*Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Kombat, or its characters. I do own,
however, the original character, Shyplae. Using my original characters in
your own stories is not permitted, unless with my consent. Thank you.
Chapter 4
The Bridge of Phantasm
Kitana walked on with a boisterous determination in her heart.
"I will destroy Shao Kahn. I will destroy him over and over and over again if I must."
She soon found herself standing on the edge of a high cliff, where a bridge stretched out from it. The bridge seemed endless, disappearing into the horizon. The pit below it too was like a forever abyss, threatening to whoever dared to cross the bridge above it.
Kitana noticed the shakiness and weakness of the bridge, as she put a careful foot onto the first ominous plank. She began to cross it, holding onto its sides, evaporating into the horizon.
As she crossed the unstable and dangerous bridge, she began to observe the planks. Some certain planks seem to have strange markings on them.
"Runes," she commented. "They appear ancient."
She continued on, her unyielding will burning within her. It would not succumb to anything; no icy winds could ever entirely extinguish it.
Kitana took very gentle steps, careful not to put too much pressure on the brittle wood of the bridge. The runes on the bridge were now numerous; appearing inscribed on almost every other plank. Kitana noticed them, as they continued to multiply below her feet.
"Strange," she said to herself. "They are aplenty now, it seems."
She looked up again, still beholding an endless horizon, unable to discern what lied at the end. She was now too concerned and engrossed about seeing the end of the bridge to notice the mystical glow that began to emit from the various runes on the planks, as she crossed over them.
Fatigue began to weigh her down. Her feet became heavier, the bridge shakier. She tried, with great difficulty, to soften her stride, but it only caused her anvil feet to weigh more. She peered down at her persistent feet, and eventually took notice of the uncanny glow from the runes.
"Is this a magic?"
Soon, all of the runes of the foreboding bridge were alit, and Kitana found it easier to see farther out. The end of the bridge was still not seen, however, as Kitana pressed on, her burning will starting to flicker and weaken.
The lights from the runes strengthened, ascending higher, becoming like pillars of brightness.
"What is this?"
The light radiated and momentarily blinded Kitana. As quick as it ascended, the pillars began to fade. The light descended, and the runes' glow slowly disappeared.
"What is....."
Quite suddenly and mysteriously, the planks of the bridge began to shake, causing a loud clunking sound to emit through the silent air. It was as though a magic suddenly had its grip on the bridge, and was shaking it in its powerful palm. The bridge trembled and rumbled violently, as Kitana held onto the ropes on its sides.
"Ugh!"
It stopped. The shaking ceased; it was a short-lived earthquake.
"This bridge is perilous. I must leave."
Kitana began to walk at a very fast pace, however, remained cautious in her stepping. The daunting horizon made her walk faster, as the bridge continued to torment her with its eternal length. She was blinded by her haste and horror now, fearing it would, indeed, never end.
"Is there an end? Might this bridge cross over to a different realm? Will I die here?"
She stopped her speedy walking.
"No, I will not die here. I must press on. I will find the others. I will rescue those wandering souls. I will destroy Shao Kahn."
A strange wind blew by. It penetrated Kitana's bones like an icy gale. There was a stillness, extreme silence. Suddenly, Outworld seemed death-ridden, soulless.
Kitana slowed her walking, sensing the shift of the environment.
"Perhaps I am nearing the end of this perpetual bridge."
She continued to walk. Her body was tense before due to the tremors of the bridge, but was now once again, weighed down with fatigue.
Another cold wind blew against Kitana's back. Her insides froze up for a moment. It was very painful.
"Ugh. That is unusual. Perhaps an omen?"
Kitana did not turn around because she didn't want the wind to hit her face. It sporadically continued to stab at her back, persisting like a myriad of vexing wasps.
Then, abruptly, an unusual sight caught Kitana's weary eye. A light, like one of the wandering souls of the valley, was swirling and hovering over the abysmal chasm from which the bridge led travelers across. It darted and danced very gracefully, twirling loosely like a flowing ribbon.
Kitana stopped and observed it from the bridge.
"A soul....."
It gave off a sudden spark of light, revealing its appearance. It was the lost orphan girl from amongst the valley before. Kitana was immediately reminded of how she resembled herself as a child.
"The little girl....."
The orphan girl floated above the frightening abyss below. Kitana watched her as she knelt, in genuflection, and prayed. She said nothing, her face full of desperate, dwindling hope.
