All Hail the Emperor

Mileena and Kitana slowly circled around one another as they waited for each other to make the first move. Mileena playfully spins her sais around her fingers as she chants a Tarkatan nursery rhyme. Sweat rolled down Kitana's face. Her hand trembling. Her fingers locked onto her fans. Her breath hammering against her left arm as she guarded the front of her chest. Her eyes constantly monitoring Mileena's hands, waiting for her to make her move. Anything to keep her from staring into her sister's bloodshot eyes.

"Sister, I don't know why you're trying to harm me, but surely we can talk this through."

"I eat little girls like you," Mileena responded.

Kitana opened her fans. Mileena's sais glowed pink as she raised them in the air. She let out a Tarkatan chant as she fired a ball of pink energy towards her. Kitana swings her fan towards the energy ball. As it comes closer to her fan, she moves to the side to avoid getting struck by Mileena's attack. She trips over her foot and falls on her butt. She noticed that her fan disintegrated into ash after connecting with energy ball, which crashed into the throne. A shockwave spreads across the room, but it does not affect any other area in the castle. Kitana looked at the throne. A throne that has been around since the dawn of Outworld's beginnings.

"Mileena," she whispered. Mileena starts to twirl her sais once more as she stares into Kitana's eyes.

"Now, tell me what really happened in the last 15 years," Mileena demanded.

"I…" Kitana was shaken by Mileena's cold stare. "I spent the last 15 years in the other side." Mileena started to calm down a bit.

"The other side of what?"

"The other side of Reality."

"What nonsense is this? Do your lies know no bounds?" Mileena questions as she stopped twirling her sais.

"I am telling you the truth, sister!" Kitana shouted.

"Do not call me your sister!" Mileena fires another blast which Kitana narrowly dodges. She runs up to Kitana and tries to stab her with the sais. Kitana quickly dodges her attacks by rolling across the floor. She waves her fans toward the floor and the wind lifts her back on her feet.

"Everything I've done has been for you, Mileena. If you will not listen to my truth, then you shall lie beneath my feet," Kitana said. Mileena laughed hysterically. She continuously thrusts her sais towards Kitana, but Kitana easily counters all her attacks with her fans. She knocks away both of Mileena's sais and kicks her towards the now destroyed throne.

"Everything I've done has been to secure a better future for you. So, forgive me, sister, but there is one last issue I must resolve," Kitana stated.

"I'm…" Mileena struggled.

Kitana runs towards her with both fans in hand. Mileena uses a roundhouse kick, which Kitana narrowly dodges. Kitana lands on her hands and sweeps her leg against Mileena's ankle. Before Mileena was able to land on the ground, Kitana spins around on her toes and swings her fans, creating a small Tornado. The speed forces Mileena into the window behind the throne. Kitana tosses her fans toward Mileena. Before they were able to penetrate her, Kitana teleported herself to them and grabbed them. She spartan kicks Mileena through the window. The enhances the strength of her kick using the wind from her fans.

As Mileena descends towards the surface of the ground, she snaps back into reality. She looks towards the shattered window and noticed the concerned look on her sister's face. She started to envision the faces of every adversary she has ever come across. Li Mei. Raskal. The failed clones. The Locust Klan. Knightwolf. The Red Dragon. Kotal K'etz and the Osh'Tekk. Nitara and the Moroi. She feels her body slammed down. As she looked to her right, she stared into the eye of Torr, who was holding her. She looks to her left at a surprised Ferra, who did not notice her falling in the first place.

"When Milly visit Torr?" Ferra asked. The beast shrugged. Mileena could feel his heavy breathing fading away. Noticing she landed in his arms, she releases a faint sigh of relief.

*Osh'Tekk Campsite*

"No-Kahn! We bring she," Ferra states as Torr tossed Mileena onto the ground. Mileena grunts as she lands on her side. She lifts herself up and remains sitting on the ground. She looks around the desolate camp of the Osh'Tekk. Kotal and D'Vorah sat in front of her. D'Vorah leaned forward and reached for the empress's top.

