Chapter 4
Protector of Earth
'I wished I still had that motorcycle right about now,' Takeli thought, gurgling down the last remaining drops of cool water from his bottle. He wished he had refilled it when he was in that strange city. He had a good chance of getting it filled, and he didn't. He should have thought ahead. The boiling sun was high above him. Shining clearly down on the ground. Takeli took out a piece of dried plum Little Firefly had given him. He wasn't sure if he should eat them though. Sui Loung did yell at him once for stealing out of her jars of candy.
Takeli imagined a long way ahead of him. This wasn't like any old city. He was lost in a desert smacked down in the middle of the People's Republic of China. He could see dead rats and cactuses drained of their water all over the place. The heavy sand dunes in front of him made him feel like he was going to die. He stretched his arms out as a bit of a breeze began to happen. It stopped suddenly, and the drifts of sand slid down into the potholes. He was starting to sweat a little bit off from his neck. 'Think back Takeli. Don't think about the hotness.'
'Great.' Those memories have come back. The same enchanting memories that Takeli had when he was a child have returned. 'Why do I feel like this?' He imagined his dad picking him up and carrying him around the playground. Like he was in space, traveling to the stars. Then his mom would carry him down and tickle his tummy a little bit. Takeli remembered his older brother Jermaine stealing pieces of candy from their mom's purse and giving it to him. Takeli would just look innocently at them, and they would forgive him.
He felt his heart begin to warm up. The feeling of love came charged through his blood like a bullet. 'I miss them so much.' He took out an old photograph, showing his entire family smiling. He could see himself right in the middle of it. A small child back then. Being held up by other people because they thought you couldn't handle it. Takeli walked over to a nearby slab of stone. He placed some candles around it and began to pray. 'If you are out there, anywhere, I hope you are well.' He bowed down, and the candles started to flicker in and out.
"Very nice, and to think I never really expected you to be praying at a place such as this." Takeli turned his head and saw the old man again. He was still wearing the same clothes, but was harnessing a peculiar symbol on his robe. Takeli got back up and bowed down to him. This shocked the old man. "What are you doing?" He asked. "I'm giving my respects. What does it look like I'm doing?" The old man began to chuckle again. "Takeli, I was very fond of you before. I knew that you would find out who I was someday. Maybe I'll just give you answers."
"You're Fujin, God of Wind and the neo protector of the Realm of Earth," Takeli cried, snapping his fingers. The old man turned his head back, and closed his eyes. A sudden breeze appeared out of nowhere and flipped Takeli over the rock. The old man laughed again. "A powerful force of wind. You just flip through the air because of it." Takeli rubbed his shoulders, getting rid of the pain before it got worse. He snickered a little as he leered at the old man. "So, you're not Fujin, are you?" He asked. The old man raised his eyebrows. "Let's find out."
Takeli jumped through the air and landed on the ground right next to the old man. He threw his robe to the side, revealing his chest. He jumped back and landed softly near a cactus. "What are you going to do now?" He asked. Takeli grinned and ran over to him. He ducked down and sweep kicked the old man's legs. He quickly dodged it and shot forward a gust of wind. Takeli shielded his eyes as the blinding sand nailed his legs. Clearing the way, the old man grabbed Takeli's arm and threw him behind him.
Takeli landed on the ground with a hard thud that shook the sand around him. He looked up and saw the old man's eyes glow white. "Yes, you are Fujin," Takeli said getting up. He rubbed the dirt of his nose and picked up the remaining candles off of the ground. "I know now." "Very good, you are starting to learn." Fujin grabbed his robe from the ground and placed it back around him. "I'm glad you know who I am now. How does it make you feel Takeli?" "Good, I guess. Did you want to tell me something? Your visit and all must have a purpose."
Fujin raised his arm and a long wooden pole appeared in front of him. He grabbed it and began to spin it around in front of Takeli. "Take it, it's yours to keep." He stopped spinning it and handed it over to Takeli. "Thank you. What is it for?" "That pole can protect you from the dark energy that is coming here on Earth. If you keep it with you at all times, your powers will become clearer to you. For now, just use it to get water." "How do I do that?" Fujin grabbed the pole and made it start to turn orange. "If you stick it into the ground, water will burst from it."
Takeli nodded. "Is there anything else you are here to tell me?" He asked. "See, now you are looking for answers to your question. I'm not the only one who can answer them though, so be aware of that. I am here, to tell you about a new threat that we have come in contact here on Earth." "What is it about?" "It revolves around the greatest warrior's of our realm. The army of Out World has once again attacked our realm." "Out World? Where is that?" Takeli asked. "It may not make any sense to you now, but it will soon."
"Let me try to explain. Out realm is one of many different realms. There is one particular one called Edenia. It used to be a wonderful place full of living things of great beauty. Until an emperor named Shao Kahn attacked Edenia. He killed the king and took the queen as his own. Shao Kahn is a ruthless beast. He won't stop until he gets what he wants, even if it means killing off the entire population of Edenia. His power comes from the depths of the Netherealm, the place where dead souls are banished."
