The White Lotus Society

The White Lotus Society was based in Earthrealm. It was a place where many monks trained to defend Earthrealm from the evils of the Netherrealm and more recently, against Outworld villains like Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung.

In Outworld a few members of the Society, namely Kung Lao, had set up a branch of the Society in hope of keeping their enemies at bay. Not long ago another White Lotus member, Liu Kang, had returned. Liu had been believed to be dead. Indeed he had been, but a chance meeting with the enigmatic warrior Ermac had seen his body and spirit fully restored to its natural self.

The White Lotus base in Outworld was wisely set on the opposite side of the Living Forest to Shao Kahn's Palace. This was where Sonya and Jax, allies of the Society, had brought Ermac as their prisoner. They kept Ermac out of sight at first as Kung Lao and Liu Kang came to greet them.

"Welcome friends," Lao said, embracing Sonya and Jax as though they were his own family, "I'm glad you came."

Sonya and Jax still hadn't introduced their guest as Liu Kang then appeared,

"Liu!" she cried, immediately hugging her long thought lost comrade, "I though you were dead!"

"I was," Liu muffled into Sonya's shoulder as she continued to clutch him tightly. Eventually she let go,

"Then what happened?" she asked,

"Long story," Liu replied, "I'll tell you about it later." A look of concern crossed Sonya's face, what story could possibly explain death then life?

"You're late anyway," Lao cut in, "What kept you?"

"We ran into someone on the way here," Sonya informed him, her tone now flat. She nodded to Jax who then pulled Ermac from around the corner where he had been left, unconscious and still tied up. Liu's eyes widened and upon noticing the bruising around Ermac's back and side his expression became grave,

"Ermac?" he gasped,

"We found him snoopin' around in the forest," Jax told them,

"What did you do to him?" Liu commanded. His eyes were darkened and his tone threatening. His personality had not quite reverted back to his nice-guy likeability just yet, some of that Zombie ferocity still remained, "What have you tied him up for?" he added, "What has he done wrong?"

Kung Lao was quick to hold Liu back and put an arm round his shoulders,

"Calm down my friend," he said, "There seems to have been some sort of misunderstanding,"

"What?" Sonya blurted out, "How? I would have killed him if my senses hadn't taken over me at the last minute. He killed our friends, what's to misunderstand?"

"He is changed now," Lao told her, but clearly Sonya was not convinced. Lao knew he would have to do a lot more explaining if he was to persuade Sonya that Ermac was on their side now, "Come inside," he said, "We have much to talk about."

And so the five of them went into the base. It was only a small establishment. A stone building embedded in a rocky hill. It wasn't just Liu and Lao inside either; also present were Earthrealm Movie Star Johnny Cage and Edenian Princess Kitana. All had come to visit the newly revived Liu Kang, especially Kitana, who had once been Liu's lover before events took a turn for the worse.

Ermac was left alone. In the room next door the gathered heroes of the realms discussed Liu Kang, Ermac and the ongoing hostilities with the forces of Outworld, which it seemed were heading toward an all out war of epic proportions.

First on the agenda was Liu Kang's return. This shed light on how he was able to be fully resurrected and warned them of a coming danger which would threaten the realms once again. Liu's battle with Ermac was also discussed. But is was Kung Lao's revelation of Ermac's night with the blind warrior Kenshi, which Kenshi himself had told Lao about, that allowed Sonya to accept that perhaps Ermac had changed. However she was still far from forgiving the man she had watched slaughter her men on the first night they met.

The warriors continued to discuss various things as Liu decided to take a break from the talking. Liu wanted to know more about Ermac, but would prefer to hear things from the man himself.

Ermac sat in the room where they left him. It was a small room consisting of only a chair a fireplace and a mirror. No windows, which felt sort of funny. Event though Liu and Kung Lao seemed to like and trust him they wouldn't risk him escaping by giving him a window.

Ermac wondered why Sonya and the metal-armed man had been so harsh toward him. He supposed it was down to his time as a Commander, but he had changed now. Surely that was enough to earn some forgiveness.

Ermac was about to get up and take a look in the mirror which hung above the fireplace when someone entered the room. It was Liu,

"So," Liu began, "You came,"

"Like we had a choice,"

"You would have anyway,"

"How do you know?"

"You have no where else to go." Ermac sat down again. "Forgive Sonya and Jax," Liu went on, "They didn't know the situation, no on had contacted them,"

"Why not?"

'We never got the chance; it all seems to have happened so fast,"

"It doesn't matter now," Ermac shrugged, "You're right, we would have come here anyway, our allies are few."

Already feeling for Ermac Liu crouched down beside his seat,

"So," he started, "You want to tell me what your problem is?"

"Our problem?"

"You seem to have something that's bothering you," Liu said, "Perhaps a dark secret you need to share but can't. You can tell me though, I'll understand. I to have a dark past now, who knows what damage I caused during my time amongst the undead,"

Ermac looked at Liu who was stood in front of the fireplace. All his thoughts came flooding back to him in that moment. The battles, the families, death, life and Shang Tsung. Ermac lowered his head, tears filled his eyes, he wiped them away before looking up to Liu again.

"You OK?" Liu asked concerned,

"We will be," Ermac said, unconvincingly, "It's just so hard to go on," he added, tears already sounding in his voice once more, "We have killed so many people, we can remember killing many of them. The thoughts we had in those moments haunt us, and eat away at out our mind,"

"What thoughts," Liu asked, coming closer to Ermac's seat,

"Nothingness," Ermac muttered quietly, "We struck them down without a second thought, for no reason other than that's what we were supposed to do. Women and children cried as we burnt down their houses, and then went silent as we stuck them down as well."

