Author's Note: I'm incorporating a lot of elements across the franchise's depiction of Shang Tsung's Island but some things will be either completely changed or just plain removed from the story. Such as Kronika's crown. I like the idea of timelines crossing but not Kronika, so if I do that storyline later it will be someone else who does it. Anyway, Shang Tsung's Island is going to have a different layout from the games and whatnot.
Shibai landed on her feet, only to fall to her knees when the disorientation caught up with her. Damn that insect! Those pincers were full of venom, and now that venom was flowing through Shibai's veins. What a dirty trick. The worst part was that Shibai did not even get to kill the Kytinn!
Shibai was winning, damn it! Having Shao Kahn end the match and declare her the winner without a clear and concise victory was unthinkable! She defeated D'Vorah, but was that really a victory if D'Vorah's venom killed her after the fact?
The lingering image of D'Vorah knocked unconscious and her jaw hanging by a thread brought a smile to Shibai's face.
Water...
Great, she had cravings again. At least it was something sensible.
Shibai rubbed her eyes and looked around. The portal delivered her to a much more fashionable throne room, decorated with gold dragon statues and banners among many other beautiful ornaments. A lush red carpet adorned the floor from the main entrance all the way up to the throne itself. Say what she will about Shang Tsung but he had far more style than Shao Kahn.
As an added bonus, the throne room was unoccupied. What a stroke of luck! Standing with the throne behind her, Shibai noticed additional exits on either side. Clutching her wound, she hobbled to the right side exit and peeked out. The area beyond was bathed in warm sunlight that reflected off a small lake. A bridge stretched over the lake and connected the throne room to a short cliff on the other side. From what Shibai could see, the cliff bore a set of statues standing in victory. In the center was the largest statue; a massive Shokan with his four arms flexing to show off his strength. The other statues were unfamiliar to her, but she did not come here to admire statues.
She took a step out and hissed as the morning sunlight stung her eyes. Her head ached and her lungs burned, and she hoped it was nothing fatal. She had much to eat lately but she needed water. So thirsty... She felt uncomfortably warm as sweat beaded on her skin. It then occurred to her that she has spent almost every waking minute running or fighting. Not only was she poisoned, she was also dehydrated.
One step after another, Shibai limped to the bridge and glanced over the side to the lake. Its waters were crystal clear and the rushing sound of a nearby waterfall was music to her ears. She gazed out over the lake and let her jaw slacken at the spectacle, raising her arm so Meat's eye could see as well. This was an island in the middle of the ocean, but it was the most beautiful island she had ever seen! Technically, it was the only island she had ever seen but that was just semantics.
The palace—because what else would she call this?—bore such lavish architecture and decorations that Shibai decided she would claim the island for herself once Shang Tsung was dead. She felt no particular ambitions toward the throne of Outworld despite her ties to it; by right she was an heir to the throne and could probably challenge for it, but what was she going to do once she had it? Sit there and tell people what to do? ... Actually that did have a certain appeal, but one thing at a time.
The cliffs across the bridge had a natural incline that led to a garden section, which extended to the main courtyard area in front of the palace itself. That was all well and good but Shibai's main concern was getting to the lake water below without jumping in. She would have to cross the bridge, follow the incline, and drink at the garden edge. So much walking...
Shibai took a quick breath and stepped onto the bridge. Droplets sprayed from the waterfall, cooling Shibai's burning skin. She closed her eyes at the wondrous balm to her fever. Water, the element that brings life. What power it had, so refreshing, so rejuvenating!
She opened her eyes again and all the calmness in her vanished. Across the bridge stood two guards, their backs to her but their naginatas ready. It seemed they were more disciplined on this island than in Shao Kahn's palace, though not enough to notice Shibai. She loathed the idea of kombat in her current state, but her only other option was to turn around and find a different route. Unless...
"Did you hear something?" asked one of the guards.
The other guard shook his head.
As for Shibai, she entered the water without trouble and quickly sank to the bottom thanks to her weapons and armor. She enjoyed the water's cool temperature and even risked a gulp to quench her thirst. She closed her eyes and let herself float for a moment, then she refocused on getting to the surface. With those damn guards at the bridge, she had to be stealthy. Or just hide behind the waterfall until she was rested and recovered.