"Thinking quickly, Shao Kahn decided to take over the Realm of Earth, but we didn't want to give up without a fight. The other gods and me decided to hold a tournament for all of the great fighters in the world. If Shao Kahn's ruthless beings win ten tournaments, Earth will be over. But during the tenth tournament, something amazing happen. A man named Liu Kang stopped Shao Kahn and his minions, banishing him to Out World. We thought it was all over with, and that the peace had returned, but we were wrong."
"What is happening now?" Takeli asked. Fujin grunted. "I have received another threat that Shao Kahn has returned from the dead, and is now attempting to take over our realm." "How does this involve me?" "Takeli, you are one of the chosen warrior's that are destined to join the Earth's side in the tournament." Takeli eyes widened. "What do you mean? I'm a chosen warrior?" Fujin nodded. "It may be hard to believe but this is all true. You are one of the chosen warriors that will help defend out realm in the next tournament."
"How do you know this for sure?" Takeli proclaimed. Fujin touched Takeli's forehead, and began to grunt. He touched his heart, and Takeli could feel a sudden burning feeling go through. "Your soul is pure, and so is your heart. Nobody else has this kind of power in them. Not even Liu Kang has this much spirit inside." "Fujin, how can I do this? I don't believe it! I'm just some guy that wants to get trained in martial arts, that's all. Fighting alongside with other people that are better than me? I don't even know how to fight!"
Fujin took in an ounce of breath. "Relax Takeli. Don't you know why you had so much power in you, and that you always wanted to become a famous martial artist? It was in your blood. You were destined to be one of the chosen warriors if we ever got into trouble." Takeli rubbed his hair back. "This is so hard to believe," he said. He sat back down on the stone rock and continued to wonder. "I know this is. I can help you prepare for the upcoming tournament. I cannot join the tournament because of the sacred rules. You can, and with the proper training, you will be one of the greatest fighters in the world."
'This is all too much,' Takeli wondered. There were other defenders of the Realm of Earth. How can he be the one that was chosen? "Fujin, I may believe that I can learn to fight like the chosen warriors, but how am I supposed to believe that I'm one of them?" Fujin hoisted his arm up into the sky, and a sudden vigor of wind blew through them. Takeli covered their eyes as a gale of high winds surrounded them.
"Why would I tell this to you if I didn't think you were the one?" Fujin's voice echoed through the high winds, bouncing off the steep cliffs and into Takeli's ears. "I am the god of wind and the protector of the Realm of Earth. I follow Rayden's footsteps into protecting this world. Without people like you, how would I find the courage to defend this pure world?" Takeli gazed up at Fujin as he soared up through the wind. He shot forward an orb of wind, which collided with Takeli's stomach. "Can you stop it?" Fujin cried.
Takeli crossed his arms as the massive force pushed him near the crimson lake. His shoes scratched down on the hard pebbles and his pants began to tear. "It's too hard. I can't do this," Takeli hollered. Fujin blasted another force of wind, making Takeli drag nearer to the lake. All of a sudden, Takeli felt a power source coming out from his arms. It was a bright light, another one. 'Huh?' The light began to encircle around his body, causing his arm to feel warmer. Fujin gasped as he saw a blazing ray shooting upward to the sky.
Takeli didn't realize it. The winds started propelling back to Fujin. Takeli screamed as he felt a striking pain going through his heart. 'Why does it burn?' he thought. A laminating light blazed forth around Takeli, shooting frontward the wind Fujin had formed. The winds abruptly stopped, and Fujin opened his eyes again. He saw Takeli lying on the ground once again, with blood around his mouth. 'That was too much, I should have gone a little easier.'
Hours later, Takeli awakened when he heard a cracking sound near his right ear. He stood up and found himself inside a tent. He pushed aside the blanket and opened up the tent, revealing a night sky. The stars were all above him, shimmering brightly like the sun. Looking over his shoulder he saw fire crackling. It was still warm, as tiny flickers of fire expanded outward. He rubbed his head in awe. What had happened? He looked at his watch. Eleven o' clock PM. Weird, he had slept for hours.
'Fujin!' Takeli looked around his surroundings. Nowhere did he find Fujin. 'Where did he go?' Takeli stumbled out of the small tent and stretched out his arms. All of his gear was still with him. He took out a piece of candy Little Firefly gave him the other day. Plopping it into his mouth, Takeli motioned his sight at the stars. Numerous numbers of stars were lighting up the sky. Not a gentle breeze was felt, and Takeli assumed Fujin was nowhere near he. 'That star looks familiar.' The night was still, and not another sound was made.
'Reminds me of Jermaine.' Takeli reflected back on the lost memories of when he and Jermaine were playing at night...
