Disclaimer: Same as before.

Chap. 10

Mind and heart, heart and mind

The key to each door, you'll find

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The group has awoken after they spent the night in the forest. After they had eaten and prepared themselves, they began to walk through the trees with Whiteblaze and Ryo in the lead.

"So what do you think will happen when we get there?" Tenchi asked.

D-Boy answered first, "I'm not sure."

Crysta said it was another trial." Sho pointed out as he moved through one of the bushes

"Yeah. One of the mind and of the heart." X added. He then asked, "What could that mean?"

Jin brushed through a bramble of foliage, "We'll just have to be ready for whatever it is."

"Right." said Goku.

The group continued through the trees for several minutes. Then Whiteblaze stopped and swiftly dashed forward. The others followed and came upon a clearing. There a good distance away, was the Crystal Tower. True to its name, it was a structure made up entirely of crystals. The sunlight shone on it, making it seem to glow in it. The ten visitors were shocked by the sight.

"Wow. It's magnificent." Liu said finally.

Cloud nodded, "No kidding. I've never seen anything like it."

Ryo began to move forward, "Well what are we waiting for. Let's get there."

The group head for the tower. Fortunately, it isn't too far away and they reach it in no time at all. As they approached the entrance, a figure caught their attention. There, waiting in front of entrance was...

"Hey, it's Crysta." X pointed out

However, she made no move to greet them. As they gotten closer, they could see that something was very different. She was wearing a blue and gray armor around her body and in her hand was a jagged sword. Her eyes regarded the fighters, but they had a neutral gaze.

"Her eyes..." Ryu noticed it first. "She's preparing to fight."

"That's right." came a shadowy reply.

The other were slightly baffled by this as she said those words, but prepared themselves anyway.

"However, your battle will not be with me. I am just the guide there."

With that, she swiftly leapt into the air, hair billowing behind her. As they watched, she suddenly twisted in the air and pointed her sword. The jagged edges retracted and the whole sword broke up into a sharp whip. The point of the weapon shot directly in their midst of them and exploded in pure light which engulfed the warriors.

WWWWHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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"Ugghhhh... What happened?"

Cloud arose to find himself in a thick fog surrounding him, showing no other environment. As he shook his head, he could see the others around him rousing up as well.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know. One minute we're in front of the tower and the next, this."

"This must be the test."

"That's right."

"Crysta?"

"I have joined all your minds together in a collective unconsciousness. You will each face a test here. Depending on how you do, you will be able to go on. But there are two catches. First, you can not leave here unless you have all undergone and passed your test."

"And the second?"

"Each test will be on each individual. Therefore, you can not directly interfere in each test. You may only observe and support, but never interfere. Do you understand?"

All the men nodded and fog began to swirl. It then centered itself on Liu Kang and a clearing opened before him.

"I guess I'm first."

Liu walked into the clearing and everything suddenly exploded around him. He covered his eyes from the blinding light. When it faded down, Liu open his eyes. What he saw was truly nightmarish.

"What has happened?"

Liu found himself on a great tower overlooking New York, now void of any life… Looking it over, he recognized the tower as Shao Kahn's palace. 'He's taken over Earth just like in the third tournament', Liu thought. But how? He took notice of the swirling green energy of souls hover upward toward the top of the tower. Kahn. With out a second though, Liu dashed up the nearby stairs and into the throne room. But if what he saw before was a nightmare, then this was a scene from hell.

"No."

Strewn on the floor before him were the bodies of the Earth Warriors, now broken and shattered like bad meat. Liu looked on with horror. Johnny, Sonya, Jax, Kung Lao, Sub-Zero, even Stryker and Kabal. But one body caught his particular attention.

"Rayden!"

He rushed over to his fallen mentor, whose body was the same as the others. But how? He's the god of thunder. How could he die? Unless...he was mortal. Liu's sadness began to turn to rage and he stood up.

"Kahn!"

The throne was turned around in the opposite way. But that didn't stop the Shaolin monk.

"Show yourself!"

The throne slowly swiveled around to reveal its master. But it wasn't what Liu Kang expected.

"Shang Tsung?"

