I woke up in sweat, as if I had jus relieved these nightmares. While not being unable to control my emotions or my own body, Holly held me gently, still to the ground.

"Thomas, it's alright, son!" he repeated to me with assurance. He kept saying multiple times because my hearing was deafen from the dream, until I could hear him again. "It's over." After struggling, I began to slow my breathing and eased. "The worst is over, Thomas."

I continued to breath heavily a bit every second. "I saw them. I saw them! Shao Kahn! Farid... and Shang Tsung!"

"Yes, but that's over." He repeated. "Now, what did you see? Do you remember what The Black Rabbit of Inle' has said to you?"

As I attempt to gather my thoughts, I recall briefly of our encounter. It was until the whole chase begin, until I started to see my past. Finally, after hearing her voice, Nightwolf's, and Holly's, they both advised me on one thing. Find my arcana and my animality.

"I do recall what she said." I told him.

"Anything regarding about your arcana and/or your animality?"

"I just... I could briefly recall. But, I'm sure... no..." I struggle to find the words, as if I was going to be thrown off from the first meeting at her warren. It was until I knew what they wanted. "Yes. Yes! It was regarding about them."

Captain Holly, in relief, nodded his head. "Thank you... Thomas." I took some deep breaths and exhaled, just until I was able to compose myself. "Alright now, you must try to get some sleep."

I nodded. I than lied upon Holly's right side, as he lied down upon the sand. My hand than reached for Holly's paw and cling onto it, without holding it too hard. "Thomas?"

"Please put your paw on me, Dad." I asked him. "I'm afraid."

He nodded his head and lifted his paw from me and placed it on my head. "Don't be. I'll always be with you. Always." His soft words brought me warmth, as I closed my eyes and attempt to sleep.


The morning came. Another day for training. I found myself at the fighting pit. The seats were filled with the same warriors that are here for finding their arcana. It was another Test Your Might. However, Holly knew this training would be different. Because I would be doing my training match with Kano. Kung Lao was monitoring the fight. I turned to see Captain Holly was on the lower row on my left side, sitting next to Katie. He nodded his head for support of encouragement.

"You must find your arcana, Thomas!" Kung Lao scolded. "We're running out of time." He than signaled for the fight to commence.

Kano simply snapped his neck side to side. "Here we go again, rabbit boy. No magic tricks this time."

I started my first attack. Kano was successful on blocking my attacks and than countered it. One kick gutted my stomach and knocked me to the ground with a single punch.

"Focus, Thomas!" Kung Lao exclaimed.

I charged at Kano again, but only to be thrown into the ground. "This is pretty much more funnier than kicking your cousin's arse."

"Stop fearing him, Cole." I turned to Captain Holly, as he called for me. "Face your fear."

I got back up on my feet, but only to be punched again by Kano. He continues to punch me repeatedly again, and again. The bruise on my face was too much that I couldn't fight anymore. I could see Kung Lao shook his head for disapproval, while Kano taunted on my failure. I spitted blood that was filling my mouth.

Your necklace, Thomas. The power is within your necklace. I heard The Black Rabbit's voice calling to me. I even saw her, behind Kano but further away. Get back on your feet, as an Owsla buck would continue the fighting. The necklace started to glow from underneath my shirt. An Owsla rabbit would never give up. Be a rabbit.

After she disappeared, I got back up slowly on my feet. Kano turned around to see that I was back on my feet. He simply scoffed. Kung Lao insists the training was over, but Kano decided that I needed another beating, so he basically just walked up to me for the first punch. He threw the punch, but I quickly dodged it. Kano scoffed in laughter, as if I was serious for another fight. He started to throw punches and kicks, but I continually to dodge the attacks, as if I was a rabbit. He threw another punch, but this time... I was able to catch it in time to throw a punch at him, as well snatching one of his knives from his knife holder. I than threw him to the side.

"The training must cease!" Kung Lao shouted at us.

However, Kano took out his other knife and charged for me. He threw some slashes, as I swung my blade to block his knife attacks. The knife fight continues with blocks, as everyone else watches. I was becoming faster now like a rabbit that I was able to take the speed advantage to give him a cut on his right arm. The shock came that I was able to make an success on the attack that surprised everyone, that even stunned Kung Lao to silence. At one point, I noticed Liu Kang and Raiden showed up. Liu Kang was going to attempt to stop an unofficial match, but Raiden stopped him.

Kano looked at his cut wound. He than turned his head at me and tsk. "You shouldn't have cut my arm, pretty boy." I breathed in and out, as I went into my defensive pose. "I'm going to enjoy cutting your throat, just like your army buddies."

