Signs & Wonders
"Your majesty," Kung Lao called. Sindel looked his way as he tapped his index finger on his wrist. She frowned in response. Kitana used the time to observe them both as they argued with one another.
No missing pupils. No visible injuries. No corruption. Neither of them seems out of the ordinary, but they don't seem to have aged a day. Kung Lao looks exactly how he did the day he died. How can they still be alive and not by magic? By who? Tanya isn't strong enough to perform necromancy, and Quan Chi is dead. Are they revenants at all?
"Just finish her off so we can go," Kung Lao shouted.
"Raise your voice at me one more time and I shall send you back to the Elder Lords," she threatened.
"Mother! Who brought you back to life?" Kitana asked. Sindel returned her attention to her daughter and laughed. "Why did I even bother?" she said to herself.
"I apologize, my child. However, I will tell you this."
"Watch what you say, Queen Sindel. One wrong word and you'll be returning to the Elder Lords as well," Kung Lao stated. Sweat started to roll down Kitana's face.
"What he said. We are under contract," Sindel confirmed. Kitana took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Now I understand why the mark vanished," Kitana whispered. She hopped back and commanded her fans back to her hands. The blades from the fans scraped across Sindel's hands.
Kung Lao tosses his hat at Kitana again. She tosses her own fan to counter it. She turns around and notices Sindel rushing toward her. She attempts a fake out kick, but Kung Lao uses a Dive Kick to knock Kitana into the ground. She commands her fan back, but Kung Lao immediately grabs it. She tosses her second fan towards him, prompting him to grab that one as well. Kitana immediately teleports to him and kicks him away. Sindel swings her fist towards Kitana, but she counters by kicking it towards the air before hopping away once more.
"You two haven't been in combat for a while now. I've improved over the years," Kitana gloated.
"Thank your mother for that, princess," Kung Lao responded.
"Your lies will have no bearing on me, Kung Lao. I am a child of Shao Kahn now. My brutality was made for people like her," she responded. She runs to her mother Sindel, who stands still smiling. She hums a tune in her wait. A tune Kitana hadn't heard since she was a child. As she gets closer, Kitana immediately stabs Sindel in the chest with one of her fans before forcing her knee into her mother's abdomen. Sindel's scream shakes the earth, knocking both Kung Lao and Kitana on their butts. She immediately Kicks her daughter across the face before stepping back.
"You…" Sindel struggles to pull the fan from her chest as Kitana's faint strength attempts to open it. After finally pulling it out, she slams it on the ground and steps back a few more feet. "You treat your mother like this?" she asked as she held her hand over her wound. If she waited a second later, Kitana's blade would've struck her heart directly.
"Mother? You are nothing but a coward, Sindel. You betray Edenia? My Father? Shao Kahn would never," Kitana stated as she swung her hand back.
"A queen with no honor—" Sindel's reddened eyes peered into the mind of Kung Lao. He simply tilts his hat forward.
"A traitor? Shao Kahn has deceived you child. The voice of the One Being speaks lies. I saved Edenia. I gave Earthrealm a fighting chance. It was Shao Kahn who killed your father," Sindel stated as she pointed to the direction of the castle.
"Your letter to Shao Kahn still remains, Sindel. Rain told me of its contents before Tesla returned to Ede—I mean Outworld. Eva confirmed the authenticity. You are just as responsible if not more than Shao Kahn."
"You would believe outsiders over your own blood?"
"My blood was spilled before I had a choice. It is no one's fault but yours, Sindel." Sindel snickers before humming another tune, though this one was much darker. She looks at her and smiles. Kitana seemed dumbfounded by the warm smile on her mother's face. It was not like before, but closer to what Kitana saw once before. Kitana's eyes widened as she stared at the ground. Sindel's fingertips began to glow purple and her smiles faded.
"Fine," Sindel says as a tear rolls down her frown. She grits her teeth and raises her arm towards Kitana. "Onpa Dangan." Sindel conjures a purple ball of energy around her hands. She fires it directly towards her daughter. It was far too quick for the young woman to dodge.
