Raiden wasn't totally unconscious, although he was close enough to feel its tendrils wrap around his mind. The wrenching power transfer had left him drained to the point of emptiness. Every cell, every nerve cried out with exhaustion and abuse. The worst part was the horrible emptiness that made a black void in his core. Where power had once burned, nothing but Raiden's newfound mortality existed.
He was vaguely aware of voices, but he lacked the strength to focus on any one in particular. Cutting through the haze was the delicious feeling of a cool, damp rag gently but firmly swiping at his body, cleaning off the gore and filth of battle. It was especially tender around his many bruises and cuts. Raiden found himself breathing easier as it continued its work. The voices left, but the rag continued, for which he was grateful. He felt the blankets being pulled as someone simultaneously lifted his shoulder, flipping him onto his stomach while removing the soiled blanket.
The rag continued through the expanse of his back, over his ass and down his legs. Raiden began to wonder who was responsible for the rag's movement. As soon as the rag reached his feet, it stopped and was replaced by a pair of smallish hands. They were cool against his many wounds, and Raiden felt as if they were literally leaching the pain away, which they were. He wasn't aware of any healers among the defenders.
The thought of the defenders brought back recent events to mind, and Raiden's eyes tightened with the pain of the memory. How shameful that he, the former god of thunder, be bested by a mortal. And one he had himself had backed at the tournament; one he thought was his friend. Liu Kang's words still rang in his ears.
You are not fit to be a god.
The hands slowly healed his back down to his feet and were turning him over with surprising strength. They started back at his feet and moved up, continuing up his legs and onto his chest. They firmly set themselves against his ribs, and Raiden was granted with the strangest feeling of his ribs mending themselves. He couldn't repress the soft moan that escaped his lips. The pain slowly faded as the healing hands ran slowly up his chest, caressing the contours of his figure perfectly. As a god, he had shied away from the touch of mortals, but he now questioned if he had been missing out in doing so. Before they went on, someone slipped a pair of boxers on him, gently lifting him to do so.
They seemed to grow more delicate around his neck, barely grazing his skin. At his face, however, they gently pressed in, soaking up the many bruises and slashes caused by the hail of attacks Liu Kang had unleashed. Raiden finally cracked open his eyes to their touch.
The world was blurred, colors bleeding together without regard for each other. The light was soft, but still seemed bright after the blackness. After a few seconds of blinking, he was finally able to focus in on the girl that had so recently joined, Mellay.
She smiled down at him, a soft, sad sort of smile. "You wake." Her voice was too heavy to be that of a child's, yet it came from her small mouth. She sat down on the bed next to him
He wordlessly nodded. "Where have the others gone?" he asked the girl. His voice was pitiful to his ears, breathy and rasping.
"To retrieve Johnny," came her answer. She leaned down to place her hand back on his face, perfectly cupping it. With her touch, Raiden felt his resolve leaving. He could have sworn her hands held some kind of magic. "How are you feeling?"
Raiden looked up at her for a solid five seconds. The grey-white hair, the deep, caring eyes that looked at him with genuine concern. He felt a deep, burning desire to have more contact with her, to wrap his arms around her small, delicate-looking frame and hold and be held. Just her hand against his face was so nice. Finally, he could resist no longer. He pulled Mellay down into a needy embrace, savoring in the feel of her hair against his neck and chest.
Mellay didn't fight it. Indeed, she seemed to relax into him, driving him to open himself up more and more to her. Raiden had turned slightly onto his side to fully embrace her, so she moved her hand up and down his back, lightly brushing the taut skin. Her other she entwined in his hair. Raiden moved his leg over hers, wrapping himself around her completely. If the bones in his chest and hips were capable of such a feat, they would have embraced her too, but they settled with pressing themselves into her. Never before had he been so close, physically, to another. It was the best feeling, this complete surrender.
Raiden did some heavy, deep breathing for about a minute. Mellay let him be until he calmed down, although Raiden was sure the process was sped up. Her hand never stopped stroking his back.
"So how are you feeling now?" the girl asked, smiling into his collar bone. Whispers were the only form of communication that passed at such an intimate place.
Raiden felt his face twist with grief. "I have failed Earthrealm. Liu Kang was neither ready nor is capable of handling such power, and there is no one to protect her now."
You are not fit to be a god.
At such close quarters, Mellay knew every twitch his body made. She moved the hand that was entwined in his hair and began stroking his face. The act was so incredibly soothing. "There is a way," she began, "to reclaim your powers."
Raiden adjusted to look the child in the eyes. His face, he knew, was absolutely pathetic at this point, twisted with grief and sorrow.
"You have to fight Liu Kang," she finished. Raiden's body grew lax and he closed his eyes against the truth.
"Yes, that is the only way," he whispered. "But he has my powers now. Without them, I am…"
"He had no powers, but still managed to defeat you," Mellay interrupted. The memory still stung Raiden. Silence reigned.
"I believe you are capable," Mellay softly whispered. Confidence and comfort began flowing from her into Raiden, which he eagerly drank in. Raiden felt his heart rate slow down. "I really do."
Author's note : Don't worry, next chapter will continue with the story, I promise.