Parting Ways

"Someone here to see you," Kung Lao had said, as he opened the infirmary room door to allow Ermac in. He was speaking to the fortunate who lay bandaged up on the room's single bed, the blind warrior Kenshi.

Kenshi was suffering from a number of injuries, the main of which was damage to his lower spine where he landed after being felled by Shang Tsung's blade. He was also suffering the deep cut from Shang Tsung's attack, which had been only a touch away from damaging vital organs. Kenshi had been very lucky indeed. Lucky was not how he felt at that time however. He was barley able to move, only having any real mobility in his neck. He was bandaged in various places along his arms and entirely around his chest and abdomen. The medics had told him he would regain full mobility in time, but when was anybodies guess.

Ermac did not show any signs of upset that his friend was so hard up. His face only beamed in delight that he was there and he was alive. He moved hastily to be at the blind mans side and for a moment only stared in awe at a man he could have sworn he'd left for dead a mere two days ago. In a moment which humoured Kung Lao, who was just about to leave, Kenshi smiled back at his teary eyed comrade,

"You thought I was dead," he said reading the ninja's thoughts. Ermac nodded. "Don't worry, so did I." He looked over to Kung Lao and nodded; Lao returned the gesture and left the two men alone. "It's good to see you again," Kenshi said, "I wasn't sure how your battle with the Sorcerer would go. I should have known you wouldn't fail, victory was in your eyes."

Ermac grinned. It was Kenshi thought, slightly out of character for Ermac, who normally displayed nothing but absolute modesty.

"That Sorcerer won't be troubling any of us ever again," the ninja stated,

"I'm glad to hear it."

"So how are you anyway, you look terrible,"

"Why thank you," Kenshi laughed, then winced, "I guess I must look pretty bad huh. And in answer to your question I feel worse than I look. Nurse says I'll be better in time, guess you guys have to finish this thing without me. You've no idea how much that pisses me off."

Ermac looked away, hiding his guilt. He knew how much everyone seemed to want him to stay and to fight with them. Yet he was torn between their wishes and his own feeling of what was right.

"Anything the matter?" Kenshi asked, breaking the quiet that had overcome them.

"The others will finish things with Shao Kahn. We will return to the Styx. You will not see us again."

A gloomy look crossed Kenshi's battle worn face,

"Really?" he said, "Well that is a shame,"

"You won't try and persuade us to change our mind?"

"Is your mind not made up already?"

Ermac nodded, "It is," he said,

"Then what good would it do me to try?"

Ermac did not respond.

"Then this is goodbye," Kenshi said, "I'll miss you; you've been a good friend. I regret not having more time to get to know you."

"We feel the same," admitted the green-eyed warrior, "None have been more dear to us than you." He wiped away the first of the tears to fill his eyes, "Sorry," he said, "We seem to be doing this a lot these days,"

"Emotional kid," Kenshi laughed, "Now you've started you can't stop huh?"

Ermac nodded, "Goodbye," he said, "Our thoughts will be with you as we make our final journey."

"And mine are with you. Goodbye Ermac, Hero of the Realms."

He had left the blind warrior then, happy in the knowledge that he would recover well soon.

The morning after he and Kitana made their way to the city gates. There they said goodbye to Liu Kang and Kung Lao, they have parted from Sonya and the others the night before. That had all been two days ago. Now Ermac and Kitana travelled across the baron plains of Outworld. Another two days and they would arrive at their destination. Kitana would leave Ermac in one.

The route the two warriors travelled on ran through the plains in the deep western lands of Outworld. It was the only area of Outworld where the Emperor's minions were frequently scarce. The Styx however stretched closer to the Emperor's primary domain. Yet the deserts of the west leading from the Edenian portal to the mountains were the safest route until then.

The journey had been a mostly silent one. Ermac was now deep in his own mind. Two ideas conflicted there over what he should do for the best.

The silence was not easy for Kitana. She had hoped changing Ermac's mind would still be a possibility. Yet whenever she brought it up he shrugged it off. Something was troubling the soulless ninja, but she was damned if she could find out what.

Toward the end of the second day the peaks of the Styx Mountains were in sight. They were still at least two more days away but it was a relief to finally be able to see their destination. Here the terrain got more hazardous, as rocky mounds littered the area.

Just hours after the pair entered the rocky zone Ermac, who remained lost in his own mind, tripped, and bashed his head and body against a solid boulder.

For a second the ninja lay motionless and Kitana thought he might have been knocked out. But with the Princess's help he managed to turn over and face her,

"Are you ok?" she asked concerned. Ermac only moaned. He managed to stand. Blood ran slowly down his face from a cut above his left eye. It was superficial, he wiped it away with the back of his hand; it would stop bleeding soon. He then pulled off his upper attire to reveal a much nastier bruise down his entire right side, along with another small cut above his chest. He moaned again, weakly and more force this time. "Oh dear," Kitana said, in a more relieved tone now she knew Ermac's injuries were not serious, "What have you done to yourself? Sure you want to go to the Styx like this?" Ermac recognized the playful jest in her voice and only smiled shaking his head. "Come on," she said, "Let's find some smoother ground so we can rest up for the night."

