They say death is final. Human imagination is limited by its ego. If they let go of their self doubt and abandoned their narrowed view of the cosmos, they'd be capable of achieving the greatest feats known to every realm.
Yet, it was this clinging to the things that held them back which made humanity an easy target for the forces of evil.
Raiden saw a formidable warrior with a darkness that was slowly eroding her good heart. Had the forces of Outworld and the mad God not interfered, Catherine of Aragon and Castile would have had a chance of enjoying a happy ending but as it was, they couldn't resist meddling to ensure their victory over Earthrealm was
Human stories rarely have happy endings. He reminded himself as he saw the fallen Queen clutching her dead daughter's hand. The men looked down in regret.
They should. None of them know what they've done.
Raiden was forbidden to interfere in human affairs that did not relate to Mortal Kombat.
The forces of Outworld and the Netherrealm had done nothing directly. Their methods were always subtle. Hence, why they had successfully eliminated potential threats without acting directly.
Countless years spent watching over humans, aiding them (when he could), and he was still amazed by their actions.
Henry VIII's Spanish Queen could have chosen to die clutching her daughter, waiting for the eternal sleep to overtake her. But with nothing left to live for, she chose to stand.
Her figure wasn't what it was before. But she was still strong enough to fight. She gave a battle cry and launched at the remaining men. Before they cut off her daughter, she had taken six of them. Age and grief however couldn't be beaten.
Viscount Rochford, George Boleyn, smashed her arm. He was the brother of the woman who had replaced her in her husband's heart. Unlike their eldest sister, Anne Boleyn had not settled with being the King's mistress. She aimed for her mistress' crown.
Catherine refused to give it up. Like her parents, she was an astute politician who dominated the political arena as she did in the battlefield. It was evident that with friends in high places and the common people on her side, Henry and Anne would never get to be man and wife.
Despair brought them to use unsavory methods. Torn between love to his daughter and past devotion to his wife, Henry was assaulted by conflicting doubts. Like a beacon, he was expected to give his dynasty a son to keep it going and by extension, ensuring his country's safety. Nobody wanted another cousin's war.
Henry VIII finally reached a decision. Raiden chortle when the King muttered to his future bride, "May God forgive us."
The Gods do not forgive and they never forget. He was living proof of that. Raiden grew tired of revisiting those memories but being a masochist, he did because they provided a distraction from the tragic scene playing out before him.
Henry VIII secretly met with his eldest sister, the Dowager Queen of Scots, Margaret Tudor, who had it in for Catherine since she killed her husband in battle over a decade ago! The two agreed to stage a mock invasion which would happen while Henry was fighting off in France defending Calais. Catherine wouldn't suspect a thing. When the battle was done, Catherine would ride victorious to Sheriff Hutton where Princess Mary was staying. By the time she got there, she'd be exhausted and unable to defend herself.
It was a perfect plan. Raiden would have clapped at the King, made his presence known to him and his Boleyn paramour, then rained on his parade by telling them their brilliant plan was the product of outside meddling forces that were beyond their comprehension. But what good would that have done?
Mortals with egos the size of a castle rarely wanted to hear the truth.
When the battle was over, Catherine's last man to fall under her sword was none other than her rival's first intended betrothed. Anne Boleyn loved him dearly but she was willing to sacrifice him if it meant getting the crown. Besides ambition, there was also religious purpose. Anne Boleyn was a firm believer in the Reformation. Though not a Lutheran, she encouraged everyone who backed the ex German monk whose movement had sparked a new era for Christianity.
With such a strong conviction, it excused all these terrible deeds.
Since he was so miserable in marriage and a never ending disappointment to his parents, Henry Percy agreed. Like the lamb to the slaughter, he cowered in battle, waiting until Catherine got to him so he could give a hint of what was coming to her daughter.
The rest as they say is now history.
He watched in sadness, the Queen give up. She knelt down, commended her soul to God then told the men to end her miserable existence.
Lord Rochford, the Duke of Suffolk, Sir Files Heron, and the remaining survivors who had been dispatched by her husband, lowered their heads in respect. Their royal mistress had died as she lives, fighting.
People would mourn her. The King was well aware of that. He would concoct a story that, pushed by his new circle of sycophants, would be pushed on the population until it was accepted as truth. Furthermore, he'd weaponized the deaths of his first wife and his child - especially the latter - to garner sympathy.
