Disclaimer: I own nothing that is not mine.

Chapter Eleven

Four days before the tournament

The blazing summer sun shone down on two figures facing each other in the afternoon heat. Without warning the figures blurred, and the ringing of metal on metal echoed as their swords clashed.

"Humph, you're too predictable," Scorpion said in disapproval. Tori smirked.

"Oh I am, am I?" She disappeared and reappeared behind him. Scorpion turned just in time to find the point of her sword directly under his throat.

"I may be predictable, but that doesn't mean I'm slow," she said with a smile before lowering her sword. Scorpion watched as she walked over to sit in the shade of a nearby tree and he found himself staring at the sword that rested beside her. She had stopped using his sword once she'd learned how to summon her own. The sword was a kitana, and was about as long as the bigger of Scorpion's two swords. White leather was wrapped around the handle and the guard was plated in gold. The blade was so light it looked white, especially in the sun. It was a fancy sword, Scorpion thought. It looked as though it had been crafted for a wind goddess. He snorted as the thought crossed his mind. There was no way this brat could be a goddess. That he was sure of.

"Are you okay?" Scorpion looked down to see Tori staring at him with a curious look on her face.

"What," he asked.

"You usually don't snort unless you have a good reason."

"Oh, I had a good reason."

"Mm, okay then." Tori had been around Scorpion long enough to know that he didn't like sharing his thoughts with others, so even if she bugged him all day he still wouldn't tell her. "Well I'm gonna go get ready," she said as she started walking off.

"Get ready for what," Scorpion asked in an annoyed voice.

"I'm going to spend the night over at Emma and Ella's."

"Oh, no you're not," he said, moving to stand in front of her.

"And why not," she asked in a calm voice.

"It's only four days until the tournament. You need to be training instead of slacking off." Much to his surprise Tori started laughing. Her laughter briefly made him forget why he was standing there blocking her path. She had a very nice laugh now that he thought abo—No! He was not going there! He was brought from his thoughts by her speaking again.

"Scorpion, you've been training me non-stop for the past four months. Everyone needs a break now and then." She moved to walk around him but he moved to block her again.

"Oh, yeah? And what if you go off and get hurt because you didn't spend these last few days training." He saw a surprised look cross her face before she quickly hid it. Hell, he was surprised himself. He had meant to say something else, but that had come out before he could stop it. What was wrong with him lately?

A sly grin spread across Tori's face.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I would say that you're worried about me," she said.

Scorpion snorted. "Don't flatter yourself."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not," she said with a small smile. Scorpion glared down at her for a moment before turning and walking off.

"Fine, but if you get hurt in the tournament don't come crying to me."

Later that night

The girls sat in the bedroom talking about what had happened over the past four months. They had kicked the guys out first thing, except for Scorpion, who had stayed back at Tori's house. The conversation had died out and it was silent a moment before Emma spoke.

"Um, have Scorpion or Ermac been acting weird lately?" She then proceeded to tell them what had happened between her and Sub-Zero a few weeks ago.

"He hasn't been the same since then," she said. "I mean, he acts normal enough, but it's like he's lost some of his cool composure." Tori and Ella looked at each other before looking back at Emma.

"What? What is it," she asked, looking from her sister's face to her friend's.

"Hello! Earth to the dumb one! Can't you see it," Ella asked in an exasperated tone.

"It's completely obvious," Tori said.

"What is?"

"That he's fallen for you," Ella said.

"But the question is, do you love him," Tori added. Emma thought for a moment. Did she really love Sub-Zero? He was her favorite character sure, but had her simple affection grown into something more?

"I don't really know," she said finally.

"Sounds to me like you do," Tori said with a grin. Emma's cheeks turned red as she pointed at Tori.

"Oh, yeah? Well what about you and Scorpion?" Tori stared at her wide-eyed in surprise for a moment before smiling.

"Maybe I do like him, but that idiot couldn't love a fencepost."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Now it was Emma's turn to grin. "He could change you know." Tori snorted in response.

"Somehow I find that very unlikely." Both girls turned to Ella.

"What about you," Tori asked. Ella looked at her hands.

"Well, um. I-I don't really know. I mean, I don't think he likes me that way."

"He doesn't act weird around you or anything," Tori asked. Ella paused for a moment.

"Actually, he does a little bit. It's almost like he doesn't know how to act around me." Emma looked at Tori before turning back to her sister.

"It sounds like he likes you but hasn't realized it yet. I doubt Ermac's ever fallen in love before. It's so cute!" Ella picked up a nearby pillow and smacked her sister in the head with it.

"You are so stupid," she yelled as a stunned Emma fell off the bed and onto the floor. The girls continued on with their conversation, not knowing that their thoughts were being shared by others.

Sub-Zero sat in the field where he usually trained Emma. The field was brightly lit by the pale illumination of the full moon, making visibility very easy. Since the girls' had kicked him and Ermac out, he had decided to go meditate. That soon turned out to be a challenge, as a certain person's face kept popping up in his mind. He opened his eyes and cursed under his breath. Why was he thinking of her so much? He thought back to the incident he'd had with her a few weeks ago. Why had he even done that? He had way more self-control then that, or at least he thought he had. Hearing a noise behind him, Sub-Zero turned to see Ermac standing there.

"We thought we would find you here," he said as he came up and sat across from Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero looked at Ermac a moment, debating on whether or not to tell his friend what was on his mind. With a small sigh, the Grandmaster decided to at least ask Ermac's opinion.

"Ermac, do you ever see Ella as more than just a student?" Ermac, who had been quietly sitting there with his eyes closed, opened them and stared at Sub-Zero. It was a slightly unnerving sight, seeing Ermac's eyes at night, but Sub-Zero had grown used to it a long time ago.

"What do you mean by that question?"

'I mean do you think you're starting to fall in love with her,' Sub-Zero thought, but instead he asked, "Do you find yourself thinking about her more than usual?"

"Yes," Ermac answered without hesitation. "We are worried about her in the tournament." He looked pointedly at Sub-Zero. "Are you not worried about Emma?" Sub-Zero felt his breath catch as he remembered what happened to those who lost against Shang-Tsung. He would take their soul. Whatever happened they could not lose. Sub-Zero sighed.

"I suppose we should both worry about Tori. I doubt Scorpion cares what happens to her." Ermac nodded.

"We will just have to be twice as careful."

Authors note: I still don't know how to feel about this chapter. I needed to take a break from all the fighting and training, and apparently when I take a break in a story I write chick flick scenes where we all get together and talk about our 'feelings'. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but now you why I don't take breaks very often.