§ "Jermaine, Takeli, it's time for supper!" Jermaine held the ball in his hands and groaned. "Right now? Can't we play a little longer?" Takeli began to hop over to Jermaine on one foot. "Big brother, look at me! Whoa!" Takeli tripped over a small side branch and fell face first on the ground. Takeli started panting and crying all at the same time. "What's wrong little bro?" Jermaine walked over and lifted Takeli off the ground. "Silly, you shouldn't be crying," he said. Takeli sniffled a little before he started to climb up on Jermaine's shoulders.
"Take me to the Moon!" Takeli cried happily. Jermaine smirked and started dashing around the yard. "Wee! We're going so fast!" Takeli picked out some hair from Jermaine's head, and stuffed them inside his shirt. "Hey, Takeli what are doing?" He giggled. Jermaine bended over and Takeli jumped off his head. "Are we at the Moon now?" He asked. Jermaine snickered and took Takeli's small hand. "Come on, it's time for dinner," he said. §
Takeli crouched down and held his legs. 'Jermaine, you were much more than that.' He noticed a small book sticking out of his pack. Takeli reached for it and grabbed it silently. It was his old photo album of his family. A little bit of dust was covering the edges, but it was still in good condition. Opening the cover, a charm fell from the inside and landed on Takeli's leg. It sparkled in the moonlight, like a clear crystal lake with no waves.
It was a small jade. The figure showed a pure dragon with its eyes reflecting off the stars. Takeli never noticed the jade inside his photo album. 'I wonder how this got tin there.' He remembered a jade that looked just like this. 'This looks like the one Jermaine used to wear.' The silver laces around it casted a shadow around Takeli's neck. It was Jermaine's. He could tell from the silver lace. Jermaine loved anything silver. Takeli placed the jade over his head and around his neck. A sudden chill was emitted from the jade when it touched his bare skin.
All of a sudden, the fire next to him burned out completely. The plants around him moved in the direction of the wind, and Takeli could feel an eccentric presence around him. Someone or something was near him. "Who's there? Fujin?" Takeli looked to the sides, and saw his tent flapping over. Was he imagining this? He felt a sudden urge to get up and stand guard, but he couldn't move. He felt a cold rub going through his back. "Hello."
"What?" Takeli jumped up in a startle, and saw Fujin stroking his robe. "What is going on?" Takeli asked. "I came back to see you. Is that a problem?" Fujin asked. Takeli shook his head, feeling shocked at Fujin's sudden arrival. "How did I get here?" Takeli asked. "Well, you were knocked unconscious so I brought you here to rest. Isn't this a comfortable spot?" Fujin levitated a small pebble and charged it into the night sky.
"Were you the one that knocked me out?" "Me? Of course I was the one. There wasn't anyone else that time." Takeli glanced over his palms. "Why do I feel a sudden surge of energy go through me when I'm fighting?" Takeli asked. "You haven't learned to fully control your powers yet. When you have learned how, that won't happen again. Unfortunately I cannot tell you how to control them, but I know someone that can." "Who might that person be?" Fujin grinned and began to leap into the steep cliffs.
"Sorry for my departure but I have to meet up with the other gods. It's very important. Stay here and rest for the remainder of the night. You can start back on your journey in them morning." Fujin jumped into the sky, leaving Takeli behind. 'Why does he always do that?' Takeli pondered. Should he get some sleep? Fujin might pop up again and scare Takeli once more. Takeli plopped another piece of hard candy into his mouth. 'I can't just stand and wait here all night, I better get some sleep.' Takeli went back into the tent, zipping up the entrance.
Inside, Takeli dropped his head down on the pillow and opened up his photo album. He began to flip through the pages, trying to find any pictures of him and his family all in one place. 'Come on, there has to be at least one in here.' He stopped abruptly when he saw a photo of him and his brother. Jermaine was holding a toy sailboat and Takeli was holding a red envelope. He guessed that it was New Years the time the photo was taken.
He flipped on and came across the photograph he was looking for. He was only one year old when it was taken. He saw his mom holding him up in a cradle, while his dad rubbed his cheeks. 'I looked so cute when I was young.' He could see Jermaine and the others gathering around him, all smiling. His grandfather was behind the scene. He was sitting down on a wooden chair, smiling at the camera. Takeli couldn't see his grandmother though, sadly...
"Huh?" Takeli heard a shrieking sound rushing by his tent. The tent began to get dark, and his candle blew out. The pure darkness outside was surrounding him. The sound of a thousand deadly things could have been heard. Takeli opened up his tent and rolled outside. The winds began to pick up, and his tent blew over on its sides. Takeli watched as a figure began to speed by. A masked being ran past the tent, destroying it in the process.
