"I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
No change, I can change, I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mould, I am here in my mould
And I am a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mould, no, no, no, no, no
(Have you ever been down?)
I can't change, don't you know?
I can't change it
'Cuase it's a bttersweet symphony, that's life
Trying to make ends meet trying to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
You know, I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mould, I am here in my mould
And I am a million different from one day to the next
I can't change my mould, no, no, no, no, no
I can't change my mould, no, no, no, no, no
I can't change my mould, no, no, no, no, no
It's just sex and violence, melody and silence
It's just I can't change my violence, meldoy and silence
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I't just I can't change my violence, melody and silence
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
It's just I can't change my violence, melody and silence
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been donw
Been down ...
Ever been down ..."
~Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve

1558
Scotland

Margaret was a woman of many faces She never thought of turning against her own brood. But a restless conscience was a tough thing to live with. Every night, when she closed her eyes, she dreamt of Catherine and Mary's deaths. Her younger sister had never foriven her nor Harry. Their untimely deaths sent Mary Brandon nee Tudor, Duchess of Suffolk in a downward spiral towards madness. Before she died, she swore she saw her namesake, Princess Mary, coming to her bedside. The memory of how Mary described her was so vivid that Margaret might as well have been there to partake in her sister's delusions.

The child Princess had tears running down her eyes, accoring to her sister. Eyes that carried a penetrating gaze that mirrored her father's, she asked her namesake and aunt why had she remained on her knees when she could have taken a stand and denounced the King, his new Queen, and her sister, the Queen Dowager of Scots. "Why did you abandon me? I thought you liked me."

Margaret tried to shush Mary and tell her that it was all a dream. A bad one. Nothing more.

Mary however was adamant in her belief that their niece's ghost had come back to haunt her. Just as it was rumored that Richard III was haunted by the ghosts of his slain nephews, the princes in the tower, so was she.

Bullocks. All of it - thought Margaret. There's no justice in this world except the one, one makes for his or herself. She had learned that the hard way after Flodden. And yet, after decades of that heinous act, the ghosts of Catherine and Mary had finally come to haunt her.

Like something out of Dante's Inferno, Catherine demanded retribution for Margaret's sins, swearing that she will crucify every member of her family until the only thing left for Margaret to do was die in melancholy.

Bullocks. But their spectral images wouldn't leave her. She had inherited from her mother, before she passed away in childbirth, a mirror. It was whispered that the Luxemborg women from her great-grandamother, Jacquetta's line, descended from the river goddess Melusina. A siren whose song had lured a handsome count into her underwater lair where she imbued him with her own magic so the two could spend the rest of their lives in eternal bliss. But like most royal fairy tales, this did not have a happy ending.

After Melusina's charms wore off, he escaped from their underwater paradise to return to the surface and take up arms along with his two sons. A prophecy was made of them that foretold that one day these two would produce a horde of witches and warlocks who'd be crowned kings and queens, and enslave all the good souls of Earth just as their divine ancestress had done with their father.

Until now, Margaret had never bought into these folk tales. How could such nonsense be true? But in the short years following her niece, Queen Elizabeth I, ascension, she had seen things that made her doubt.

'Perhaps we are, as it was said then, the devil's brood.' People had died by the thousands for them. The Yorkists promised peace and instead delivered unrest when her grandfather, Edward IV, chose a Lancastrian widow for Queen instesad of a royal bride. Margaret swore she'd defend Scotland to her dying breath. All of the sacrifices she made, the things she had to put up with, to see her son safely installed as King of Scots and his half-sister, Meg Douglas, raised as befitted the status of an English Princess and Queen's daughter, were worth it. It was easy to justify her actions when she had never paid the price for the acts committed for her family's welfare. Now, God had come down from heaven to exact payment. No minor gods or spirits could dissuade the Almighty from punishing the guilty. His court was the only one that was truly just and whether it was in this world or the next, Margaret was going to pay. Of that she's absolutely sure.

And yet ... if given the chance to do it all over again, she wouldn't change a thing.

'God is in his heaven. Safe and sound where nothing can hurt him. For those of us stuck below, we have to sacrifice a piece of ourselves to keep those we loved safe.' History will not judge her. After all, if there is one thing Margaret has learned from a lifetime of study, prayer and political theater is that the ends always justified the means.