Kitana blinked once, somber eyes swelling with sorrowful tears, and the girl was gone. She searched the horizon for the girl's light, but she found nothing. Kitana's heart cried for the girl, her head bent, eyes to the ground, mourning. Kitana prayed for the girl's soul.
As Kitana remained stasis and lost in deep prayer, a blurry figure appeared from a distance. Kitana noticed it as her head rose, and focused her eyes, attempting to discern the blur. It became clearer and much closer; Kitana noticed that it was a person running toward her.
"Who is that?"
The person's garments were red and black. She realized who it was. It was Liu Kang.
"Liu!"
She walked toward him, as his face became more distinguishable and distinct. Her hope became more powerful, she had found one of her allies who would help her defeat Shao Kahn. The orphan girl smiled in her mind.
But as soon as she reached him, within a short distance, he vanished. He disappeared as hastily as a flash of light.
"What? Liu!"
He was nowhere out there, nowhere on the endless horizon. Kitana walked, her eyes searching around, left and right, up and down, but no one was there. It was silent once again, no presence, barren.
Soon, Kitana's hope dwindled, and her fatigue grew stronger. She continued to walk, down the bridge, the sight of the forever horizon aching her. But her perseverance would never die; she would not succumb to anything.
Her back was suddenly stricken numb momentarily with a sharp and unusual pang. It was more unusual than painful. Kitana quivered.
"That is strange....."
Kitana caught a strange figure in the corner of her eye. It was a purple violent blur. She turned around, and there stood a valiant Mileena.
"Huh?"
For only a mere second, Kitana gaped at Mileena, for it took her a moment to absorb the image; her fatigue was distorting her senses. Mileena wore her purple, ninja-oriented suit, with her material mask hiding her horrifying demeanor. Her sai knives were attached to her arms by means of metal-like rings, which gleamed with a great gallantry. Her short hair was tied into a small plait. Her eyes stared with a vigorous viciousness. Not a single word was emitted from her hidden mouth.
After the intense moment had faded, Mileena abruptly unshackled her sai knives. The metal jangled, slaughtering the silence of the bridge, causing an aggressive, murderous environment to expose itself.
Mileena twirled her knives through the air, cutting through the now intense atmosphere. She sliced the left side of Kitana's neck, causing blood to escape and spew, and a raw wound to be opened violently. Blood rained down upon the planks of the endless bridge.
"Mileena?"
Mileena did not answer, but her eyes spoke for her. They had a maelstrom of intensity and belligerence storming and swirling inside of them. She did not wait for Kitana to poise herself. She leapt into the air, agile and nimble, in attempt to strike Kitana again.
Kitana's reflexes became enhanced, and her fatigue dropped easily off of her suddenly, like a rimy coat. She untied her steel fans, and hastily readied herself to wage battle. She caught Mileena in midair, their weapons clashing with the sound of violent steel. The noise reverberated through the abyss.
Kitana swiped her fans threateningly. She assailed Mileena relentlessly, Mileena evading every assault. Mileena proved to be a very cunning foe. Once again, she leapt incredibly high into the gory air, but this time, did not come down. She had vanished.
Kitana looked around her. The endless horizon gazed back at her. Mileena was gone. The atmosphere, however, she felt, that it still continued to palpitate with aggressiveness.
Mileena leapt out of hiding, appearing abruptly behind Kitana, leg soaring through the air like a guided missile. Kitana had sensed it, and avoided the powerful assault. Her steel fans flashed with an unforgiving light. She pulled her arms back, and released them, hurling the merciless fans through the air. They spun like cogs with tainted teeth, Mileena avoiding them as they reached her. They soared back to Kitana at a peculiar angle, just as twin boomerangs. She caught them, and they shone again with the same spark.
Mileena then released her sai knives, as two mammoth piercing bullets, they flew at Kitana. Nearly grazing her arm, the sais continued on their destructive path, flying down the bridge, fleeing into the darkness of the horizon.
Kitana looked back at Mileena, surprised to see her standing in a vulnerable stance. She would use the weakness to her advantage, she thought. But before she acted, the sai knives mysteriously appeared again, out of the shadows, and nearly cut the top of Kitana's scalp. They soared back again for another try at Kitana's flesh, Mileena never touching them. They flew continuously on their own, as if they were drawn to Kitana like blood magnets.