Mortal Kombat isn't about death. It is about life. But in order for life to be preserved, sacrifices must be made. For the God of Thunder this was a lesson he never intended to learn. But humans still taught him that he could always expect the worst ... or best from them.
They say death is final. Human imagination is limited by its ego. If they let go of their self doubt and abandoned their narrowed view of the cosmos, they'd be capable of achieving the greatest feats known to every realm.
Yet, it was this clinging to the things that held them back which made humanity an easy target for the forces of evil.
Raiden saw a formidable warrior with a darkness that was slowly eroding her good heart. Had the forces of Outworld and the mad God not interfered, Catherine of Aragon and Castile would have had a chance of enjoying a happy ending but as it was, they couldn't resist meddling to ensure their victory over Earthrealm was
Human stories rarely have happy endings. He reminded himself as he saw the fallen Queen clutching her dead daughter's hand. The men looked down in regret.
They should. None of them know what they've done.
Raiden was forbidden to interfere in human affairs that did not relate to Mortal Kombat.
The forces of Outworld and the Netherrealm had done nothing directly. Their methods were always subtle. Hence, why they had successfully eliminated potential threats without acting directly.
Countless years spent watching over humans, aiding them (when he could), and he was still amazed by their actions.
Henry VIII's Spanish Queen could have chosen to die clutching her daughter, waiting for the eternal sleep to overtake her. But with nothing left to live for, she chose to stand.
Her figure wasn't what it was before. But she was still strong enough to fight. She gave a battle cry and launched at the remaining men. Before they cut off her daughter, she had taken six of them. Age and grief however couldn't be beaten.
Viscount Rochford, George Boleyn, slashed her arm. He was the brother of the woman who had replaced her in her husband's heart. Unlike their eldest sister, Anne Boleyn had not settled with being the King's mistress. She aimed for her mistress' crown.
Catherine refused to give it up. Like her parents, she was an astute politician who dominated the political arena as she did in the battlefield. It was evident that with friends in high places and the common people on her side, Henry and Anne would never get to be man and wife.
Despair brought them to use unsavory methods. Torn between love to his daughter and past devotion to his wife, Henry was assaulted by conflicting doubts. Like a beacon, he was expected to give his dynasty a son to keep it going and by extension, ensuring his country's safety. Nobody wanted another cousin's war.
Henry VIII finally reached a decision. Raiden chortle when the King muttered to his future bride, "May God forgive us."
The Gods do not forgive and they never forget. He was living proof of that. Raiden grew tired of revisiting those memories but being a masochist, he did because they provided a distraction from the tragic scene playing out before him.
Henry VIII secretly met with his eldest sister, the Dowager Queen of Scots, Margaret Tudor, who had it in for Catherine since she killed her husband in battle over a decade ago! The two agreed to stage a mock invasion which would happen while Henry was fighting off in France defending Calais. Catherine wouldn't suspect a thing. When the battle was done, Catherine would ride victorious to Sheriff Hutton where Princess Mary was staying. By the time she got there, she'd be exhausted and unable to defend herself.
It was a perfect plan. Raiden would have clapped at the King, made his presence known to him and his Boleyn paramour, then rained on his parade by telling them their brilliant plan was the product of outside meddling forces that were beyond their comprehension. But what good would that have done?
Mortals with egos the size of a castle rarely wanted to hear the truth.
When the battle was over, Catherine's last man to fall under her sword was none other than her rival's first intended betrothed. Anne Boleyn loved him dearly but she was willing to sacrifice him if it meant getting the crown. Besides ambition, there was also religious purpose. Anne Boleyn was a firm believer in the Reformation. Though not a Lutheran, she encouraged everyone who backed the ex German monk whose movement had sparked a new era for Christianity.
With such a strong conviction, it excused all these terrible deeds.
Since he was so miserable in marriage and a never ending disappointment to his parents, Henry Percy agreed. Like the lamb to the slaughter, he cowered in battle, waiting until Catherine got to him so he could give a hint of what was coming to her daughter.
The rest as they say is now history.
He watched in sadness, the Queen give up. She knelt down, commended her soul to God then told the men to end her miserable existence.
Lord Rochford, the Duke of Suffolk, Sir Giles Heron, and the remaining survivors who had been dispatched by her husband, lowered their heads in respect. Their royal mistress had died as she lives, fighting.