~o~

Raiden heard from bystanders of the passing of the Dowager Queen of Scots. Her daughter-in-law, Mary of Guise, and granddaughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, had a great diplomat to keep England at bay. Her passage meant that Mary of Guise would finally get to exert control as the new Scottish Regent in her daughter's name (who was growing up ignorant of the world around her in France with her maternal relatives -the Guises. Social climbers, conniving and deceiving upstarts who had sold her to the highest bidder in the hopes that it'd put pressure on England to name her Elizabeth I's heiress).

Nothing was what it seemed with these people. Obnoxious, petulant, arrogant, and shallow. Occassionally, they showed opposite traits which nearly made him forget about their negative ones. Nearly. As a god, he remembered everything. It was both a blessing and a curse. So naturally, he was unable to put behind these royals' past sins. Nor the reckoning that was coming their way.

In the eternal palace, where the gods resided, Raiden entered unannounced. None of them present. In their stead, sitting at the highest chair was the titan Kronica. Callous and conniving, worshipped by the ancient peoples that populated this galaxy before the humans evolved into the sentient beings they are today; she was as formidable as she was beautiful.

"Why have you come here, Raiden? Have you ran out of excuses for Earthrealm?"

"This is a matter that concerns the elder gods. The ones who made the rules to ensure the balance of every realm stays in place so the Almighty does not wake up from his eternal slumber."

"Hmph! Eternity." Kronika said, a smirk on her face. "That is a word that gets used too often.

Paradise

They said that dying was a painful experience. For Margaret that is how it was but then there was a blinding light and it was like being born again. All of life's questions answered. Well ... almost all of them. The first thought she had when joining her family was why wasn't her niece among them? Surely an innocent child was more deserving of heaven than all of them. The answer to her question was given by none other than her brothers, Arthur and Henry, who looked like they did when they were teens, around the time when Catherine came to England to wed the former.

It was ironic that as they finished their explanation, more souls joined them. 'So she's done it.' It was true. All of it. Melusina, the other myths of past heroes, gods and goddesses.

"So now what?" She asked her brothers. "Do we sit here and wait for her to unleash her fury on our descendants?"

"There is little that can be done unless one of us is brave enough to stop her." Arthur said. Her older brother who rarely had a stomach for war but was raised to be the perfect model of kingship. For once, she saw him as that man. 'The man that he should have become had it not been for mother's curse.'

His inference wasn't lost on any of them, least of all her. "I spent my entire life aiming for heaven thinking I'd never seen it and now that it is here ..." She gave a dry chuckle. "I should have known that such bliss wasn't meant for me."

"If there was any other way, Meg, we would not be asking this of you but you're the only one who can put an end to her madness." Harry said.

Margaret nodded.

'Who is the lamb and who is the lion?' She wondered as she agreed to this pact. She always saw the Tudors and Stuarts as the apex of royalty, but death had given her a rough reality check.

She gave one last look at the family she had hoped for so long to see then stepped into the portal that took her to the lowest levels of the Netherrealm where she encountered the mad god Shinnok and his crony, Quan Chi.

Japan

In a village, a Jesuit man spotted a dying man holding a crying babe. He asked something he knows the answer to. Why? Anthony Roper wishes to restore his family's honor. After what they did to the Emperor's aunt, Tony vowed he wouldn't rest until he made things right. Stripped of his inheritance and the opportunities granted to his perfectly obedient sister, he went to a monastery, believing that monastic life was a piece of cake. He was deadly wrong. Like his grandfather before him, he barely lasted there a full year before he was advised by the Abbott to go elsewhere.

So he did.

In a remote building near the docks in Dover, a new religious house has been sprung up. He was surprised that it was even left alone by the authorities. The master there explained that as long as they didn't cause problems to the ultra Protestant Jane Grey and her indolent consort, Guildford Dudley, the y were left alone.

Tony wasn't a sociable person but he quickly embraced the friendlier atmosphere of the Jesuit Order. But there was a heavy price to pay for being part of this nascent order. After he was ordained a priest, he got to pay that price. He was sent to Japan with a handful of other missionaries. He vowed to make them proud and so far he has. Or so he'd thought.

