Efrafans and Tarkatans began their charge at us. I could only have a last glance of Holly, Hyzenthlay, Liu Kang and Kung Lao, Campion, and Hanzo, as we're about to face battle. Efrafans battled the rabbits, while Tarkatans battled The Shaolin Brothers, Hanzo, and myself. Our fights against them was a small cookie. I turned around to see Holly, Hyzenthlay, and Campion were holding on their own ground well. We than regrouped after taking out the wave.
"Small fry." I said.
"However, there would be more." Liu Kang said.
"We may not be able to hold them off." Campion feared.
More Tarkatans and Efrafans were coming towards us. Before we even knew it, they surrounded us. Our group banded together. Our enemies were ready to charge at us once more until...
Hold! Approaching us, was Sheeva. "You mortals are outnumbered." She than noticed Hyzenthlay standing next to Holly. "And the dates over!"
"Liu Kang and Kung Lao?" I cued them.
"We'll fight her." they assured me and the three engaged into combat.
"It is such a honor to see our old captain's face." Two revenant Owsla bucks from Sandleford came into the circle: Scabious and Toadflax. "You have abandoned our warren! We now are the new captains of our warren."
I was about ready to engage, but Holly stood in my path. "Let Campion and I combat with the two. I must find a way to free them, so The Black Rabbit will claim them."
"We we're The Black Rabbits!" the two revenants exclaimed. Captains Holly and Campion engaged them, while Holly ordered Hyzenthlay to go back inside.
As she heads for the warren, we noticed two sorcerers appeared in front of me and Hanzo.
"Scorpion!" Quan Chi recognized Hanzo Hashashi.
"I'm no longer bound to you, nor Scorpion. I live again." Hanzo readies his sword. "Thanks to Thomas."
"We're be sure to claim both of your souls." Shang Tsung threatened us.
"Hanzo..." I turned to him.
"Quan Chi, belongs to me in combat. I do believe you're in need to finish old ties against Shang Tsung." he spoke, before he and Quan Chi fight.
Nothing left for me to combat... except Shang Tsung. "It's just you and me, Shang."
The two of us engaged into combat! Throwing punches and kicks. Shang Tsung proves that he's one of my troubling opponents. At a few instances, he would morphed into fighters that I knew or encountered. Every morphs he made, he intends to throw me off from combat, as I receive the blows. I keep getting back on my feet to get back on my feet again, before another fatal blow from Shang Tsung's morph tactics. He even morphed into Kano and performed a cannon ball that send me flying to the beech tree. With blows on my back and head. I became disoriented.
"Thomas... get up." I heard Holly's voice. I opened my eyes to see Captain Holly.
"Holly?"
Before I know it, his appearance changed back into Shang Tsung, with a smirk. "You pathetic fool." He grabbed me by the throat and began choking me. He raised me up high. I try to free myself, but no success. "Your soul is mine! And your sister will be next!"
My body began to grow weak, as he begins his soul steal. I could see strings of my soul slipping away from my body and going to Shang Tsung's. For a minute, I thought I was going to be gone, but the soul steal was interrupted. The sorcerer was knocked from his feet. I gasped for air, while I turned to see Holly.
"Thank you, brother." I thanked him. He nodded back at me.
"You two closely resembled Liu Kang and Kung Lao." Shang Tsung remarked.
"We seen eye to eye with each other. Something like a soulless human, like yourself would never see!" Captain Holly barked.
Shang Tsung lifted his finger. Behind him... was Farid! He was holding Katie hostage and Captain Orchis holding Hyzenthlay hostage!
"HYZENTHLAY!" Captain Holly shouted.
"KATIE!" I shouted as well.
"Now you'll see everyone has to make a choice to save a life." Shang Tsung than turned towards me. "You should know this, boy."
"Don't do this sorcerer!"
"We all have choices! Now choose!" Shang Tsung begins to consume their souls!
I morphed into a rabbit, in a flash to hurry to save my sister's soul and Hyzenthlay's. I was able to reach Katie in time, as well as Hyzenthlay. Tossing the two captors, they were piled upon Efrafans trying to charge from another entrance. Katie and Hyzenthlay were freed. The three of us turned around to see Shang Tsung holding Holly's neck.