A fish swam up to her. She was not particularly hungry so she waved it off. It came back, she waved it off again, and then it shot forward and bit her finger. She yelped in surprise, then horror as a whole school of piranha swam right for her. Her helmet protected her eyes, but there were so many of them! They bit and nibbled at every available inch of her, even through her clothing. One or two piranhas would be a mild annoyance, but dozens would pick her clean in minutes! Swinging her spear just tired her out more and they were too close for jabbing. Damn these little wretches!
She needed to hurry: Not only was she running out of air, she was also getting drowsy from both venom and the blood loss from her increasing number of wounds. Angling herself just right, she kicked the ground and shot herself up, up, up. The waterfall had a lone ledge behind it, perfect for Shibai to hide in.
She grabbed the ledge and hoisted herself out of the water, but the effort of that made her vision fade in and out. Her body bore dozens of bite marks, some minor but others more serious. Ow! Another bite alerted her to a stubborn piranha that clung to her arm. With a ferocious growl, she yanked down her mask and sank her fangs into the piranha's meaty belly. She wrenched the damn thing loose and shook it in her jaws until it stopped twitching. Satisfied that the piranha was dead, she spat it back into the water and huffed.
Showed that little bastard...
Shibai removed her helmet in time for the dizziness to strike her hard. Clutching her side wound with a trembling hand, Shibai curled into a ball and whimpered. Her insides were on fire! Shibai had only enough energy to wrap her sash tightly around her waist. Once it was, her eyes rolled back and the world faded away.
A splitting headache was the first sign that she was alive. Her rumbling stomach was the second. The water splashing on her skin was the third.
Groaning, Shibai rolled onto her back. Her fever had broke, thankfully, but it left her feeling ravenous and parched. Her wound was also healed, perhaps as a result of her hybrid blood. However, that had taken hours so she did not regard it as a particularly useful in-the-moment ability.
She crawled to the edge and cupped some water, only to jerk her hand out of reach of the piranhas that still hunted her. Her eyes narrowed and she stuck her hand back in. The piranhas were there in moments, nibbling at her glove as best they could. Shibai waited for one to cross her open palm, patiently tolerating the bites and nibbles for the opportune moment...
Now!
Squeezing far more than necessary, Shibai pulled the piranha from the water and bit hard on its head. The taste was lacking but food is food. She ripped off the head—conveniently pulling out the majority of its bones with it—and dug in.
Four piranhas later, Shibai patted her belly with a great deal of satisfaction. The rest of them seemed to get the idea and let her be, allowing her to drink the water at her leisure. Now that she was fed and hydrated, she needed to get a move on.
It was just after sundown. Once she donned her mask and helmet, Shibai grabbed the rock face behind the waterfall and ascended, being careful not to slip on the slick surface. She climbed until she was high enough to jump to the bridge, but she bided her time in case guards were on patrol.
Her caution was validated when two hapless guards stepped onto the bridge. They were engaged in conversation, oblivious to the predator in the waterfall. She listened in, but the waterfall made it difficult to discern much until they were closer. Thank goodness for her hybrid hearing.
"—that the descendant of Kung Lao will participate."
"Bah, Kung Lao lost to Prince Goro. This 'Liu Kang' stands no chance."
"You mustn't underestimate the Shaolin. He was the only one Shang Tsung avoided during the voyage."
How lovely, the guard stopped just in front of Shibai and pointed a finger at his companion. "Shang Tsung will put him in his place at the banquet hall this evening—"
Shibai shot out like the piranhas below and kicked the other guard over the side. His screams quickly ended when he hit the water, replaced with the sounds of his body flailing and his flesh peeling. Shibai swung her hammer into the side of the remaining guard's mask, knocking it clean off his face.
Grabbing him by the front of his uniform, Shibai leaned him over the bridge's edge. The piranhas seemed unsatisfied with their first meal. They jumped out of the water to get at their next one, only missing the bridge itself by inches. "Where is the banquet hall?"
The man scoffed. "I give you full marks for such a feat but nothing more." His eyes drifted down and examined Shibai's figure, which was easier to see with her wet clothing sticking to her. "You wouldn't happen to be tonight's entertainment, would you?"
