Kenshi and Ermac had fallen behind. Ermac was moving at a hobbling pace; his injuries left him exhausted and he was only getting worse as he lost blood. Kenshi wanted to pull Skarlet's knife out of him, but without a doctor around to quickly treat the wound he would bleed out faster.
"Have we lost them totally?" Ermac asked.
"I can still hear them…barely though." Kenshi replied.
"What are they doing?"
"Marching if I had to guess, but the dragon king's palace isn't far. They'll be fighting soon, you know how armies get when they're bored."
They trudged further on, silent, but thinking volumes.
"Kenshi, did we do the right thing. Are we doing the right thing?"
"Huh. Do you mean we or you?"
"…..we." Ermac tapped his chest to specify.
"I think you've been doing batshit insane things since I've known you, probably well before as well, but then I'm helping with one of those things right now so I can't complain."
Ermac groaned in response.
"That means yes Ermac, I do think you're doing the right thing."
"And you?"
"I'm here aren't I?"
"You didn't have to be."
"Ermac, before I was blinded, I wandered anywhere and everywhere to test myself against powerful fighters. I knew I was good, and every time I won, I grew a better swordsman, but not a better person. Eventually I didn't want to just win, I wanted to humiliate, and not long after that, annihilate. I goaded people into fighting me; insults, blackmail, forcing their hand. I'm not scared to say that I was an arrogant son of a bitch, and lonely. I didn't know it at the time but I was lonely, and got lonelier and lonelier as people hated me more and more for how I acted. I was too good to be touched, and too scummy for anyone to want to touch me."
Ermac slowed and touched Kenshi's shoulder, signalling him to stop. Ermac looked out on the sight before him but did not interrupt Kenshi.
"I filled the void with power. Then one day Shang Tsung tempted me with more power than I ever thought to achieve, and I took the bait. You know why my sword Sento was sealed away? It belonged to one of my ancestors that was a particularly bloodthirsty asshole. His clan mates would not stand for it, so they sealed away his sword, committing a part of their souls to be stuck with it. When I was blinded, they spoke to me, but at first they were just noise. I was angry at the world for what had happened, but those souls taught me mercy, temperance, and generally being an a decent person lest I become like Sento's previous owner. Most of all, they kept me company all this time. I wasn't lonely anymore. Thats why I respect you so much Ermac. You've had thousands of souls and voices within you your whole life. Hundreds of greedy ambitions, hundreds of angry impulses. You've thousands of souls, but by your own will you are of one heart. So thats why I am here, supporting your heavy than I thought butt, because yes I think you are doing the right thing."
Ermac did not say anything.
"Your welcome." Kenshi said.
"What?"
"You thanked me for being your friend. Your welcome."
"You just read our thoughts!"
"You bet I did. So what are we looking at?"
Ermac tapped Kenshi on the back, signalling to start walking.
"You should pulse now." Ermac said morbidly.
Kenshi did so, sighing heavily when the images returned.
"Well damn."
Many dead bodies littered the ground, from both sides. The rain drenched them, making their blood and spilled fluids run and pool in the cracks of the tiles. Kenshi heard more fighting, near the bottom of the hills that framed the palace courtyard soldiers still clashed, left to fight by their leaders.
"Jade…" Ermac spoke with grief.
Jade lay on the ground, with two broadswords sticking out of her back. Her eyes were open, but blank and dark.
"Her soul was taken." Ermac stated.
"We are dealing with that snake Shang Tsung."
A few more steps further and they found Kung Lao. His hat was on the ground several feet away, like it had been cast aside and showing how viscously he was put down. His eyes were the same as Jade's.
"If both of us had been here with them, this would not have happened."
"If both of us were here with them on good terms, Skarlet would've been ripped into four pieces. No offence but you don't get to feel guilty about this….what the hell? Do you see that?"
Indeed Ermac did. The dead bodies of both armies faintly lifted as green orbs, their souls, erupted from them and all charged the entrance of the temple.
"Shang Tsung's hungry it seems." Kenshi joked.
"It has to be the undying army, he's using the souls to revive each soldier!"
"And those ones!?" Kenshi asked.
Ermac looked back with terror at what he saw. A tidal wave of green; the souls from all the fallen back where the armies had first clashed where rushing towards them. The souls flew over their heads, funnelling into the now seemingly narrow doorway of the temple.
"I hear rattling, lots of rattling and shambling." Kenshi told Ermac.
"He's done it. The dragon king's army lives."
"Uh, so what now?"
"We do what we came here to do."