Takeli thought quick and decided to run from the scene. The figure halted in a screech, and set back on foot to get through Takeli. Takeli looked behind him and saw the figure running up at him. It jumped up and collapsed in front of Takeli. "What the?" The figure formed an energy orb in his palms. He stretched forward and hulled the orb at Takeli through his mouth. Takeli rapidly dived down to the ground as the energy orb smashed right through the cliffs, causing an avalanche.
"Who are you? What are you?" Takeli cried. He held his fist by his sides and the man took his pose. "I am Kabal. You are dead!" Kabal flipped through the air and landed next to Takeli. Kabal grabbed his neck and began to jab his stomach. Takeli used his foot and kicked Kabal in the shins. Kabal released him and began to groan. Takeli rushed at Kabal. He double kicked Kabal's head, sending him flying over to the cliff. The stone boulders began to rush down the cliff.
"Great, this isn't going to be pretty," Takeli mumbled. A large slab of the cliff cracked down and slammed right in front of Kabal. "Get this away from me?" He cried. Kabal thrusted his fist into the hard boulder, smashing it to pieces. He blew off the debris from his armor and quickly began to smash down the cliff. "What are you trying to do?" Takeli asked. Kabal ignored him and continued to smash down the mountain.
Finally it cracked open and fell on top of Kabal. 'Is he crazy?' A bladed saw scraped the boulders into small rocks. Kabal appeared and lifted a heavy boulder over his head. "You have to die!" Kabal threw the boulder at Takeli. The hard rock loomed over his head, as a murky shadow covered him. 'Run, run!' Listening to his guts, Takeli dodged out of the shadow just as it hit the ground. He rolled over, barely missing the giant death pill.
Takeli could feel a hard pulse going through his heart. His muscles began to buff up rapidly, and the water inside him became visible as it began to evaporate. The sand around Kabal suddenly stopped moving and began to sink. Kabal raised his arm up and another bladed saw came out of the ground. It was moving in on Takeli's spot. As it headed for him, Takeli flipped through the air. Causing the saw to break into another mountain.
'This guy is crazy!' Kabal began to pant frantically. "I have to kill!" Kabal took out two axes, fresh blood dripping from it. He scampered over to Takeli, holding up the razor sharp edge of his weapon. Aiming for Takeli's head, Kabal striked down and missed. He swung it back, hitting Takeli's chest. The edge ripped through his shirt, spewing blood into the ground. Kabal then punched Takeli's face, bruising his soft cheeks.
Takeli began to try and hit Kabal's head, but he was held back by the blade. He slashed again, bruising Takeli's leg. "Now, you will die!" Kabal started to knee bash Takeli's stomach. Blood began to churn out of his mouth. His lips turned purple as blood filled his mouth. He coughed some of it out, contaminating Kabal's mask. "Let... go!" Takeli couldn't move anymore. He was stuck to Kabal's axes, and all he could do was stand there and watch as his soul began to appear.
"No!" Takeli gasped as he saw someone jump over the cliffs. He crashed down softly on the firm ground, holding his breath as the dirt blew threw him. "Let the boy go Kabal!" "Who are you? This is none of your business!" Kabal tossed Takeli over his head and into a spiky bush. Kabal turned back and glared at the man. "Don't bother me!" In a pathetic rage, Kabal sprinted over to him and swung his blade. The man ducked down easily and punched Kabal in between his legs.
Kabal choked down and began to groan loudly. "That hurt!" The man didn't seem to care as he continued to kick his face. Kabal's mask flew out, revealing a hideous face. Burns and scratches were everywhere and blood was flowing through the veins. "My mask!" The man elbow bashed Kabal's head, sending his face smashing down on the rocks. "Takeli, come on!" He appointed Takeli to follow him as he leapt over Kabal. Takeli nodded and did what he was told.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Takeli followed the man curiously as they crossed over into the mid mornings. Takeli pressed his palm on his shoulder, making him stop. "Thank you for your help, but who are you?" The man looked down at Takeli's stains and bruises. "Over there." He pointed at a crystal clear lake with flowers surrounding it. "Clean up your bruises, I have some healing herbs." Takeli shook his head. "That's all right, I have some healing herbs myself. Save it for yourself." The man grinned silently to himself.
As Takeli poured water over his bruises, he noticed that there wasn't any waves or disturbances in the water. "That's strange, why doesn't the water move?" Takeli asked. "I've heard that this lake was made of glass, but water when touched. You can clearly see your reflection can't you?" "Yea." A blurry mist began to surround the lake itself, cooling off the blood. 'Kung Lao, I was supposed to meet him.' Takeli looked around the pool, but saw nobody. "Excuse me," Takeli started, but he stopped when he saw a familiar crest imprinted on his clothes.
"I recognize that crest. Are you from the Shaloian Temple? Wait..." Takeli looked closer at the symbol... A large hawk call was heard. Takeli looked up and saw it land on the man's shoulders. "Wait a minute. Are you? It can't be, can it?" A sudden flare of light surrounded them, and then...
HUSH! "A cool breeze, wait, no it isn't!"