Shibai's expression darkened. She pulled down her mask with her free hand and hissed, "Would you like to find out?"
The guard's face quickly changed to one of terror. "Please, I-I meant no offense!"
"That makes one of us." She swung her hammer into his knee, shattering it from the side. His scream was drowned out by her other hand moving from his uniform to his throat. "Where is the banquet hall?"
"Below Shang Tsung's throne room..." Shibai only loosened her grip to let him inhale. "... go down the Warrior Shrine... follow the steps... you will die here...!"
"Who wants to live forever?" With that, Shibai pushed him over the side and let the piranhas feast.
Shibai took a moment to appreciate the fact that when people gave her directions, they were honest. It did not take long to find the hall, though she did stop to admire the statues at the Warrior Shrine. She had no idea who these people were but the carvings were beautiful.
The entrance to the banquet hall was indeed beneath the main palace throne room, but it was guarded by too many guards for Shibai to just attack and hope for the best. She needed to either blend in with a group or sneak in alone, as she would surely be detected and questioned if she tried to simply walk in. She took a deep breath so she could think, but then she caught a familiar scent. That filthy Saurian was here too?! Damn him! The next time she saw him, she would—
"Trying to get in?" asked a voice from behind her.
Shibai whirled around and held her spear against the stranger's throat, but she paused at the woman's appearance. Her skin and hair were translucent to the point of being almost totally invisible. Her eyes were white as the moon, though Shibai would not consider this an indication of blindness. She wore a black and grey leotard and matching boots, gloves, and mask on the lower half of her face.
"I mean you no harm," said the woman, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender.
"I can't make the same promise," Shibai growled. "You smell like one who has attacked me before."
The woman's eyes widened. "Reptile? You've encountered Reptile?"
"His name is really just Reptile? ... I am not in a position to judge. Now who are you?!"
"Khameleon," she said.
"... you have to be kidding."
"I am not."
With a sigh, Shibai removed her spear from Khameleon's throat. "Again, I am in no position to judge. My name is Shibai."
"That's... unfortunate," said Khameleon as she lowered her arms.
"Mm. What do you want?"
"An answer to my question," she said, crossing her arms. "Are you trying to get in?"
Shibai glanced behind her. "To the banquet hall? Yes."
"You can just walk in, you know."
"Oh, I'm supposed to trust you?"
Khameleon shrugged. "Trust me or don't. My only concern is finding Reptile."
"So you're not going to try and stop me?"
"Do you serve Shao Kahn?"
"No."
"Then no."
Shibai raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me but the majority of people I've met have tried to attack me. This feels a bit too convenient, wouldn't you say?"
Khameleon chuckled. "I can attack if that will make you feel better."
"Heh, thank you but no." Shibai wanted to relax but what reason did she have to trust this 'Khameleon'? Who was to say she would not attack the moment Shibai's guard was down?
"Would it help if I told you I could have attacked you before but didn't?" Khameleon gestured her head in the direction of the Warrior Shrine. "On the bridge. I was following those guards."
"If you're going to complain, I'll point out you could have stopped me."
Khameleon leaned against the nearby wall, one leg crossed over the other. "I have no complaints, only a request."
"You're not going to ask me to carry an organ around for you, are you?" Shibai held up her wrist so Khameleon could see the eye tied around it. "As you can see, I have my hands full with this one."
Khameleon blinked at the eye. "That is disturbing. I was only going to request that you do not kill Reptile should you encounter him again."
Shibai groaned but it was a rather simple request. Whatever reasons Khameleon had for needing Reptile alive were hers and hers alone. Besides, she did not smell hostile. She smelled like a Saurian, but not an enemy. "Fine, though I make no promises that I won't fight him if he challenges me."
"Agreed."
"So you were saying about getting in?"
Khameleon nodded and said, "You just walk in. The guards have no reason to suspect you don't belong here, especially with your armor."
Shibai crossed her arms and asked, "Why haven't you gone in if it's so easy?"
"Because I already have," she replied. "I was searching for Reptile but he was not there, so I followed those guards instead. I was actually about to give up as I had been tailing them for hours."
"What will you do now?"
Khameleon sighed, resting her head against the wall. "I suppose I'll spectate the tournament. He is bound to participate at some point."