In less than an hour the travellers found just the spot, about a mile on from where Ermac had encountered the unfriendly boulder. Kitana set up a modest fire. She didn't make it to big, though Kahn's minions were few and far between, especially at this point, it was better not to attract unwanted attention.

They sat close, both insecure in the dangerous Outworld Badlands, both wanting to cherish their final days together.

"How are the bruises?" Kitana asked,

"Sore,"

"Obviously," she said. "I do wish you could stay,"

"So do we,"

"Then what's the problem?"

"We have to make this decision for ourselves."

"I suppose you do." Kitana resigned herself to the fact that maybe Ermac could change his mind in time. Time, something he had so little of if he went through with his stubborn plan for redemption. But she was wasting her time perusing the subject further and she knew it. She didn't want to spoil her final day with this man asking questions, she was sure he would not want that either. She looked to Ermac, whose head was typical lowered in thought. He seemed so lonely, even in company; it made her want to cry. The Princess put her arm around Ermac; he looked up into her eyes.

"We'd like," he began, but stalled nervously, go on she told him with a motion of her eyes. "We'd like to sleep with you tonight," he said, "If you'd let us." Kitana sat back startled at the proposal. It wasn't the request itself which caught her off guard, but the innocence and honesty in which he said it. Before she could speak Ermac assured her of his reasons. "It's cold tonight," he said, "It is our last night together; we just want to be close to someone we care for. We have been alone for far too long."

"Oh Ermy, you've never been alone, if only you would understand that. Yes, we can sleep together tonight. I'd like that to." She then came forward and put both arms around the ninja, he did the same, and for a moment they held each other a loving embrace. When they came to moving away however events took a turn neither of them had expected.

As they finished their friendly hug they looked at one another with destinies eyes. Her sapphire blue glistening in the starlight, his emerald green brimming with previously unknown affection. It was he who moved in first. Kitana feebly pulled back, turning away momentarily almost in shame,

"No," she said, then breathed forcefully before returning Ermac's gaze, "Ok," she said, "Maybe just once."

"What about Liu?" Ermac said, now returning to his own senses,

"I love him. This, this is just company."

Not sure if it was the right thing to do both companions then moved in on one another. They kissed, and far from being just company they began gripping each other while doing so. He hands moved down to his tender midriff, he moved his up and down her back, not entirely sure what he was doing or why. They both enjoyed the moment together, knowing it would cloud their thoughts with guilt in the following days to come. Yet their they sat, his arms around her neck touching just above the bosom, hers around his stomach, clutching his lower back, and for that moment they loved each other.

Following their guilty on off kiss the two warriors lay back and slept together. They slept closely and nothing more. Kitana took longest getting to sleep. Her mind was more aware of how the liaison could affect her life. But she knew she had only done what Ermac had wanted, and with that in mind fell into the land of dream not too long after her dozing friend.

Hours later Ermac was the first to awaken. He was always taken aback by how dark it was in the mornings of Outworld. Sure at night time the sky was black, but the morning was rarely anything but grey. He then became aware of something else, a warm feeling inside of him regardless of his naked upper body. He moved his hand down his body and onto Kitana's, which lay comfortably over his groin area. Putting his head back once more Ermac smiled content and tranquil, he decided maybe he would lie here just a little longer.

Just two hours later both Ermac and Kitana were awake. They set off travelling once again without a word but both warm inside. Ermac's wounds had healed and were scarring nicely. The bruise remained, and would do so for the days to come.

Eventually Kitana did speak, and addressed what occurred that night,

"I will not mention what happened when I get back," she said, "It may not be seen as how it was. But don't feel guilty."

Surprisingly the Princess's words seemed to lift a weight off Ermac's shoulders he hadn't been aware of. He looked to her and gave her a look a appreciation,

"Thank you," he said.

As the sky darkened almost completely to signify night in Outworld Kitana stopped Ermac. They were now just a day away from the entrance to the Styx Mountains. The bridge crossing the pit of sorrows came before that and here was where the two parted ways.

"So this is goodbye," she said, not containing her dismay,

"It is,"

"We will all miss you,"

"We know." They had hugged, more friendly and lovingly than before, but nothing else.

"May you find yourself in time Ermac," the Princess said.

Ermac said nothing.

"Your legacy will not be forgotten." She then bowed, a gesture Ermac did not expect, it made him giggle inside. Kitana saw this and smiled, "Goodbye," she repeated, then turned and did not turn back.

"Goodbye," Ermac whispered.


So thats the fanboy bit of me done with now. Don't know why I had involve the Kitana/ Ermac love scene, it wasn't there originally, but it felt right. Maybe you don't think so, maybe you can see it happening, at least in the context of this story. It's there now anyway, can't change it now. Look forward to more action in the next chapter where we catch up with Liu and Lao and their quest to reach Shao Kahn. Coming Soon!