'I wished I still had that motorcycle right about now,' Takeli thought, gurgling down the last remaining drops of cool water from his bottle. He wished he had refilled it when he was in that strange city. He had a good chance of getting it filled, and he didn't. He should have thought ahead. The boiling sun was high above him. Shining clearly down on the ground. Takeli took out a piece of dried plum Little Firefly had given him. He wasn't sure if he should eat them though. Sui Loung did yell at him once for stealing out of her jars of candy.
Takeli imagined a long way ahead of him. This wasn't like any old city. He was lost in a desert smacked down in the middle of the People's Republic of China. He could see dead rats and cactuses drained of their water all over the place. The heavy sand dunes in front of him made him feel like he was going to die. He stretched his arms out as a bit of a breeze began to happen. It stopped suddenly, and the drifts of sand slid down into the potholes. He was starting to sweat a little bit off from his neck. 'Think back Takeli. Don't think about the hotness.'
'Great.' Those memories have come back. The same enchanting memories that Takeli had when he was a child have returned. 'Why do I feel like this?' He imagined his dad picking him up and carrying him around the playground. Like he was in space, traveling to the stars. Then his mom would carry him down and tickle his tummy a little bit. Takeli remembered his older brother Jermaine stealing pieces of candy from their mom's purse and giving it to him. Takeli would just look innocently at them, and they would forgive him.
He felt his heart begin to warm up. The feeling of love came charged through his blood like a bullet. 'I miss them so much.' He took out an old photograph, showing his entire family smiling. He could see himself right in the middle of it. A small child back then. Being held up by other people because they thought you couldn't handle it. Takeli walked over to a nearby slab of stone. He placed some candles around it and began to pray. 'If you are out there, anywhere, I hope you are well.' He bowed down, and the candles started to flicker in and out.
"Very nice, and to think I never really expected you to be praying at a place such as this." Takeli turned his head and saw the old man again. He was still wearing the same clothes, but was harnessing a peculiar symbol on his robe. Takeli got back up and bowed down to him. This shocked the old man. "What are you doing?" He asked. "I'm giving my respects. What does it look like I'm doing?" The old man began to chuckle again. "Takeli, I was very fond of you before. I knew that you would find out who I was someday. Maybe I'll just give you answers."
"You're Fujin, God of Wind and the neo protector of the Realm of Earth," Takeli cried, snapping his fingers. The old man turned his head back, and closed his eyes. A sudden breeze appeared out of nowhere and flipped Takeli over the rock. The old man laughed again. "A powerful force of wind. You just flip through the air because of it." Takeli rubbed his shoulders, getting rid of the pain before it got worse. He snickered a little as he leered at the old man. "So, you're not Fujin, are you?" He asked. The old man raised his eyebrows. "Let's find out."
Takeli jumped through the air and landed on the ground right next to the old man. He threw his robe to the side, revealing his chest. He jumped back and landed softly near a cactus. "What are you going to do now?" He asked. Takeli grinned and ran over to him. He ducked down and sweep kicked the old man's legs. He quickly dodged it and shot forward a gust of wind. Takeli shielded his eyes as the blinding sand nailed his legs. Clearing the way, the old man grabbed Takeli's arm and threw him behind him.
Takeli landed on the ground with a hard thud that shook the sand around him. He looked up and saw the old man's eyes glow white. "Yes, you are Fujin," Takeli said getting up. He rubbed the dirt of his nose and picked up the remaining candles off of the ground. "I know now." "Very good, you are starting to learn." Fujin grabbed his robe from the ground and placed it back around him. "I'm glad you know who I am now. How does it make you feel Takeli?" "Good, I guess. Did you want to tell me something? Your visit and all must have a purpose."
Fujin raised his arm and a long wooden pole appeared in front of him. He grabbed it and began to spin it around in front of Takeli. "Take it, it's yours to keep." He stopped spinning it and handed it over to Takeli. "Thank you. What is it for?" "That pole can protect you from the dark energy that is coming here on Earth. If you keep it with you at all times, your powers will become clearer to you. For now, just use it to get water." "How do I do that?" Fujin grabbed the pole and made it start to turn orange. "If you stick it into the ground, water will burst from it."
Takeli nodded. "Is there anything else you are here to tell me?" He asked. "See, now you are looking for answers to your question. I'm not the only one who can answer them though, so be aware of that. I am here, to tell you about a new threat that we have come in contact here on Earth." "What is it about?" "It revolves around the greatest warrior's of our realm. The army of Out World has once again attacked our realm." "Out World? Where is that?" Takeli asked. "It may not make any sense to you now, but it will soon."
"Let me try to explain. Out realm is one of many different realms. There is one particular one called Edenia. It used to be a wonderful place full of living things of great beauty. Until an emperor named Shao Kahn attacked Edenia. He killed the king and took the queen as his own. Shao Kahn is a ruthless beast. He won't stop until he gets what he wants, even if it means killing off the entire population of Edenia. His power comes from the depths of the Netherealm, the place where dead souls are banished."