People would mourn her. The King was well aware of that. He would concoct a story that, pushed by his new circle of sycophants, would be pushed on the population until it was accepted as truth. Furthermore, he'd weaponized the deaths of his first wife and his child - especially the latter - to garner sympathy.
Raiden should have left then and there. But he felt guilty. Outworld had won this round and he lost because he chose to follow the rules. He wanted this image engraved on his mind so the next time Outworld and the other realms broke the rules, he would too.
He put his hand on the child's head. Death is not final. The girl's soul was at peace. It
His eye shifted to the mother. More pain awaited her. Both she and her daughter could have become champions in Mortal Kombat. Shao Kahn, Shinnok and their right hand men knew this so they targeted minor realms so Raiden wouldn't have to choose either one. Yet, with the battle for Earthrealm approaching, it was only a matter of time before Catherine or her daughter were selected. Moreover, if not them, one of their descendant. It was far too big a risk so they acted quickly, using their enemies to end the threat once and for all.
"Long life. The end is only the beginning." He said to the fallen Queen then left the scene.
A CENTURY LATER
The Netherrealm
Catherine threw up on the floor. This was the third time today. She looked up to see the dark sorcerer Quan Chi surrounded by his hellish demons. He told one to chain her.
"No matter how many times you punish me, you will never get me to submit."
"I do not intend to, Your Highness. I have something better planned."
Quan Chi's hand motion caused a giant orb to appear. It shined as bright as the sun. It almost blinded her.
His fingers moved around some more. Its glow faded and was replaced by images of her past.
She looked away. One of the demons lunged forward and hit her squarely in the jaw. She spat in his face, her eyes wide shut.
That only infuriated the beast more. His clawed hands slowly ran through her face.
Catherine still would not open them and she didn't scream. Yet, despite her defiance, there was little resistance she could offer when she was chained to the wall.
She finally opened her bleeding eyes. At once, she regretted it.
January 7th, 1527
Catherine swore she would not wield her sword again but as usual, fate had other plans.
Against his better judgement, Henry left her in charge of his troops as he once again sought glory in France. Alas, it was not so.
Henry had tricked her. When her troops engaged the Scottish forces, she found Meg and her latest husband weren't among them. In fact, her former husband was among the fallen soldiers.
"My Queen." One of Henry's most loyal men, Lord Rochford, a man whose father she had once admired and (also) trusted, addressed her. Though he was the youngest of his siblings, he was the only boy. As such, he was eager to prove himself, showing off not just his diplomatic skills in the political arena but his prowess in battle as well.
There was little to recommend him in that field. He was not a good fighter but he was a damn good soldier. He followed orders and unlike his father, he had unwavering loyalty to the crown.
Lord Rochford motioned to the men to bring forward the captured spy.
Catherine put two and two together when she saw his livery. She looked pointedly at Thomas Boleyn's only son. "So, this is how your sister intended to get rid of me. Congratulations Lord Rochford, you have a sister who is a credit to her gender and an excellent pupil of your father's."
She lifted a hand to silence him when he began to mutter excuses for her behavior and also convince her of his innocence.
"You aren't your sister's caretaker anymore than I am my husband's." Catherine said. Though, she thought, his past actions suggest otherwise.
"If this is the path she chose, then so be it. She shall soon see who she is up against." She said with a note of finality.
Motioning to the Duke of Suffolk (whose hatred for Anne Boleyn and her father was well known) to come forward, she told him to carry out the sentence.
George Boleyn looked away from the sorry sight. He had more than put up with all the brutality but after this battle, he decided he did not have the stomach for war. The Queen on the other hand did.
She didn't flinch or turned away from the cowering man. Neither was she unmoved by his pleas. She had sacrificed so much for Henry's dream of a strong and safe England. She couldn't afford to look weak now - not when her and her daughter's futures were at stake.
"That was the beginning of the end for you." Quan Chi whispered in her ear.
Watching her downfall in that crystal one hurt more than the physical torment she was daily subjected to
"You thought killing Lord Percy, Queen Anne Boleyn's past lover, would place you one step ahead of her."
"She wasn't the Queen. That crown was mine. She stole it from me!"
"Pot calling the kettle, Your Highness. How many died so your mother could keep her throne? A throne she usurped from it's rightful ruler."
