would be able to help me. On the way, I told her about how I lost my sight because of Shang Tsung. Then she told me how the Deadly Alliance took over her village and how she nearly lost her soul. We shared a moment, then she left me with Bo' Rai Cho. And I couldn't help but constantly think about her."

"So this is how it all began…" Ermac displayed an immense amount of interest. And I continued.

"Yep, it did."

"How did you two end up together?"

"It just sort of happened. We both, just kind of started feeling happy with each other. And decided maybe we could pursue a relationship." I smiled at the memory.

"We are enthralled." Ermac's response made me laugh a little.

"Y'know it's not like it happened fast either. I spent a lot of time, trying to get her to look at me as more than a friend. And when it happened." My smile widened. "I felt the kind of happiness I thought I never could after losing my sight."

"Tell us more." I began wondering how often Ermac and Kitana talked, because his nosiness matched hers.

"Well, fine. So let's see, me and Li Mei. We were in love but never actually said anything. I thought maybe it went without saying. And that's where the problem came. I was in love with her and I didn't need to second guess it…" I paused.

"And she did!" Ermac deduced.

"Yeah, she did." I smiled painfully. "Around the time Onaga began his attempt to search for a way to fuse the Kamidogu, I was thinking about how we will inevitably be in a war against Onaga and his forces. I didn't want anything to go unsaid. So before we went into battle I said those three words."

"And her reaction was not the expected one."

"That's an understatement. She said, that me and her are just," I was looking for the right word. "a meaningless romance. And it was just fun and games. She said, and I quote: 'Love? No, I don't want that.' And when she said that, my heart collapsed on itself."

"How could she say that? Considering how you described your romance."

"I guess on my end, things turned into love. And on her end, things didn't become anything."

"Did you tell her during the battle?"

"A little while before. Why?"

"Have you ever thought that maybe the corrupted parts of her soul surfaced at that point?"

"The ones which forced her to betray me, us."

"Yes. And we now believe you have reverted to your love-sick-puppy-ways."

"Alright, but what were you saying about her soul."

"Maybe her soul had become corrupted around that time. Because we believe that she isn't capable of breaking anyone's heart."

"What makes you say that."

"While you were still comatose, she approached us. About the kiss. She said, that she values our friendship quite a lot. And that she is in a place in her life where she doesn't want any more confusion than she already has."

"You got that meaningful, heartfelt, speech? All I got was…well an 'It's over.' "

"Kenshi, we tell you this not so that you fall further into depression. But so that you can have hope."

"For what?"

"That you still have a very special place in Li Mei's heart."

(Li Mei's POV)

"So Li Mei." Kaito began.

"Hmm?" I responded, taking a bite of the food Kaito made.

"How did you end up in Edenia?"

"Well, a friend of mine got hurt in Outworld, and other friends who were there made a portal and we came here."

"So why aren't you with them?"

"Well remember that…bad decision, I made?"

"Can't really forget it…"

"I'm sorry, again. Really. Um anyway. Because of that, I don't feel like I fit in with them anymore."

"Why did they say anything?"

"Not exactly, but things…became confusing."

"How?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Please? I'll give you a cookie." He smiled and nudged my arm.

"2 cookies."

"Deal."

"Okay, so there was this guy-"

"UGH! I already know where this story is going. I'm really really sure you hurt his feelings when you went bad."

"Well it's more like I did that right before I went bad." I began feeling a little nervous.

"Was he with you and your other friends who came here?"

"He is the one who got hurt…"

"Oh, you must be feeling really bad…Is he still alive?"

"I don't know, I uh…left before he healed up."

"I have a hunch here, but did you leave early on purpose?"

"You're a smart kid. Yes, I did. I didn't want to have to face him again. Considering how, when he confronted me, I failed to convince him of my innocence."

"That must have been a bad day."

"Yeah…it was, then he saw me kissing his bestfriend and things got worse from there."

"EWWW! Why would you tell me that!"

"You asked! Speaking of which give me my cookie!"

"Umm, I'll get back to you on that."

"Liar."

"Meanie."

Well I'll end this chapter here. I think I finally provided some backstory as to what transpired between Li Mei and Kenshi. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! And Nerdette92, we'll see if Kaito is going to be part of this story or not ;)

Nerdette92 and en-lumine, you two are my motivation. I really am just writing this story for you guys because you've been supporting it all the way : ))

Oh and I forgot to mention this last chapter but in the previous chapter when Li Mei says Kaito is about 800 years old consider him to be around 8 years old. Considering the whole prolonged lifespans of everyone other than EarthRealmers.

-Warbird571 signing out-