"Thinking quickly, Shao Kahn decided to take over the Realm of Earth, but we didn't want to give up without a fight. The other gods and me decided to hold a tournament for all of the great fighters in the world. If Shao Kahn's ruthless beings win ten tournaments, Earth will be over. But during the tenth tournament, something amazing happen. A man named Liu Kang stopped Shao Kahn and his minions, banishing him to Out World. We thought it was all over with, and that the peace had returned, but we were wrong."
"What is happening now?" Takeli asked. Fujin grunted. "I have received another threat that Shao Kahn has returned from the dead, and is now attempting to take over our realm." "How does this involve me?" "Takeli, you are one of the chosen warrior's that are destined to join the Earth's side in the tournament." Takeli eyes widened. "What do you mean? I'm a chosen warrior?" Fujin nodded. "It may be hard to believe but this is all true. You are one of the chosen warriors that will help defend out realm in the next tournament."
"How do you know this for sure?" Takeli proclaimed. Fujin touched Takeli's forehead, and began to grunt. He touched his heart, and Takeli could feel a sudden burning feeling go through. "Your soul is pure, and so is your heart. Nobody else has this kind of power in them. Not even Liu Kang has this much spirit inside." "Fujin, how can I do this? I don't believe it! I'm just some guy that wants to get trained in martial arts, that's all. Fighting alongside with other people that are better than me? I don't even know how to fight!"
Fujin took in an ounce of breath. "Relax Takeli. Don't you know why you had so much power in you, and that you always wanted to become a famous martial artist? It was in your blood. You were destined to be one of the chosen warriors if we ever got into trouble." Takeli rubbed his hair back. "This is so hard to believe," he said. He sat back down on the stone rock and continued to wonder. "I know this is. I can help you prepare for the upcoming tournament. I cannot join the tournament because of the sacred rules. You can, and with the proper training, you will be one of the greatest fighters in the world."
'This is all too much,' Takeli wondered. There were other defenders of the Realm of Earth. How can he be the one that was chosen? "Fujin, I may believe that I can learn to fight like the chosen warriors, but how am I supposed to believe that I'm one of them?" Fujin hoisted his arm up into the sky, and a sudden vigor of wind blew through them. Takeli covered their eyes as a gale of high winds surrounded them.
"Why would I tell this to you if I didn't think you were the one?" Fujin's voice echoed through the high winds, bouncing off the steep cliffs and into Takeli's ears. "I am the god of wind and the protector of the Realm of Earth. I follow Rayden's footsteps into protecting this world. Without people like you, how would I find the courage to defend this pure world?" Takeli gazed up at Fujin as he soared up through the wind. He shot forward an orb of wind, which collided with Takeli's stomach. "Can you stop it?" Fujin cried.
Takeli crossed his arms as the massive force pushed him near the crimson lake. His shoes scratched down on the hard pebbles and his pants began to tear. "It's too hard. I can't do this," Takeli hollered. Fujin blasted another force of wind, making Takeli drag nearer to the lake. All of a sudden, Takeli felt a power source coming out from his arms. It was a bright light, another one. 'Huh?' The light began to encircle around his body, causing his arm to feel warmer. Fujin gasped as he saw a blazing ray shooting upward to the sky.
Takeli didn't realize it. The winds started propelling back to Fujin. Takeli screamed as he felt a striking pain going through his heart. 'Why does it burn?' he thought. A laminating light blazed forth around Takeli, shooting frontward the wind Fujin had formed. The winds abruptly stopped, and Fujin opened his eyes again. He saw Takeli lying on the ground once again, with blood around his mouth. 'That was too much, I should have gone a little easier.'
Hours later, Takeli awakened when he heard a cracking sound near his right ear. He stood up and found himself inside a tent. He pushed aside the blanket and opened up the tent, revealing a night sky. The stars were all above him, shimmering brightly like the sun. Looking over his shoulder he saw fire crackling. It was still warm, as tiny flickers of fire expanded outward. He rubbed his head in awe. What had happened? He looked at his watch. Eleven o' clock PM. Weird, he had slept for hours.
'Fujin!' Takeli looked around his surroundings. Nowhere did he find Fujin. 'Where did he go?' Takeli stumbled out of the small tent and stretched out his arms. All of his gear was still with him. He took out a piece of candy Little Firefly gave him the other day. Plopping it into his mouth, Takeli motioned his sight at the stars. Numerous numbers of stars were lighting up the sky. Not a gentle breeze was felt, and Takeli assumed Fujin was nowhere near he. 'That star looks familiar.' The night was still, and not another sound was made.
'Reminds me of Jermaine.' Takeli reflected back on the lost memories of when he and Jermaine were playing at night...