They enshrouded themselves in darkness, and plunged at Kitana swiftly. As they approached her again, she slashed her fans at them, ricocheting and deflecting them off of her, causing them to expel and disperse. One sai flew out into the darkness, and losing its power, dropped ceaselessly into the eternal abyss below. The other sai shot directly from Kitana, and plunged forcefully into Mileena's left eye. Deep crimson shot out immediately and profusely, the eyeball had completely burst. The sai remained implanted, as Mileena's dead body dropped to the floor of the bloodied bridge.
"Mileena....."
But before Kitana could speak another word in her apostrophe, Mileena's maimed and crimsoned corpse had vanished, just as Liu Kang had before, and just as the sad orphan girl's soul. They disappeared, with a mere flicker of light.
"I do not understand....."
The dormant runes engraved on the planks of the bridge began to illuminate once again, and this time, very violently. The light ascended high into the dark sky, as the bridge began to quake and rumble. Kitana gripped the ropes of the bridge, holding on tightly. Her body was flung every which way, but her determined clutch never let go.
The runes' light started to descend and completely fade. The bridge ceased its treacherous quivering. The runes of the bridge were wiped and erased from their planks, as the magic was dispelled. All of the illusions had been destroyed, as the bridge unveiled its true form.
The wooden, shaky planks became craterous stone. The foreboding aura of the bridge melted away, and was replaced with comfort. The ropes transformed into strong wires. The unstable and hazardous bridge became one of sturdiness, ensuring travelers a safe passage. The endlessness of the horizon also dropped its mask, revealing a relatively short length to the other side of the bridge.
Kitana observed the amazing transformation. The sight of the bridge was to be considered one of purity, compared to the rest of Outworld. It was astounding.
"It was all an illusion," Kitana said, as she finally reached the end of that seemingly perpetual bridge, and placed her foot on the other side of Outworld.
Chapter 4
The Bridge of Phantasm
Kitana walked on with a boisterous determination in her heart.
"I will destroy Shao Kahn. I will destroy him over and over and over again if I must."
She soon found herself standing on the edge of a high cliff, where a bridge stretched out from it. The bridge seemed endless, disappearing into the horizon. The pit below it too was like a forever abyss, threatening to whoever dared to cross the bridge above it.
Kitana noticed the shakiness and weakness of the bridge, as she put a careful foot onto the first ominous plank. She began to cross it, holding onto its sides, evaporating into the horizon.
As she crossed the unstable and dangerous bridge, she began to observe the planks. Some certain planks seem to have strange markings on them.
"Runes," she commented. "They appear ancient."
She continued on, her unyielding will burning within her. It would not succumb to anything; no icy winds could ever entirely extinguish it.
Kitana took very gentle steps, careful not to put too much pressure on the brittle wood of the bridge. The runes on the bridge were now numerous; appearing inscribed on almost every other plank. Kitana noticed them, as they continued to multiply below her feet.
"Strange," she said to herself. "They are aplenty now, it seems."
She looked up again, still beholding an endless horizon, unable to discern what lied at the end. She was now too concerned and engrossed about seeing the end of the bridge to notice the mystical glow that began to emit from the various runes on the planks, as she crossed over them.
Fatigue began to weigh her down. Her feet became heavier, the bridge shakier. She tried, with great difficulty, to soften her stride, but it only caused her anvil feet to weigh more. She peered down at her persistent feet, and eventually took notice of the uncanny glow from the runes.
"Is this a magic?"
Soon, all of the runes of the foreboding bridge were alit, and Kitana found it easier to see farther out. The end of the bridge was still not seen, however, as Kitana pressed on, her burning will starting to flicker and weaken.
The lights from the runes strengthened, ascending higher, becoming like pillars of brightness.
"What is this?"
The light radiated and momentarily blinded Kitana. As quick as it ascended, the pillars began to fade. The light descended, and the runes' glow slowly disappeared.
"What is....."
Quite suddenly and mysteriously, the planks of the bridge began to shake, causing a loud clunking sound to emit through the silent air. It was as though a magic suddenly had its grip on the bridge, and was shaking it in its powerful palm. The bridge trembled and rumbled violently, as Kitana held onto the ropes on its sides.
"Ugh!"
It stopped. The shaking ceased; it was a short-lived earthquake.
"This bridge is perilous. I must leave."
Kitana began to walk at a very fast pace, however, remained cautious in her stepping. The daunting horizon made her walk faster, as the bridge continued to torment her with its eternal length. She was blinded by her haste and horror now, fearing it would, indeed, never end.