"With an invincible army waiting for us?!"
"Maybe the sorcerers can't control them, yet."
"That is a pretty big maybe Ermac. We need help,"
Suddenly a blast of lighting struck the top of the stairs, blinding both of them and deafening Kenshi.
"Is that," Ermac began.
"Raiden really makes grand entrances huh." Kenshi interrupted, rubbing his ear.
Raiden spared no glance back as he rushed into the temple.
"Now we have help!" Ermac stated happily, rushing ahead from Kenshi's side.
He moved so eagerly that he did not notice the shadow cast by the overhang of the temple stir. Saibot jumped out of the shadow at Ermac, but was impaled to the wall by Sento flying. Ermac looked back at Kenshi, and noticed a black hole behind him.
"Kenshi!"
Noob hopped out of the black hole and immediately clapped his hands together. White light gather between his hands and he fired a ghost ball at Kenshi.
"Not this time!" Kenshi exclaimed, retracting Sento and sheathing it in his telekinetic energy.
He slashed the ghost ball and his power deflected it away, making it explode in the air.
"You don't get to make me look stupid twice in one day wraith."
"Kenshi?"
"Go Ermac, I'll hold him off. Save Skarlet!"
"Save Skarlet? That animal tried to kill you already idiot." Noob insulted.
"Yeah well no one asked you!" Kenshi retorted, charging Noob.
Reluctantly Ermac went on. He got to the bottom of the stairs and found Kitana. Bruised and bloody, she had been thrown down the stairs and had her soul taken. They they had parted on bad terms, Ermac was determined to make Shang Tsung pay for this. He ascended the stairs and, carefully avoiding the stray shots from the sorcerers and Raiden, entered the temple. It was huge and grand on the inside, with rows upon rows of undead samurai watching diligently. Near the far end of the temple where the soul well was, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi fought Raiden.
"Skarlet!" Ermac shouted.
Raiden looked back at this, and was overtaken by the sorcerers. Quan Chi pressed his attack on the thunder god, but Shang Tsung broke away to confront Ermac whom was approaching angrily.
"You've been a very bad pet Ermac." Shang Tsung belittled.
"We are not a pet. Not for you or Shao Kahn!"
"You should follow her example."
Blood flowed in front of Shang Tsung, and Skarlet grew from it momentarily, stopping Ermac's advance. Her shoulders lifted with each heavy breath she took, her one remaining knife already drawn, missing its sister blade.
"I want another clone." Shang Tsung whispered to Skarlet.
"I don't need the help." Skarlet refused.
"I wasn't asking girl!"
Shang Tsung conjured a fireball in his hand and smashed Skarlet in her back, dropping her to her knees. Shang Tsung lifted and threw her towards one of the undead samurai. She crashed into it, knocking the skeleton over. Ermac moved to help her but Shang Tsung attacked him. Ermac blocked his punches but Tsung kicked his knee out and lifted him by the throat.
"Your souls, are mine!"
Shang Tsung ripped a portion of the souls from Ermac's being and tossed him aside. Tsung let the souls fly into the spasming skeleton on the ground. Skarlet got to her knees and looked at the skeleton. Muscle and tendon began to grow on it like before but its figure remained androgynous. It smashed the ground like an angry child, but with each strike its strength was apparent and small shockwaves spread out.
"I don't need either of you anymore. Soon I will have an army of these!" Tsung proclaimed.
The creature got to its feet. It wore no clothes, had no skin, and its face was still skeletal save for some muscle around the jaw and the eyes. It eyes glowed bright red. Skarlet's hair stood on the back of her neck as the creature looked at her and snarled, beast like but as if many were screaming. Shang Tsung laughed in triumph until a lightning bolt struck him in the back.
"Have you forgotten about me sorcerer?!" Raiden taunted.
Shang Tsung growled as he got up.
"Kill them!" Shang Tsung ordered before engaging Raiden.
The creature lunged at Skarlet, wrapping its skin stripped hands around her neck. It squeezed tightly, making her eyes bulge. She punched at its forearms, but this creature was abnormally stronger than her other clones. Panicking, she slipped her toes beneath her dropped knife and kicked it upwards. She caught it and stabbed down into its right arm. The knife went all the way through and with a twist she severed its arm at the elbow. The creature reared its head back in pain and rage before delivering a powerful kick to her stomach, knocking her back. Its blood poured out onto the floor but slowed, forming a nub of suspended blood. The creature waved its other hand at the discarded arms and armour of the samurai it once was. The metal arms and armour flew to its arm, forming an oversized club of a hand held together by green energy.