§ "Jermaine, Takeli, it's time for supper!" Jermaine held the ball in his hands and groaned. "Right now? Can't we play a little longer?" Takeli began to hop over to Jermaine on one foot. "Big brother, look at me! Whoa!" Takeli tripped over a small side branch and fell face first on the ground. Takeli started panting and crying all at the same time. "What's wrong little bro?" Jermaine walked over and lifted Takeli off the ground. "Silly, you shouldn't be crying," he said. Takeli sniffled a little before he started to climb up on Jermaine's shoulders.
"Take me to the Moon!" Takeli cried happily. Jermaine smirked and started dashing around the yard. "Wee! We're going so fast!" Takeli picked out some hair from Jermaine's head, and stuffed them inside his shirt. "Hey, Takeli what are doing?" He giggled. Jermaine bended over and Takeli jumped off his head. "Are we at the Moon now?" He asked. Jermaine snickered and took Takeli's small hand. "Come on, it's time for dinner," he said. §
Takeli crouched down and held his legs. 'Jermaine, you were much more than that.' He noticed a small book sticking out of his pack. Takeli reached for it and grabbed it silently. It was his old photo album of his family. A little bit of dust was covering the edges, but it was still in good condition. Opening the cover, a charm fell from the inside and landed on Takeli's leg. It sparkled in the moonlight, like a clear crystal lake with no waves.
It was a small jade. The figure showed a pure dragon with its eyes reflecting off the stars. Takeli never noticed the jade inside his photo album. 'I wonder how this got tin there.' He remembered a jade that looked just like this. 'This looks like the one Jermaine used to wear.' The silver laces around it casted a shadow around Takeli's neck. It was Jermaine's. He could tell from the silver lace. Jermaine loved anything silver. Takeli placed the jade over his head and around his neck. A sudden chill was emitted from the jade when it touched his bare skin.
All of a sudden, the fire next to him burned out completely. The plants around him moved in the direction of the wind, and Takeli could feel an eccentric presence around him. Someone or something was near him. "Who's there? Fujin?" Takeli looked to the sides, and saw his tent flapping over. Was he imagining this? He felt a sudden urge to get up and stand guard, but he couldn't move. He felt a cold rub going through his back. "Hello."
"What?" Takeli jumped up in a startle, and saw Fujin stroking his robe. "What is going on?" Takeli asked. "I came back to see you. Is that a problem?" Fujin asked. Takeli shook his head, feeling shocked at Fujin's sudden arrival. "How did I get here?" Takeli asked. "Well, you were knocked unconscious so I brought you here to rest. Isn't this a comfortable spot?" Fujin levitated a small pebble and charged it into the night sky.
"Were you the one that knocked me out?" "Me? Of course I was the one. There wasn't anyone else that time." Takeli glanced over his palms. "Why do I feel a sudden surge of energy go through me when I'm fighting?" Takeli asked. "You haven't learned to fully control your powers yet. When you have learned how, that won't happen again. Unfortunately I cannot tell you how to control them, but I know someone that can." "Who might that person be?" Fujin grinned and began to leap into the steep cliffs.
"Sorry for my departure but I have to meet up with the other gods. It's very important. Stay here and rest for the remainder of the night. You can start back on your journey in them morning." Fujin jumped into the sky, leaving Takeli behind. 'Why does he always do that?' Takeli pondered. Should he get some sleep? Fujin might pop up again and scare Takeli once more. Takeli plopped another piece of hard candy into his mouth. 'I can't just stand and wait here all night, I better get some sleep.' Takeli went back into the tent, zipping up the entrance.
Inside, Takeli dropped his head down on the pillow and opened up his photo album. He began to flip through the pages, trying to find any pictures of him and his family all in one place. 'Come on, there has to be at least one in here.' He stopped abruptly when he saw a photo of him and his brother. Jermaine was holding a toy sailboat and Takeli was holding a red envelope. He guessed that it was New Years the time the photo was taken.
He flipped on and came across the photograph he was looking for. He was only one year old when it was taken. He saw his mom holding him up in a cradle, while his dad rubbed his cheeks. 'I looked so cute when I was young.' He could see Jermaine and the others gathering around him, all smiling. His grandfather was behind the scene. He was sitting down on a wooden chair, smiling at the camera. Takeli couldn't see his grandmother though, sadly...
"Huh?" Takeli heard a shrieking sound rushing by his tent. The tent began to get dark, and his candle blew out. The pure darkness outside was surrounding him. The sound of a thousand deadly things could have been heard. Takeli opened up his tent and rolled outside. The winds began to pick up, and his tent blew over on its sides. Takeli watched as a figure began to speed by. A masked being ran past the tent, destroying it in the process.