Liu closed his eyes as they now filled up to. He prayed in his mind for the families which Ermac spoke of, but also for Ermac, who was not the same man now as he was back then,

"That was in the past," Liu told him, "You're different now,"

"Yes," Ermac agreed solemnly, "Now we are different. Yet now we have nightmares whenever our eyes fall shut. We are trapped in darkness, with families calling out for their loved ones; Emperor's demanding blood and soldiers begging for mercy they know they will not get,

"I'm sorry for your pains," Liu said, "I truly am, but you can atone for such crimes by fighting with us,"

"You do not understand," Ermac sighed, "We are filled with grievances of men who are not ourselves. Our eyes fill with sadness over the many tragedies we have seen, yet we cannot shed a tear."

Now Liu knelt down in front of Ermac who remained seated. Ermac was covering his eyes with his right hand. Liu couldn't tell if the ninja actually was crying or not, but assumed he wasn't. He thought that if he could see the man's eyes he would see a pain that tears could not represent.

Ermac was taking deep breaths and breathing out steadily through clenched teeth, his lips were pale and dry. Carefully Liu took Ermac's left hand in his own,

"Listen," he said softly, "I can't stop these thoughts coming to you, but I can promise you I will try and help you keep your mind off them. Only you can make this decision now. I'll go talk with the group, if you need me just call me, but remember that you are yourself now, and you are not alone. Don't let Shao Kahn or that wretched Sorcerer make you life a living nightmare anymore."

Liu then let go of Ermac's hand and left the room. Ermac stood up and looked into the mirror. In his eyes he could see a lost soul knelt down in tears, never ending tears, letting out the grief which consumed it. Yet in reality there were no tears, and there were one hundred lost souls, not lost, but trapped. Ermac's radiant green eyes were now only big black holes now and it was he who was the lost one. Ermac was coming to realize what he had to do and needed to do it soon, before this madness tore him apart.

The other warriors had convened in the other room, but Ermac could hear them talking now as Liu had left the door slightly ajar. Although he knew it wasn't considered proper to eavesdrop Ermac decided to stand by the door just to find out what the other really did think of him.

Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Sonya, Kitana and Johnny had gathered around on sofas surrounding a small table, the discussion was beginning to heat up.

"He was made to do evil," Sonya stated defiantly, "Therefore he is generically evil and cannot be trusted on our side,"

"Generic evil?" questioned Kitana, "I'm sorry Sonya but I have to disagree. If there was ever any one warrior who could commit so many vile acts and still not be called evil it would be him. Yes he has done a lot of bad things but he had no mind of what he was doing. Now he remembers those things and regrets them deeply," Kitana sighed down-heartedly, Liu put his arms around her to give her comfort and support. When she was ready she continued,

"He is a man made up of all the greatest Edenian warriors that Shao Kahn ever fought. He was brought into being by using the very life force that made Liu so great. Now he is free of the Emperor's bondage surly Ermac can only wish to fight for the forces of good. He is certainly anything but generically evil."

Sonya did not respond to Kitana's thoughts and just held her head down, she had no argument left, only her thoughts were stopping her agreeing with Kitana now.

"I feel sorry for the guy," Liu admitted, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had crept over the room,

"Why is that?" Johnny asked,

"Because he has no memories," Liu began, "But for one hundred memories of one hundred different men. He knows of their pains, he has witnessed their sufferings, their joy and their pride. He has seen them have families, watched them succeed in life; he has been with them as their relatives passed away and seen them scrape their knees as children. Ermac has seen all these things and felt them. Yet he has had none of that, he knows of the lives beginning to end of one hundred men yet he has had no life of his own, no memories of his own. I pity him."

"No memories huh?" Cage said, his face was saddened by what Liu had said; thinking about things that way did make you want to sympathize with the forsaken ninja,

"No," Liu said, "No memories, none at all."

Cage looked through the open door into the other room. Ermac was facing the mirror with his back to the others.

"Well," Johnny started, "We can give him some then. He's alive now right. We can give him a chance to have memories of his own right?"

"But would that be fair?" Sonya questioned, seeing what Johnny had said as her chance to swing the discussion back in the favour of her own feelings, "He is made up of suppressed souls. Long dead warriors who have waited a long time for their souls to travel across the river Styx, to go to the Heavens where they can be at peace. There they can be with their ancestors and life in the afterlife as all dead are destined to."

Ermac had been looking in the mirror again, pondering his humanity, when he heard Sonya speaking. In that moment he had made his decision.

As Sonya finished saying her piece Ermac entered the room.

"You OK?" Liu asked, as concerned as always,

"We will be," Ermac replied, he would answer the same question many times as the days went on. He looked over to Sonya, who rightly so looked a little sheepish, she knew Ermac had heard what she had said.

"You're right," Ermac told her, "And we had already decided on the same thing. We will travel to the river Styx in the mountains. There we will free the men's souls which have been kept away from their afterlife for to long. However, as a final favour, we would ask that all come with us on our final journey."

Kitana lowered her head into her hands, Liu held her close to his chest. Kung Lao nodded in respect of Ermac's decision as did Johnny. Sonya couldn't even look Ermac in the eyes. All agreed to go with the Soulless Warrior, although not all agreed with the path he had chosen for himself.

As a token of appreciation the White Lotus Society donated a new ninja uniform to Ermac. It consisted of a red and black ninja's outfit and black face mask which would cover the warrior's lower face.

The journey to the Styx would be a tough one, about two days travel. So the warriors slept through the following day before departing on what Ermac intended to be his final destination.