"Ermac?" Skarlet questioned.
The creature punched forward without stepping. Its hand extended forward on a whip of blood and smashed down onto the ground as Skarlet rolled out of the way. The creature jumped upwards, its powerful legs carrying it high into the air. As it began to come down, green energy surrounded it. Skarlet dived to the side as the creature crashed into the ground like a meteor.
Ermac stirred on the ground. Having his souls taken from him left him drowsy and feeling empty. He leaned forward and saw through shaky eyes a metal armed, skinless monster attacking Skarlet. It's body emitted a green glow each time it attacked, and each of those attacks were enhanced by telekinetic force. It had his power! Ermac got to his feet, his wound still taking its toll and his powers weakened from the souls being stolen. He clenched his fist and teleported forward, appearing in front of the creature mid attack. With all his might Ermac hit it across the jaw with a right hook infused with his power. The creature ate it and smacked its face onto the ground. Ermac looked over to Skarlet, who looked to him confused. Ermac offered his hand to her. She looked at him. Her knife was buried in him, his coat was drenched in blood, but his face was still soft and his hand hopeful.
"We don't want to fight you." He told her again.
The hesitance Skarlet knew she felt when trying to kill him before hit home in here. She did not want to fight him either. She took his hand and he hefted her up. Her weight strained his painful injuries and and he slumped involuntarily. He fell into her and she gasp, gripping his arm and holding him. He was covered in blood, his magnificently delectable blood. Euphoria was felt by both.
The creature got to its feet; it's skull face was cracked and leaking blood. Both Skarlet and Ermac stood ready to fight it. The creature charged, surrounded by a horn of green energy. Skarlet teleported away and Ermac through up a barrier to meet the charge. The creature crashed into him, and pushed him back with each step it took, both barriers refusing to back down. Ermac scowled trying to keep his power up as while he slid back. Skarlet dropped down onto the creatures back, stabbing at it furiously. The creature continued for a few steps before slumping down, dropping its barrier. Ermac noticed blood that it had left behind rush back to it and gather at its back. Ermac grabbed Skarlet with his power and pulled her to him just in the knick of time; bloody spikes erupted from the creatures back. Green energy encased the spikes and pulled them side to side, ripping them out of its back. The spikes hovered in front of the creature, and with a wave of its arms they blasted forward. Ermac made a barrier to block them. The spikes stopped and liquified falling to the ground. Ermac dropped the barrier and stepped forward, stepping onto one of the blood puddles. Smiling, the creature flicked its finger upwards and the puddle spiked upwards. The blood spike pierced through Ermac's foot, making him fall.
The creature tried to rush him but Skarlet tackled into it instead. She wrestled it to the ground, beating its face viciously. The creature reversed her and got on top. It punched her in the face, grabbed her hair and slammed her head back onto the ground. Finally, it raised its metal covered arm above its head. As it brought it down, Ermac caught it with his power, stopping it from crushing Skarlet's head. Ermac pulled, ripping the metal arm off the creature. Blood poured from its stump again, dripping onto Skarlet's chance. She took it in, the blood and power taken from her being returned. The creature tried to get up but she pulled it down. She forced her fingers into the bloody stump and also grabbed at its throat, tearing open the arteries there. Skarlet absorbed its blood, even while it fought to get away it became weaker while she grew stronger. She had drained it so much that the creature slumped onto her, and she pushed it off of her.
"Allow…allow us." Ermac said.
He gripped the creature with his power and lifted it into the air. He slammed the creature down head first, obliterating its head. The body flopped over, dead. Skarlet tended to Ermac, who's foot was now free.
"You're in bad shape….I'm sorry." Skarlet said remorsefully.
"Its okay, its okay. We need to leave. Shang Tsung will keep making more of those things as long as we are here."
"Alright, here…"
Skarlet helped him to his feet and the two of them began making their way to the exit. However, behind them Raiden became enveloped in Quan Chi's spells, lifting him into the air. Shang Tsung created a giant snake of fire and willed it to strike Raiden down into the ground. His eyes dulled, he did not get up.
"So much for his divine intervention." Quan Chi mocked.
"Indeed. Now…what?!" Shang Tsung noticed Ermac and Skarlet trying to get away, as well as the dead creature.
"No!" Shang Tsung took off after them.
Skarlet noticed, and she let Ermac down as gently as she could while drawing her knife.
"Skarlet!"
"I lost you once because of him Ermac. I won't let it happen again!" Skarlet proclaimed.