"HOLLY!" the three of us shouted.
"RUN!" Captain Holly ordered us. His voice was than silenced with a stab from a knife.
"HOLLY!" Hyzenthlay attempts to rush for him, but she was blocked by Katie and Campion.
Anger boiled inside me, as my fellow brother-in-arms was stabbed by Shang Tsung. I was changed into a wolf. Furiously, I hurried to charge at the sorcerer. However, Shang Tsung morphed into a cobra. He slithered all over the grass, as I attempt to find it's head.
"Hyzenthlay, get him back to the warren!" I ordered her, as I hunt for Shang Tsung. She rushed to help Holly, but she was than given help from Hanzo and Campion.
I stood still, as I begin to sniff out Shang Tsung. He would have a great advantage, because he was a cobra and has great camouflage cover in the grass. I continued to wait, as I cautiously searched around nearby. A hissing sound caught my attention... only to encounter him, as he jumped out of nowhere and bitten my shoulder. Quickly, I shook myself around and even rolled over to swing him off of me. After failing twice, I was able to bite from his back tail and tossed him to the tree. Before he could even try to enter the warren, I held him down, despite of experiencing venom from the bite.
Shang Tsung laughed, as he morphed back to his human form. "Even if I don't your friend's soul, you'll join him in The Netherrealm."
With the loudest growl, I pierced my teeth on to his neck and ripped him into pieces. His head flies to the grass, as I could still see his eyes opened, as I could hear him choking for air.
My shoulder grew more painful than before, that I was morphed back to my human form. I even noticed my shoulder was bleeding, that I quickly sucked the poison out, as much as I could before bandaging my shoulder. Afterwards, I remembered Captain Holly was severely injured that I return back in side, before The Big Root was sealed off.
In a flash, I followed the blood trails of Holly's. When I reached to The Honeycomb, almost everyone was present. The soldiers went missing from combat, presuming to be dead. Other combatants were being treated for their injuries. I through the crowds to find Holly. I than noticed Katie was aiding a critical conditioned rabbit. Being able to see a glimpse, I recognized it was Holly!
"Holly!" I exclaimed.
His eyes were peacefully shut, without a wrinkle. His breathing was becoming weak and short. Nightwolf examined Holly's wound. "Venom... as the cobra."
"Perhaps I could try to remove the venom. I'll have something to stop the bleeding." I began to remove the venom from Holly's wound. Afterwards, I was able to bandage his wound.
"His wound is too deep." Nightwolf feared. "I'm afraid your kola may not-"
"Don't say that, he'll live!" I refused to accept.
"He's not a bad lair, Thomas. He's telling the truth." Holly admitted weakly.
"Stay with us, Holly. We have a warren, a family on their way. Just hang on." Hyzenthlay desperately pleaded her mate.
His eyes closed again, as he was doing his best to fight for his life. The Honeycomb began to shake, as Katie came back with a pillow. "Rest your head on this pillow. You'll feel comfortable."
She gently lifted his head and laid on the pillow to give him comfort. "Thank you... roolimi."
At first, Katie was confused from what Captain Holly called her. Until Hyzenthlay helped her to translate. "He called you 'daughter'... in Lapine."
Liu Kang and Kung Lao came back with Hazel and Bigwig. "We still need help to defend the main entrance. They'll be coming in any moment!"
I nodded, before I looked back at Holly. Katie assured me that he'll look after him, as she was gently stroking his fur. "Don't worry, Captain, I'll be back soon. I promise."
"I know you will... rooliti." he smiled gracefully, but very weakly from his wound.
A tear fell from my eye, as I knew... he called me "son". "You didn't have to call me that." He reached for my head, as our heads nuzzled. It was nothing but silence for two minutes, the warren shook once more. I had to go for my post. As I hurried to join Liu Kang and the others, I looked to see Holly's head is up high, along with his ears up. I'll do my best to make sure he'll live to see our victory. The Honeycomb than have to be sealed off again, for preventing enemies to enter.