The last member of the Shirai Ryu clan answered him swiftly. "There were far too many. Bi Han, that dog ..." He voiced violently.

"Save your strength. Here, let me take the child. Can you walk?"

The ninja shook his head. "He trusted you. He would've wanted someone like you to ensure her safety."

Tony blinked. That wasn't the impression the leader of the Shirai Ryu clan gave him. While his wife had been kind, Hanzo Hasashi did not miss a chance to like fun at him. He was welcoming to the missionaries because he had to be. Still, he treated Tony's colleagues far better.

"You have done that yourself, brother. I will place her inside the carriage and then come back for you."

The ninja shook his head again. "Too late for me ... Take care of the child. She is all that's left of his legacy. his bloodline must live on. He would've wanted it that way." With every breath he took, every syllable he spoke, he could feel himself fading. Using the last bit of his strength he got up and placed his bloody hand on Tony's shoulder. "You're a man of God. You know that a reckoning is coming. Heaven and hell won't stop my grandmaster from exacting vengeance on the Lin Kuei. She'll be safe if they don't know she's alive."

"But why me?" He insisted. "If what you say is true, I-I am the last person he'd want looking after his child. I have no means. If I leave the order, I'll have nothing to fall back on."

Surely this had to be one of God's cruel jokes. Hanzo Hasashi was a cultured, disciplined man and a skilled warrior. He knew all about the divisions within Anthony Roper's family. It was one of the reasons why he found Tony's presence among the Jesuits funny. "A man like you, Hanzo Hasashi had told him, dishonors himself turning his back on everything built up by your great ancestor, Sir Thomas More."

Harsh words made harsher by the simple fact that they were truth.

So why me of all people? Tony was treated as the bane of his family's existence for not following the new order established by the Anglican church and their zealous Protestant Queen. Countless priests and nuns have been imprisoned, tortured and forced to abandon their faith. He was truly lucky both religious orders he picked were left alone.

Initially, he did try to restore his family honor but he soon realized that was a childhood dream. Running away was far easier than being held prisoner by family expectations driven by a regime he didn't recognize as lawful.

"You must convince them. The fate of my master's legacy rests in your hands." Those were his final words. The ninja slumped down and drew his final breath.

So funny and yet so sad. Tony always had a sick sense of humor which few in his family (except his mother) understood. He could find humor in the darkest of times and had a hard time withholding his dark humor - which gave people the wrong impression about him.

He does not have to worry about that anymore. Crouching down, Tony closed the man's eyes. A life of servitude and honor. It was the motto Sir Thomas More lived and died by.

Did Hanzo Hasashi really thought that about him or was it just some last minute attempt to get him into taking this burden?

Tony didn't have time to think. If everything he said was true, Tony had no time to waste.

A Year Later ...
(England)

"We're sad to let you go but we don't hold anyone prisoner. However, you made an important commitment that you vowed to keep. Should you wish, we can overlook your indiscretions and arrange for a suitable place to take in the child." Father Thorn said smoothly.

"I will not let my daughter grow up without a father. I gave her mother my word to look after her until my thing breath." He wasn't really lying. When he had been a guest at the Hatoshi household, he promised Hanzo and Harumi Hatoshi to keep their child's interests at heart. Of course, at the time the child in question was their son and the interests he had in mind were his studies for the duration of Tony's visit.

"There's no need for drama, Mr. Roper."

"It is the truth, Father. My honor and my responsibilities as the girl's father demand it."

"Your duty is to God and his sacred mission. There is no bigger responsibility than that." Father Thorn admonished. "When you came to us you showed brilliance and a passion that far exceeded our expectations, including mine. I was your harshest critic but after I saw how you helped others, got back up despite the mockery of heretics and your family, I began to believe in you. Don't take that belief away from this old man. England is a wasteland where the wicked prosper and the virtuous are executed like common criminals. Your grandfather was one of the greatest scholars of his generation. I had the privilege of meeting him. He was the only one of the King's ministers and close friends who didn't feed his big ego. The King loved him for it. And he was also despised for that. When your father refused your mother's request of a Catholic burial for Sir Thomas More and agreed to assist the Duke of Suffolk in putting down the loyal followers of the Holy Mother Church, your mother took a stand. Against the highest commandment laid down to women, she put her life in peril by joining the Pilgrimage of Grace."