"D'Vorah!" Kotal called out. She halted her action and looked back at him. Kotal shook his head. D'Vorah snorts and mutters under her breath as she moves away from the empress.

"Ko'otal," Mileena bowed. "I've been told you rejected Kitana's bargain."

"So, this was your doing?" he questioned.

"I have always allowed your kind to reside here."

"My kind was slaughtered by your kind hours ago, Mileena!" he shouted. Mileena was taken aback.

"They tried to slaughter me as well. The difference is…" Mileena examined her nails. D'Vorah slams her fist again the stomp she sat on.

"Do not mock Kotal Kahn!" Kotal places his hand on D'Vorah's shoulder. She takes a deep breath and relaxes her hands.

"I do not mock him; I question his authority!" Mileena shouted. "Why did you not address me before addressing her?"

"Does she not speak for you as she always has?" Kotal questioned.

"Tani keep Big-Teeth in check. We watch she," Ferra gloated. Torr huffed.

"She manipulates me no longer. Not since she brought our father back to life." Kotal and D'Vorah looked at one another.

"Empress Mileena!" Mileena looks to her left and sees a vampire flying her way.

"A traitor coming to taunt me once more, I assume?" she wondered. The vampire digs into her left breast and pulls out the Portal Stone. Mileena squinted to validate the authenticity of the stone. "How did you…have you been following me this whole time?"

"Your mate dropped it in the portal after I bumped into him. The same portal that took away my ankles," she confirmed. Mileena looked at her feet and noticed they were fine, albeit scarred.

"He is not my mate, Moroi!"

"Empress, we all have names. You may address me as Raja," she commanded bluntly. Mileena growled at the woman. "You have much to atone for. Starting by explaining what you did to my sisters."

"I don't know the outcome of that battle. I escorted the weaker mortals through the woods and got surrounded by the Tarkatans. Next thing I remembered was destroying the throne," Mileena recounted as she pointed to Torr. Torr roared and Ferra mimics him quietly.

"I was forced into performing Nitara's spell earlier than expected because of her fading connection. I can still feel her presence, but its location is…surreal."

"Maybe she's on the "other side" as my sister would say," Mileena mocked.

"Doll face no sister. Not like Ferra/Torr," Ferra roared. Torr imitated her.

"I never denied our relationship, Ferra. It was you who chose not to be called my sister," Mileena responded.

"Milly think we not worthy? We eat like you. You made we serve no Kahn!" Mileena glared at Kotal Kahn who shook his head.

"You mean to tell me that you sided with my detractors because you were jealous?"

"We put you in our shoes. Make you know what we live like. Tani help you cheat."

"That is not the worst of your deeds, Mileena," D'Vorah stated.

"I don't even know who you are?" Mileena stated bluntly.

"She is a victim of your bounty system, empress Mileena. Tanya and Jade wiped out her entire realm."

"I did not order the extermination of anyone other them members of the Locust Clan. You have no right to blame me for the actions of others," Mileena shouted.

"You stood complicit with their actions. Therefore, you bear the same responsibility. This one has spent years in solitude because of their actions. Kotal Kahn has been my only source of comfort in these trying times. It was he who got others to follow him and treat me with respect, but it was only out of fear," D'Vorah explained.

"We don't know—"

"Kotal Kahn," she interrupted. "Tanya stated "no one in Outworld actually liked you" when referring to the Kytinn. Unlike with everyone else in Outworld, no one tried to hear our cry for help. Even the empress ignored this one's presence even after allowing this rodent's mutt to kill this one." Ferra waved her fist towards D'Vorah as did Torr.

"I…"

Mileena took a deep breath and clenched her fist. She got onto her knees and bowed to the five of them. D'Vorah widened her eyes and clutched her jacket. Ferra was perplexed as she tightens her grasp on Torr's arm. Kotal clutched both of his fists tightly. He closes his eyes. Raja has a tear roll down her eye as she tries to hold her feelings back.

"Ko'otal, D'Vorah, Ferra, Torr, and…" She peeks at the Vampire. "I am sorry…for all the pain and suffering I've caused you all. I offer my sincerest apologies."

"You…apologize?" Raja questioned.