"Hooooaaaah!" Chan uses a spin kick against the ball of energy, sending it back towards Sindel. She slightly moves her head to the left narrowly dodging the blast. She could feel that some strings from her long silver hair had evaporated and the loud sounds of her yell echoed throughout the forest as the energy blast struck a tree in the distance. She dropped her arm beside her waist as smoke emitted from her fingertips.
"Did this boy just kick an Onpa Dangan?" Sindel questioned. She stared at his foot and notices pieces of cemented armor began to fall off his leg as the pinkish aura around it faded.
"You were supposed to target the Princess," Li Mei complained as she walked out of the forest. Kung Lao smiled.
"Never underestimate a Shaolin, Queen Sindel." Chan looked at Kung Lao. He wasn't surprised to see him alive, but more so shocked that the Vampire Raja was able to bring him back to life.
"Is this Kung Jin or Chan Kang?" she asked.
"An affair like this would be too big for Jin to care. That's Chan alright," Kung Lao gloated. Chan switched his attention to Sindel.
*Flashback*
Kitana grabbed Chan's hand and walked towards a nearby painting of the deceased Queen Sindel. Chan was charmed by the beauty of the woman in the portrait. Kitana released his hand.
"Have I ever told you about my mother, Queen Sindel?" Kitana asked. Chan did not know much more than what little Raiden told him when explaining the downfall of Edenia.
"No. I heard she was a great woman," Chan responded. Kitana frowned.
"Liar," Kitana responded back. "My mother was just as bad as us. She sold out our realm, our freedom, even my father…" Kitana paused for a minute. Chan was surprised by her response. "Shao Kahn may not be my real father, but he treated me ten times better than my mother."
*Present*
"Li Mei, even you must have some remorse for the princess seeing who stands in front of us," Chan stated. Li Mei shook her head.
"Kung Lao is one thing, but this woman is of no substance to me," she responded. Sindel laughed.
"That's the former queen of Edenia, Sindel," he whispered. "Kitana would call her mother." Li Mei's eyes jumped open.
"So, she really is a princess after all." Li Mei steps to Kitana and slaps her. It was hard enough to knock Kitana to the ground. Kung Lao lowered his head while his hat leaned back a little. It was much easier to see the look of disappointment on his face.
"Using a cheap trick to help Chan defend against Sindel's Onpa Dangan…is one thing, but that girl's strength pales in comparison to Sindel." Kung Lao commented.
"What do you mean?" Chan asked. Kung Lao simply shook his head and fixed his hat.
"It doesn't matter."
Chan reaches his hand towards Kitana. Li Mei huffs and steps back a little. Before Chan pulls her up, she kicks the back of his hand, causing him to release her from his grip. A fireball passes by Chan's hand. He looks in the direction of the fireball and ducks. Lui Kang flies over the young Shaolin left foot first. Lui Kang rolls on the ground and throws another small fireball towards him. Chan absorbs the fireball and channels the element into his fists. Kitana's eyes widened more.
"How is this possible? Who's doing this?" she questioned. Chan and Lui Kang swing towards one another countering each other's fists and flames. With one quick jab towards Lui Kang, Chan makes the first mistake. Lui Kang grabs his fists and slams his elbow into his little brother's ribcage. Li Mei quickly surrounded it with more cement, which Lui Kang shatters before knocking Chan back a few feet.
"I knew it. You still lack the focus to become a true Shaolin," Lui Kang stated.
"Had I known Chan would help Kitana, I would not have brought you and Kung Lao back," Raja stated. She arrived along with Kotal Kahn, D'Vorah, and Ferra/Torr who both roared. Kotal wielded his Macahuitl blade. D'Vorah wore her hooded wardrobe as her extra limbs appeared beneath. Ferra sat around Torr's neck with the two raising their arms in the air. Ferra giggled as she listened to her beast continue to roar. Raja looked at the duo and simply smiled.
End of Chapter 23
Seeing as Sundays have been the best time for me to release each of these chapters, I will probably keep that as my normal release day unless stated otherwise. We are on track for releasing the remaining chapters. Only 7 to go.
(Upcoming—Crisis in Outworld)