Catherine didn't say anything to deny this accusation. She had long stopped defending her mother's actions. She had considered being the daughter of the Catholic Kings a badge of honor until the battle of Flodden, when she got her first taste of battle. There, she saw the cost of war and how horrible it truly was.
"Poor Infanta, you swallowed all the bull crap your mother and father fed you. You were so certain of your destiny that your arrogance blinded you to the truth."
Catherine glowered at the sorcerer. she wasn't blind to the truth. Of course she heard the rumors! It was an open secret. But rumors had a way of being nothing more but empty platitudes which were the product of ignorance and superstition.
Yet, time proved them right. She thought bitterly.
"Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII were a match made in Hades. Their accursed bloodline canceled out their ancestors' past curses." Quan Chi chuckled, seeing the next scenes that led to her inevitable demise play out before them. Nothing delighted him more than seeing dutiful men and women like her and Hanzo Hasashi who thought themselves incorruptible be slowly corrupted. "But even descendants of river spirits and the fairy folk can be challenged by the might of the human spirit."
Before them the tragic scenes of Catherine's arrival to Sheriff Hutton began to be shown.
"One man alone can change the future and tip the divine scale. A woman with a strong will even more so."
"My Sir Loyal Heart. He promised that I would be his Guinevere and he my Arthur and Lancelot. Together we will forget a Camelot stronger than any sword to cut through our enemies." Catherine said, repeating what she'd said when she entered Hudson.
Still heavily armored, her sword having just been unsheathed, she steeled herself against the incoming onslaught of emotions when she saw Maggie Pole on the floor. Her daughter's governess were wide open, staring ahead where her daughter's bedroom was.
Had she been more observant she would have noticed the nonchalant looks of Lord Rochford, the Duke of Suffolk and Sir Giles Heron.
"My Sir Loyal Heart. He promised that I would be his Guinevere." Another lie of Henry's. He had humiliated her and like a good, obedient wife, she had looked the other way. 'Because that is what Queens do.' Her father told her in a letter where she threatened to leave Henry after having enough of his extramarital affairs. 'Queens aren't there to up their husbands or make them cuckolds. They are their backbone and the womb upon which dynasties are built.'
"May God have mercy on you Henry." For she will not. If anything happened to Mary, Henry and that uppity Boleyn paramour of his will never rest easy.
"Mother!"
Thank God!
Catherine went running straight to her daughter. She was tired. Her body wasn't what it once was but she found the strength when she saw her daughter emerge from her hiding spot.
"My sweet girl! How did you know I was coming?"
"I didn't but I prayed to God he'd send you here and now you're here. I was so scared mother."
Mary, her daring girl who never cried was crying. Both of them were. Such a happy fortune could only be interpreted as a sign that God was on their side.
The commons would surely celebrate their return. Now Henry will see that there is no reason to leave me for that common strumpet of his.
Catherine told Mary to stop crying. "Princesses don't cry. You are your father's daughter, the granddaughter of greater monarchs. One day you shall be Queen and you must start showing strength now."
"Yes madre." Mary said, knowing calling Catherine that in her native tongue would please her.
Their faces completely dry, Catherine told Lord Rochford and the other two to meet her outside where the rest of her select group she had chosen to escort her were.
With her daughter in her arms, Catherine walked outside. Neither mother and daughter knew what awaited them.
"You are cruel." She said as the final scenes played out.
"What is the meaning of this?" Every man had unsheathed their swords and pointed them at the Queen and her daughter. "I demand an explanation! Your Grace, tell them to stand down!"
No matter how much she barked at them, they remained firm in their betrayal.
It was then that Catherine laughed. A dry laugh that matched her icy tone as she looked to all of them. "So men, is this what it has come to? The King can't dirty his hands so he sends his minions to do the job for him."
Catherine's eyes fixated on Sir Giles Heron, Thomas More's son-in-law. "What will your wife and her father say when they discover your folly?"
"My shame will be my own burden to carry. I do this to protect them, not for personal gain."
"He will find out. When he does, no gold or promises of safety will keep his mouth shut."
Sir Giles Heron looked away, suddenly embarrassed.
"What did Henry promised you, Charles? No answer? Cat got your tongue?" Despite the danger, with her daughter still in her arms, Catherine took a step forward in his direction. "I thought you better than this."