"Those who sit on the throne are cursed by the One Being's presence. He speaks to us, influencing us to merge the realms. For what reason, we do not truly know; aside from that desire being seen as the right decision to make."

"Is that presence the reason you never released Vaeternus even after making your promise?" Raja questioned. "Now that you mention it, Nitara did find it strange that K'etz never released Vaeternus when he already had the throne."

"It has plagued me once before, but it wasn't until that Earthrealmer, Chan, pointed out a flaw in something my sister told me once. It made me realize that my sister has done things during this war that I was oblivious to. Things she would never agree to. Such as the display created in the Courtyard."

"What?!" D'Vorah shouted. "Ferra, how true is this information?"

"Ferra saw Tani first!" she answered.

"So those rumors…started from you?"

"Big teeth no display, she devours like Ferra/Torr!" she flexed. Torr roared and flexed as well. "We knew she couldn't be Milly."

"So that means, your father…" D'Vorah looked at Kotal.

"Are you saying…she sat in the throne prior to her disappearance 15 years ago?" Kotal asked. Mileena nodded.

"She always sat on our Father's throne as a child when he wasn't looking. Anytime someone what tell on her, she would convince him that they were lying. We all know what happens next. It wasn't until after sitting on our father's throne before she came up with Operation Reklaim. To reklaim what was lost she would say. Now, I don't know what that means anymore." She looked to Kotal. "This act will no longer occur to anyone else in Outworld. I will make sure of it." She looked to the ground once more.

"Raise your head, Empress." Kotal walked closer to her. She looked up and saw his blank stare. He offers his hand to help her rise to her feet. After staring into each other's eyes for a few seconds, Kotal wraps his arms around the empress. "You do not need to apologize to me, my empress. You have done nothing but treat me well."

"I appreciate the gesture Ko'otal, but this is…a bit much," she blushed.

"You have made it your duty for years to rebuild Outworld into a thriving realm that all may reside in." He tightens his grip as she slightly nudges his chest with her head. "Had it not been for you, many of us would not be here." He tightens his grip even more.

"This is starting to feel discomforting, Ko'otal," Mileena chuckled as she tried to wiggle away from his grip.

"You've exposed the corruption that plagues this realm. Corruption that has killed my father. Corruption that has affected many others throughout this realm's history. You took the initiative to remove it from this world. You are Outworld's true Kahnum," he ranted. Kotal squeezed harder as some of Mileena's bones started to crackle.

"What…are you doing? Release me right…now!" the woman shouted.

"You have served your purpose well, Empress Mileena. Now, we must work together to ensure this evil can taint us no more. Only two of you remain. Therefore…" Kotal squeezes her body as tight as he can. The bones in Mileena's body began to break a few at a time. Her elbows, rib cage, and even spine was crushed.

"Ko…agh…taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!"

Mileena screams in anguish as her body finally gave out. Her head immediately bursts open, splattering all over Kotal's forehead, chin, and chest. He squeezed her even more forcing a lot of her insides out of her body like a bottle of mustard. He loosens his grips as her body was much lighter. None of the others seemed fazed by Kotal's actions. He releases her body causing it to slump down onto her blood and pile of organs lying behind her. Kotal forces his hand through her chest and pulls out her heart. He proceeds to raise her heart into the air and crushes it. The blood falls into his mouth as he feasted upon it. D'Vorah, Ferra, Torr, and Raja feasted on her organs and remains. Kotal dropped her flattened heart onto the ground and stared at the sun above.

"Now all that is left is to kill Kitana, and the realms shall be free of the One Being's presence once and for all," Kotal confirmed.

End of Chapter 20

It has been a long two week no lie, so apologies for the late release. This being late also applies to future chapters which I will be pushing back to Early August as oppose to Mid-July. Not much else to add right now other than to confirm there are only 10 chapters left until this story finally ends. Depending on how the rollout of the next 10 chapters goes in August, I'll have a new approach/better to how I'm going to be releasing the next three stories in the future, which should solve the issue of the year long hiatus issues I've had with this story in particular.

(Upcoming—Loose Lips Sink Ships)