She ran at Shang Tsung, and the two of them exchanged blows. Shang Tsung's magic gave him the upper hand and he clutched Skarlet's throat.
"Goodbye my creation!"
Shang Tsung ripped Skarlet's soul from her body. She twitched as the green ghost of her was pulled out, going limp when it left completely.
"You're turn." Shang Tsung said to Ermac.
The sorcerer made fireballs erupt from the ground. Ermac rolled from two of them and used his power to fling the fireball into Shang Tsung's gut. Ignoring all his pain Ermac rushed Shang Tsung. With every angry soul within him Ermac used his power to increase pressure on Shang Tsung. The sorcerer could not fight it or even lift his arms.
"Help me Quan Chi!" Shang Tsung pleaded.
Quan Chi looked at Shinnok's amulet at his belt. He could use it to focus, and control, the souls of the undead army. He had what he needed.
"No, I think not. I'll just enjoy the show."
Shang Tsung could only look up in fear at Ermac's enraged face as the pressure collapsed his legs, crushed his ribs, and broke his neck. Ermac let up once he was sure Shang Tsung was good and dead. His rage subsided to terror as he fell next to Skarlet. He sat up and pulled her into him, cradling her.
"Skarlet." He said calmly.
No response.
"Skarlet…" He said calmly but in a shaky voice.
Nothing.
"Skarlet!" He yelled.
She did not move.
He pulled her knife out of his gut. He bled profusely, and made sure every drop spilled onto her. He could not tell whether or not she was drawing strength from it.
"Skarlet?" He asked, grief stricken.
She was dead.
Every mind in him was horrified. Every voice in his head trembled and weeped, because he willed them to. He allowed for no distraction, no idle thought. He committed them, himself, to this. To her. And now she was dead. He was fully committed once, to Shao Kahn, but he was forced to, born into it. He chose this, and it hurt so much more because of it. He could not even be bothered to look up at the dragon like being walking past him, nor pay attention to Quan Chi screaming in denial. He could only look into her red eyes, dead and soulless. Souless. He had a thousand souls within him, all that wanted a piece of her. Could he not share one?
Ermac cradled her head, willing himself into her. Every time he felt sadness, happiness, anger, fear, he focused on her, making each instance about her. His memories of her, they were a part of his soul, if only he could switch places.
It happened. It was like his mind had blinked, and lost something. It was not enough. Every soul in him had its blood used to make her. Every soul. So be it. Ermac willed everything into her. It was getting so quiet, and so dark. He noticed green light, and blue, flashing away from it, but he did not care anymore.
"We love you Skarlet." Ermac said.
The last of them left him, the voices in his head, the 'family' that has plagued his existence since his birth. It was just him. He saw the individual fully for the first time.
"I love you."
Ermac's world went dark, empty and quiet.
Skarlet's eyes brightened again. She was pressed against Ermac's chest, blood trickling out of his side, her knife in his hand.
"Ermac, what did you do?" She asked, trying to sit up.
Ermac fell back as she moved.
"Ermac?"
She shook him, and she felt nothing. His touch would normally excite her unimaginably. He felt less than a corpse.
"Oh no, no, no, no, no…." Skarlet repeated.
Raiden, while preparing to release his godly essence to stop Onaga, noticed the two of them. He did not know who they were, but he guessed that the man at least was with Kenshi. Sparing what little power he could he teleported the two of them out of the temple. Satisfied, he focused completely on his suicidal attack.
"What the hell are you doing?" Quan Chi asked, still firing at Onaga.
Onaga was about to be on top of them.
"My duty." Raiden replied.
He released his godly essence and created an apocalyptic explosion of lightning that levelled the temple.
Atop one of the hills looking over the dragon king's palace, Skarlet and Ermac reappeared from lightning. A few metres away, Kenshi was teleported as well.
"Alright who's the wise guy? I had that ninja on the ropes!" Kenshi said.
He heard sobbing, hopelessly sad sobbing. He turned to it and pulsed; he saw Ermac and Skarlet.
"What?"
Kenshi pulsed again and saw the temple levelled and smoking. He tried to read Ermac's mind; nothing.
"Oh god…."
Skarlet was full on wailing now, crying into the air and at Ermac. Kenshi was moved and saddened by how young and innocent it seemed. Kenshi sat down, laying Sento at his side. He took in all her pain silently, resting his forehead in his palm, tired and allowing the occasionally sob to escape as well.
"Thanks Ermac. Thanks a lot." Kenshi said sarcastically.