"Will you?"
"I have no plans to fight, but I will if I must."
Shibai supposed that was fair. Why fight when you can sneak around undetected? Khameleon's only goal was finding Reptile, though she may have the intention to kill him herself. Whatever the case, Shibai bowed her head. "Thank you for your advice."
"Thank you for not cutting my throat," Khameleon replied. "Perhaps we will meet again under better circumstances."
"Just don't greet me with a kick to my chest," said Shibai. "Then I will be inclined to cut your throat."
"... You have lived a strange life, Shibai."
"For someone born yesterday, yes, I have."
The Saurian laughed and nodded. "I bid you farewell."
"Farewell, Khameleon." Shibai smiled at her. It was nice to have another conversation that did not involve threats and insults. She was surprised to find she wanted to talk more, but Khameleon had already vanished into the night.
Heeding the Saurian's advice, Shibai made herself look presentable—no easy feat when her clothes were still soaking wet—and marched to the banquet entrance. As she passed them, she gave the guards a courteous nod which was returned without fuss. So it really was that easy. She descended the stairs and entered into a decadent great hall lit with candles and braziers. The succulent aroma of cooked food gave Shibai a new appetite as she surveyed the area.
There must have been upwards of fifty people in that hall, some on a platform at the far end and others standing guard along the elevated pathways around the central dining floor. The rest sat at various tables on the dining floor, their plates and goblets filled to the brim with food and drink.
Quite the little paradise, Shibai admitted. She headed for an empty seat at the most vacant table, its only other occupants a man wearing a strange blue suit and a pair of black spectacles over his eyes and a blonde woman clad in dark green trousers and a thick vest that left her arms bare. On the way, she glanced up at the platform and noticed that it bore a throne much like the one above; no doubt that would be where Shang Tsung would oversee the dining hall and any kombat within. However, the sorcerer himself was nowhere to be seen. On either side of the throne were dining tables much like the ones below, but their positions indicated the occupants were people of stature.
Stature indeed! Sitting at one table were a trio of masked women garbed in red, green, and blue respectively. Shibai recognized the woman in red as Skarlet, her previous mask replaced with a new but less fashionable one. The woman in green was unknown. The woman in blue, however... Shibai knew her own blood when she saw it. The woman in blue was Princess Kitana herself!
Despite Shibai's apprehension, no one batted an eye at her. She really did blend in with her outfit!
Shibai shook herself from her thoughts and sat with her back to the throne platform, not even bothering to ask if her seat was occupied. She certainly stopped thinking when she spotted the roasts on the silver platter right in front of her, and so she filled up her plate with pork, turkey, and sausage links. The goblet closest to her was already filled with a dark red wine, but she dared not drink since that would require removing her mask. She was very glad she could eat just by slightly lifting the bottom of her mask.
The woman across from her gave her a half-pleading, half-puzzled look while the man paid her no heed at all.
"Hey, beautiful," said the man to the woman. He pointed a thumb at himself and nodded to no one in particular. "Johnny Cage."
"Good for you," grumbled the woman. Her gloved fingers tapped against the table and she gave Shibai another puzzled-yet-pleading look. 'Help Me', she mouthed.
Johnny Cage frowned. "What, Massive Strike? Citizen Cage? Ninja Mime? None of those ring a bell?"
Shibai removed her helmet and laughed, both at him and at her loose hair flopping into her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about but aren't ninjas supposed to be stealthy and above all, silent?"
The woman snorted while Johnny Cage merely shrugged. "I'm not method, angel. Cramps my style."
"You'd have to have style first," said the woman, earning another laugh from Shibai.
"Aw c'mon!" Johnny pouted and picked at his food. "I have tons of style."
Shibai shrugged. "I wouldn't know, I'm... not from around here."
"I'll say," said Johnny, lowering his spectacles and giving Shibai a very interested look. "Your eyes are out of this world, angel."
Shibai chuckled and shook her head. "You have no idea how right you are."
"Johnny Cage," he said, holding his hand out to her.
"So I hear," she replied. She shook his hand both because it was polite—she did have manners, after all—and because he seemed funny in a pathetic sort of way. "Shibai."