"You thought wrong." Was the only thing the Duke of Suffolk could say, having as much trouble to look her in the eye as most of the men present.
"And you, Lord Rochford ... Is this how low your family is willing to stoop to get what they want?"
"My sister has waited long enough, Your Highness. She has sacrificed matches and put her reputation at risk to be with His Majesty. And it is not just her love of the King that pushes her to become his Queen, but her faith in the new religion."
"I am your Queen! You swore loyalty to me."
"I swore loyalty to whoever wears the crown of Saint Edward. That is not you. My eldest sister was tossed aside like she was nothing. She came to you for help, believing you would understand her plight but instead she found more cruelty at your hands than at the king's."
"Am I my husband's whore keeper?" Was Catherine's reply. What did he want from her? To kneel, crawl, tell her how sorry he was? Or perhaps he wanted to hear her life story as to justify her actions towards his eldest sister.
He doesn't know me. None of them do. She once thought Henry did but he too refused to see the steel hidden underneath her demure exterior. Catherine bowed to no one and she didn't spend time making excuses about her actions (or justifying them) because that would imply she had been wrong. And that was something her pride could not allow her to admit.
"You are charitable to so many of the common populace but you ignore your closest subjects. All because you're under the delusion that you hold power but power is in the hand of whoever holds the king's heart or is in her graves and that Madame, is no longer you. Anne will not suffer as Mary has she will not be known as the Great Prostitute and have to beg you for help." Georgege Boleyn said. "The King needs a son. Your stubbornness will be the end of England. You were right. His Majesty isn't brave enough to do the job himself so he sent us. After our recent encounter with the Scots, I must admit I don't know how he expects us to do this with a clean conscience. But as good Sir Giles here said, it will be a necessary burden to carry for the good of England."
Catherine held on tightly to Mary who was doing her best not to show her fear. Knowing the fight was lost, the Queen whispered to her daughter to close her eyes and pray. Mary did so. As she did, Catherine moved one hand to her scabbard and took out her sword. If this is what the devil's agents intended, she'd give them one hell of a dogfight.
Quan Shi snapped his fingers. The orb disappeared.
The last images it showed was of her clutching her broken arm. Hair bloodied, face bloody and nearly exhausted, she did what she had never done before in her life: she put herself at someone else's mercy.
But just as before, her humiliation changed nothing.
Her daughter was killed and with nothing left for her to live for, she dropped to her knees and commended her soul to God.
The blow came as swift as it had come for Mary. First darkness then fire.
Waking up in this hell hole had to be a mistake. After everything she had done for God, her adoptive country, and her daughter, how was it possible for Catherine to land herself in this wretched place?
The first century, she had fooled one of her captors. Spent time evading capture until a run in with another fugitive landed her back with her tormentor. But he grew frustrated with her. The spark of rebellion and pride that she had while alive, was still present in her soul. No torture or taunting could extinguish it.
It was not long before she caught the eye of hell's top enforcer. A sorcerer by the name of Quan Chi.
Except for his attire and face paint, he could be mistaken as human.
He excelled in psychological torture. And she loved proving him wrong ... Until today.
"Your husband got what he wanted. Everyone did except for you. You and Mary were collateral damage. Fate is cruel but so are the cosmic forces that push against it." Quan Chi smiled. "Imagine she can be back in your arms and their descendants made to pay for what they did to you."
"And become like them? No. You chose the wrong person to be your avenger."
"Really? You want to know how the gods rewarded them? Do you see them running around? All of them are enjoying a good time upstairs whole you remain down here. How fair is that?"
"You lie. That's what demons do best."
"I do not lie, Your Highness. I have been honest with you since the beginning. But if you choose to cling on to your morals, then I will leave you here. No chains, none of my enforcers will harm you. It will just be you and your misery, hearing the voices of those you loved who betrayed and abandoned you and your daughter and lastly this." Quan Chi snapped his fingers. A pendant that held a miniature inside appeared. "This will be the only thing you will be forced to wear until you come to your senses."
The pendant attached itself to her blood stained bodice.
Quan Chi signaled his demons to let her go.
Catherine turned on her heel and began waking away. When she was far away, she sat behind a rock and opened the pendant. The miniature was of her daughter Mary. It was painted days before she died.
For the first time in a long time, the once warrior Queen of England and Spanish Infanta, cried.