Holly wanted to intervene, but he restrained himself from charging at him, especially with Katie next to him.

The fight continues, as I blocked his knife attacks, until our arms caught each other. He headbutted me, but only to give me a cut on my upper chest. It tore through my shirt and had a bleeding. However, the pain was numb. His laser eye began to lighten up. He was about to use his new power to fire laser at me. When he fired his laser, my necklace glow and I simply raised my arms across from my face. It apparently made some sort of force field. It astonished the audience. Kano stopped his laser power, as I cease my force field. He than charged at me with his knife and we continued until, I was able to slid underneath between his legs, turned to throw sand at his face. Giving me an opportunity to restrain him, in seconds, I performed a technique that Bigwig taught me. Charge and tackle. I pounced on Kano, restrained his arms to hold him down and had my knife on his throat.

We both exhaled from the fighting. I was slowly marking on his neck that he bled a bit. "Come on, boy. I know you what to do it. Do it! DO IT!"

I turned to Holly and noticed him shaking his head. When I turned back to face Kano, my past memories echoed in my head. I closed my eyes and starting to block the moments I experienced with Kano. As I was about to stab his face, but instead, I was able to control myself that I stabbed on the sandy ground. Not far from his left face. Gasps came from the others, as I turned back. Holly nodded his head for approval, while Katie cheered.

Was that it? Was I able to do my first surviving round without accepting defeat? I simply got off from him and started to leave the training arena. I climbed up the stairs, and even passed by Liu Kang and Raiden. Without acknowledging anyone, I continued to head towards the sleeping chambers to be alone. When I got there, I sat on my bed and started talking to myself.

"I should have killed him! I don't know what I was doing!" I scolded myself and than disciplined myself. "No, I can't do this again! I must hide it! You must hide your vengeance!"

"Thomas!"

I looked up to see Cole, Katie, Holly, Sonya, and Jax came into the chambers. They cheered for my successful training comeback.

"You did!" Katie cheered.

"Did what?" I questioned.

"You passed your arcana!" Cole told me.

"My arcana?"

"Yes, your necklace did some powers, you were able to block Kano's laser power!" Sonya exclaimed.

"I did?" They nodded in reply. I couldn't believe. However, something was missing. "No. I didn't."

"What are you saying, brother?" Jax questioned. "Your necklace did some powers."

"Yes, but... I didn't find my animality." I told him the catch.

"Nevertheless, you were able to move like a rabbit and think like a rabbit." Captain Holly told me. "If your wolf animality took over you, you probably would have killed Kano, but you didn't."

I looked at my hands to see that they were clean without someone else's blood. I came to accept. "Yes. Yes, I suppose you're right."

"In time, I'm sure The Black Rabbit of Inle' would know that you have achieved your arcana."

It came to a stunned moment. "Wait! I saw her."

"I'm sorry?"

"The Black Rabbit of Inle'. I saw her during the fighting and whispered to me, regarding about my necklace's power. Perhaps it has to do something with that rabbit symbol on it." I recalled about the whispers, as I gazed at my necklace.

"Let me try to see what it's hidden inside." Captain Holly told me.

"Are you sure, Captain? It's best we don't mess with it, without knowing what power it has." I feared.

"Don't worry. In The Black Rabbit's Owsla, we were able to read certain powers that may connect anything regarding to El-Ahrairah." he than placed his paw on the symbol and closed his eyes. It was nothing, but silence. It lasted for five minutes, until Holly opened his eyes gasped. He jumped back away from the necklace. "Great Frith! And his messengers!"

"What is it, Holly?" I asked.

He looked up towards me. "You had an ancestor, who led a group that protected rabbits."

Everyone turned to me. "What are you talking?"

"Centuries past, perhaps before humans prey on rabbits, there was someone in your family. An ancestor, who protected rabbits, from man!" he told me.

"That's impossible." I doubted.

"You were always into Watership Down, Thomas. You even have me gotten interest with it, too." Katie told me.

"It seems Raiden knows something that you don't." Cole added. "Just like, how I found out about mine marking."

"But I never had the marking from birth. I only got it from attacking an hlessi group that raided the down." I told him.

"Everyone has something about their marking, Thomas." Sonya stated. "Liu Kang's story. Cole's. Now, you have one too." I looked back at my necklace to see the symbol and the rabbit.

"Just give him a chance, Thomas." Holly advised me. "He may have something to tell you, that you may not know about yourself. Think about it."