"That's beautiful," he said. "Does it mean 'Light of my eye'?"
"... Sure."
The woman snorted again. She looked Shibai up and down before shaking hands with her. "Lieutenant Sonya Blade."
"So that's your name!" Johnny exclaimed, raising his fists in some perceived victory. "Sonya Blade. Aptly named because you are one sharp Sonya-va bitch. ... Okay, that sounded better in my head."
"Not to be rude," said Shibai, fully intending to be rude as she pushed her empty plate away, "but for everyone's sake you should probably cage those kinds of thoughts next time."
Johnny stared at her for a moment and then suddenly took her hands in his. "Run away with me."
Even Shibai with her considerable lack of social activity knew he was just being silly. "Johnny Cage, you couldn't keep pace with me if you tried."
"Is that an invitation?"
"No."
Sonya laughed, but that laughter died down with all the other chatter in the room. She and Johnny looked behind Shibai, who quickly donned her helmet and did the same.
More people entered the dining hall from two doorways on either side of the throne platform. The first people to step out were just guards, but they were followed by three men in red, yellow, and blue. The red- and yellow-dressed men followed behind the man in blue, his hands and mask steaming with no apparent cause. He led them up to the platform and stood in front of the unoccupied table. Meanwhile, Kitana and her companions rose from their table and matched positions with the man in blue.
Across the way, three men descended the staircase and stood on the raised pathway. One of them was a man with pure white skin and evil-looking tattoos. To his right was a ninja in similar attire to the men on the platform. His uniform was even yellow, but his eyes were harsh white. The other man was not a man, but a Tarkatan! Somehow he looked even meaner and more bloodthirsty than the ones Shibai had encountered before.
Finally, out walked Shang Tsung himself, smiling that evil smile behind his white mustache. He made his way onto the platform and stood in front of his throne. He gazed out at the people in the center dining area. Shibai thought she caught a glimmer of recognition when his eyes passed over her, but he otherwise made no indication he knew who she was.
"Welcome, kombatants." Ugh, even his greetings were acidic yet charming. "I am Shang Tsung. You are here to compete in Mortal Kombat. Tomorrow morning, the Great Kombat begins. Each of you will fight." He looked over at a group of warriors: a man in blue and white wearing a straw hat; a man in black and red; a man in a shamanic outfit with red facial markings. "Some are here of their own volition. Others—" He glanced at Shibai's table and there was no doubt in her mind that he recognized her. "—were brought here by chance. Some of you will even have the distinct honor—and pleasure—to face Prince Goro, our reigning champion. You are all witnesses to one of the greatest turning points in the history of your planet. Treasure these moments... as if they were your last."
Shibai certainly treasured the thought of his last moments. Cowering, broken, begging for mercy!
"And now for a taste of things to come." Shang Tsung nodded to the man in blue, who left the platform and positioned himself in front of it in a kombat stance.
It was then Shibai realized the tables allowed a direct path from the platform to the staircase leading up, as directly opposite the man in blue was a lone warrior. His upper body was very toned, a point he stressed by flexing and bulging his pectorals and biceps. The man in blue simply maintained his stance, left arm raised and right arm held close to his side. His opponent demoed several kicks and punches, though Shibai paid more attention to the man in blue. His right hand swirled with white magic, the sight of which sent a shiver down Shibai's spine. Was it getting cold in here?
The shirtless warrior continued his little show while the man in blue continued building up his magic until a small white orb formed in his hand. After a minute or so, the shirtless man charged. He leapt into the air with a leading jump kick, and the man in blue threw his projectile.
The doomed warrior froze in mid-air but his momentum carried him across the arena. The man in blue ducked out of the way and left his opponent to his fate.
CRASH!
The frozen body shattered on impact with the platform, sending shards of flesh and bone everywhere. What was left of his head came to a stop before Shang Tsung's feet, his dead eyes staring at the audience.
Shang Tsung merely smirked. "Flawless Victory."
Johnny, Sonya, and Shibai stared at the remains. Shibai herself was very, very glad she had not encountered the man in blue thus far. Those frozen bits all over the floor would have been her!
Johnny slowly removed his spectacles. "'Come to a little tournament,' he said. 'Good for the career,' he said. Yeah right!"