Takeli thought quick and decided to run from the scene. The figure halted in a screech, and set back on foot to get through Takeli. Takeli looked behind him and saw the figure running up at him. It jumped up and collapsed in front of Takeli. "What the?" The figure formed an energy orb in his palms. He stretched forward and hulled the orb at Takeli through his mouth. Takeli rapidly dived down to the ground as the energy orb smashed right through the cliffs, causing an avalanche.
"Who are you? What are you?" Takeli cried. He held his fist by his sides and the man took his pose. "I am Kabal. You are dead!" Kabal flipped through the air and landed next to Takeli. Kabal grabbed his neck and began to jab his stomach. Takeli used his foot and kicked Kabal in the shins. Kabal released him and began to groan. Takeli rushed at Kabal. He double kicked Kabal's head, sending him flying over to the cliff. The stone boulders began to rush down the cliff.
"Great, this isn't going to be pretty," Takeli mumbled. A large slab of the cliff cracked down and slammed right in front of Kabal. "Get this away from me?" He cried. Kabal thrusted his fist into the hard boulder, smashing it to pieces. He blew off the debris from his armor and quickly began to smash down the cliff. "What are you trying to do?" Takeli asked. Kabal ignored him and continued to smash down the mountain.
Finally it cracked open and fell on top of Kabal. 'Is he crazy?' A bladed saw scraped the boulders into small rocks. Kabal appeared and lifted a heavy boulder over his head. "You have to die!" Kabal threw the boulder at Takeli. The hard rock loomed over his head, as a murky shadow covered him. 'Run, run!' Listening to his guts, Takeli dodged out of the shadow just as it hit the ground. He rolled over, barely missing the giant death pill.
Takeli could feel a hard pulse going through his heart. His muscles began to buff up rapidly, and the water inside him became visible as it began to evaporate. The sand around Kabal suddenly stopped moving and began to sink. Kabal raised his arm up and another bladed saw came out of the ground. It was moving in on Takeli's spot. As it headed for him, Takeli flipped through the air. Causing the saw to break into another mountain.
'This guy is crazy!' Kabal began to pant frantically. "I have to kill!" Kabal took out two axes, fresh blood dripping from it. He scampered over to Takeli, holding up the razor sharp edge of his weapon. Aiming for Takeli's head, Kabal striked down and missed. He swung it back, hitting Takeli's chest. The edge ripped through his shirt, spewing blood into the ground. Kabal then punched Takeli's face, bruising his soft cheeks.
Takeli began to try and hit Kabal's head, but he was held back by the blade. He slashed again, bruising Takeli's leg. "Now, you will die!" Kabal started to knee bash Takeli's stomach. Blood began to churn out of his mouth. His lips turned purple as blood filled his mouth. He coughed some of it out, contaminating Kabal's mask. "Let... go!" Takeli couldn't move anymore. He was stuck to Kabal's axes, and all he could do was stand there and watch as his soul began to appear.
"No!" Takeli gasped as he saw someone jump over the cliffs. He crashed down softly on the firm ground, holding his breath as the dirt blew threw him. "Let the boy go Kabal!" "Who are you? This is none of your business!" Kabal tossed Takeli over his head and into a spiky bush. Kabal turned back and glared at the man. "Don't bother me!" In a pathetic rage, Kabal sprinted over to him and swung his blade. The man ducked down easily and punched Kabal in between his legs.
Kabal choked down and began to groan loudly. "That hurt!" The man didn't seem to care as he continued to kick his face. Kabal's mask flew out, revealing a hideous face. Burns and scratches were everywhere and blood was flowing through the veins. "My mask!" The man elbow bashed Kabal's head, sending his face smashing down on the rocks. "Takeli, come on!" He appointed Takeli to follow him as he leapt over Kabal. Takeli nodded and did what he was told.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Takeli followed the man curiously as they crossed over into the mid mornings. Takeli pressed his palm on his shoulder, making him stop. "Thank you for your help, but who are you?" The man looked down at Takeli's stains and bruises. "Over there." He pointed at a crystal clear lake with flowers surrounding it. "Clean up your bruises, I have some healing herbs." Takeli shook his head. "That's all right, I have some healing herbs myself. Save it for yourself." The man grinned silently to himself.
As Takeli poured water over his bruises, he noticed that there wasn't any waves or disturbances in the water. "That's strange, why doesn't the water move?" Takeli asked. "I've heard that this lake was made of glass, but water when touched. You can clearly see your reflection can't you?" "Yea." A blurry mist began to surround the lake itself, cooling off the blood. 'Kung Lao, I was supposed to meet him.' Takeli looked around the pool, but saw nobody. "Excuse me," Takeli started, but he stopped when he saw a familiar crest imprinted on his clothes.
"I recognize that crest. Are you from the Shaloian Temple? Wait..." Takeli looked closer at the symbol... A large hawk call was heard. Takeli looked up and saw it land on the man's shoulders. "Wait a minute. Are you? It can't be, can it?" A sudden flare of light surrounded them, and then...
HUSH! "A cool breeze, wait, no it isn't!"