The demon sorcerer grinned, "Where you expecting him?" Shang tossed a skull-like helmet to the ground. Blood was strewn on the helmet of the once mighty Shao Kahn.

"Now all is mine."

Liu snarled, "Not if I can help it."

Shang didn't waver, "You can't. And here's why.

Another form shimmered into view right beside him. Liu was even more horrified by the figure.

"Kitana!"

Kitana hung there, bruised and battered. The Edenian princess barely lifted her head to look at Liu. But before she could utter a word, Shang swiftly raised his hand, summoning the dark forces within and causing Kitana to glow in a sickly green.

"Stop it!" Liu shouted. "What do you want? Let her go."

Shang grinned more, "What I want...is her soul!"

The green shimmered even more and flew toward the hand of the sorcerer. Kitana gave a loud scream before her body decomposed right before Liu's eyes. Shang took in the soul and gave a long deep sigh, like one that had drank his fill of water.

"Now for you, monk."

Liu was more than happy to oblige as he swooped toward the throne, smashing it in. However, the sorcerer had vanished. Turning around, he saw Shang had somehow reappeared behind him and grabbed his neck. Liu struggle to free himself, but the sorcerer's hold was too tight. Liu couldn't get free. How…is he…so strong? And he could already feel Shang's power working on him. No, not like this.

'You can do it.'

'Huh? Sho?'

Liu then began to hear the voices of the others as well. But they seemed so far away, and Shang was beginning to drain more of his vitality. No. I can't...I must...avenge them...avenge her. Let me...free!

Liu suddenly let out a loud cry. But it came out like the sound of a roar. Liu began to change shape and form and Shang was forced to let go. Liu continued to change, growing scales, claws and fangs. Ultimately, he transformed into his animal form; a dragon. Shang looked on, unimpressed.

"Is this all you have?"

The dragon growled as Shang himself began to morph. Scales cover his body and soon enough, the demon sorcerer had transformed into a giant cobra. The dragon roared and struck forward, but the snake was too swift, sidestepped the bite, and gave one of its own. The dragon roared in pain and fell to the ground as the toxins flooded his system.

'No! Liu!'

The dragon's eyes fluttered somewhat and it stumbled to his feet. Voices...

'Get up. Fight it.'

'Come on.'

'Feel your animality!'

Wait. Who said that? And what does that mean? The dragon slipped a bit. I am in my animal form.

'Remember what you were taught. The beast must be brought under control. Only then cane you truly fight.'

Brought under...control...The dragon roared again and stood up on its feet. Meanwhile the cobra was casually making its way toward him, ready to finish its fiercer counterpart. Under...control. Standing on its talon feet, the creature began to glow.

'Remember your friends.'

Kung Lao, Johnny, Sonya, Jax, Raiden,...Kitana. My...lo

A sudden flash engulfed the entire area. The serpent cobra had vaporized and everything turned white.

"Liu. Liu, wake up."

The Shaolin monk's eyes opened. Raising himself up, he found the others were around him still in the foggy abyss.

"What happened?"

"I think you passed." asked X

X lent his hand down and helped him up, "We saw everything. You almost didn't make it, but you pulled through."

Liu stood to his feet, "Thanks to you guys. That was like a nightmare. But I...felt something else. When I started to get control. I don't know. I never felt like that before."

The group stayed silent at this. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now." D-Boy said finally. "What's important is that you made it."

Liu looked at him strangely. He didn't expect D-Boy to say anything like that. Out of the group, D-Boy was the most introverted of the group. Liu simply shrugged his shoulders, "I suppose so."

Tenchi then came up to him, "I never you could transform like that."

Liu gave another strange face, "You didn't? But didn't one of you tell me to get in control of the animality?"

Cloud answered, "No. We never seen that before."

The other replied the same way and Liu thought to himself, 'Well if it wasn't them, then who?' However, no answer came among them. And they didn't have time to figure out who before the fog began to swirl again. It then swarmed around the next participant.

Sho Fukamachi, Guyver I...

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They are going through the test.

Yep.

I thought there was no interference.

There isn't.

Then what was it that you did?

Just encouragement.

You let him in on his hidden powers.

I've only used words that he has heard before. He already knew what I told him. I simply reminded him.

I see... Tricky, aren't you?"

I try.