Tony didn't need a history lesson. He was well aware of that. It was a stormy night when his mother left him and Mary, telling them that one day they'd understand that what she did, was for the good of England.

Mary Roper never forgave their mother. Tony kept his feelings to himself. He was born after his grandfather was executed. Most of what he knew came from his books and her mother's tales. Naturally, he held on to that idealized picture that was painted of the laughing philosopher and Catholic martyr.

"Five times she was called to recant her faith and five times she refused. You quoted from the same scripture she did when she was sentenced to a life in quiet retreat under the care of her sister. You cannot begin to imagine how enthusiastic we all were with your progress. 'At last,' we thought. 'Thomas More comes back from the dead to help us combat the evil in our land.'

Two times, you signed up to heed the divine calling of being a priest and two times you've backed down right when you were this close to help your brethren spread God's message. Our Lord is a loving God. He will watch over the child. Your place is by our side."

Tony wanted to believe so badly that it was but after what he had seen, it was clear that life had other plans for him. With a heavy heart, he crushed the old man's hopes and turned his back (for a second time) on the Catholic Church.

He went to see his sister. She wasn't delighted by the prospect of him having an Illegitimate child. Nonetheless, the thought of having him back safely and into the fold, softened her. Tony hadn't told her the whole truth. He knew he was in for it when he revealed the child's true identity and what he'd witnessed.

And he was right.

His widowed sister was angry he had kept all of this from her. She thought she was looking after her niece while he had gone back to the Order to give an account of his actions. It turned out she was looking after a stranger. Mary Greer nee Roper demanded to know everything. Anthony complied, sparing no detail of his experiences overseas.

When he finished, the indomitable head of their family was at a loss of words. After what seemed an eternity she spoke.

"You could have been killed." Seeing his lips move, she put her hand up to stop him from protesting. "I don't know if you're brave or foolish. Perhaps both." She paused then said: "You did the right thing. If you want to make this work, you have to let me help you."

"It is as our grandfather always said, there are ways and then there are practical ideal ways." Tony said. "Truth be told, Mary, I was scared out of my wits. I took every precaution to ensure no one would know she was with me. I paid a wet nurse over there handsomely and then, when one of her young charges and her unborn child died, I paid her even more to let it be said that she died giving birth to my bastard."

"I am sorry, brother. I should have never judged you."

"You were right to do so. I should have stayed here with you and the rest of my family and protected our holdings. "

Mary Roper shook her head. "It wouldn't have made any difference, Jane and her money grubbing in-laws would still have found ways to seize our assets and execute you like she did our father. With you here now, we can rebuild."

" I promise you, sister, I will not rest until our family's good name is restored." He said, taking both her hands. "With Queen Elizabeth I favoring you, we have a good chance of achieving our goal."

"Your goal." She clarified. She let go of his hands, shifted her face to the bundle of joy he'd brought from Japan. "All I care is to keep our family safe. With this little one, we have more reason to."

"Stick to the devil we know, avoid martyrdom at all costs. I know, sister. Too many good men, men of honor and principle have died." Tony said, thinking to the pile of dead bodies he'd seen, as well as their own grandfather. Though he had not witnessed his execution, he heard enough stories about it to form a clear picture in his head that became vivid and real as if he had been there.

"If what you say about her is true, you will not speak of sacrifice and honor. You will let me raise her."

Tony smirked. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that."

"I am serious, Tony. She won't be contaminated by dangerous ideals like our mother was."

At the mention of their mother, Tony flinched.

"That's not fair."

"I mean it, brother. Our family isn't going to raise any more martyrs." Mary Roper said sharply. She grabbed his hand. "Promise me before God and everything else you hold dear you'll work to restore our standing and fortunes. Now is our chance. Let's take it. "

Anthony nodded.

The idealist that was Tony would never die but he'd stay hidden so he could protect his new family.

Neither of them ever realized that it wasn't practicality or political ruthlessness that kept them safe.

Behind the shadows, the protector of Earthrealm, Lord Raiden, had watched over Hanzo Hasashi's daughter and her guardians, ensuring their safety.