"Is there an end? Might this bridge cross over to a different realm? Will I die here?"
She stopped her speedy walking.
"No, I will not die here. I must press on. I will find the others. I will rescue those wandering souls. I will destroy Shao Kahn."
A strange wind blew by. It penetrated Kitana's bones like an icy gale. There was a stillness, extreme silence. Suddenly, Outworld seemed death-ridden, soulless.
Kitana slowed her walking, sensing the shift of the environment.
"Perhaps I am nearing the end of this perpetual bridge."
She continued to walk. Her body was tense before due to the tremors of the bridge, but was now once again, weighed down with fatigue.
Another cold wind blew against Kitana's back. Her insides froze up for a moment. It was very painful.
"Ugh. That is unusual. Perhaps an omen?"
Kitana did not turn around because she didn't want the wind to hit her face. It sporadically continued to stab at her back, persisting like a myriad of vexing wasps.
Then, abruptly, an unusual sight caught Kitana's weary eye. A light, like one of the wandering souls of the valley, was swirling and hovering over the abysmal chasm from which the bridge led travelers across. It darted and danced very gracefully, twirling loosely like a flowing ribbon.
Kitana stopped and observed it from the bridge.
"A soul....."
It gave off a sudden spark of light, revealing its appearance. It was the lost orphan girl from amongst the valley before. Kitana was immediately reminded of how she resembled herself as a child.
"The little girl....."
The orphan girl floated above the frightening abyss below. Kitana watched her as she knelt, in genuflection, and prayed. She said nothing, her face full of desperate, dwindling hope.
Kitana blinked once, somber eyes swelling with sorrowful tears, and the girl was gone. She searched the horizon for the girl's light, but she found nothing. Kitana's heart cried for the girl, her head bent, eyes to the ground, mourning. Kitana prayed for the girl's soul.
As Kitana remained stasis and lost in deep prayer, a blurry figure appeared from a distance. Kitana noticed it as her head rose, and focused her eyes, attempting to discern the blur. It became clearer and much closer; Kitana noticed that it was a person running toward her.
"Who is that?"
The person's garments were red and black. She realized who it was. It was Liu Kang.
"Liu!"
She walked toward him, as his face became more distinguishable and distinct. Her hope became more powerful, she had found one of her allies who would help her defeat Shao Kahn. The orphan girl smiled in her mind.
But as soon as she reached him, within a short distance, he vanished. He disappeared as hastily as a flash of light.
"What? Liu!"
He was nowhere out there, nowhere on the endless horizon. Kitana walked, her eyes searching around, left and right, up and down, but no one was there. It was silent once again, no presence, barren.
Soon, Kitana's hope dwindled, and her fatigue grew stronger. She continued to walk, down the bridge, the sight of the forever horizon aching her. But her perseverance would never die; she would not succumb to anything.
Her back was suddenly stricken numb momentarily with a sharp and unusual pang. It was more unusual than painful. Kitana quivered.
"That is strange....."
Kitana caught a strange figure in the corner of her eye. It was a purple violent blur. She turned around, and there stood a valiant Mileena.
"Huh?"
For only a mere second, Kitana gaped at Mileena, for it took her a moment to absorb the image; her fatigue was distorting her senses. Mileena wore her purple, ninja-oriented suit, with her material mask hiding her horrifying demeanor. Her sai knives were attached to her arms by means of metal-like rings, which gleamed with a great gallantry. Her short hair was tied into a small plait. Her eyes stared with a vigorous viciousness. Not a single word was emitted from her hidden mouth.
After the intense moment had faded, Mileena abruptly unshackled her sai knives. The metal jangled, slaughtering the silence of the bridge, causing an aggressive, murderous environment to expose itself.
Mileena twirled her knives through the air, cutting through the now intense atmosphere. She sliced the left side of Kitana's neck, causing blood to escape and spew, and a raw wound to be opened violently. Blood rained down upon the planks of the endless bridge.
"Mileena?"
Mileena did not answer, but her eyes spoke for her. They had a maelstrom of intensity and belligerence storming and swirling inside of them. She did not wait for Kitana to poise herself. She leapt into the air, agile and nimble, in attempt to strike Kitana again.
Kitana's reflexes became enhanced, and her fatigue dropped easily off of her suddenly, like a rimy coat. She untied her steel fans, and hastily readied herself to wage battle. She caught Mileena in midair, their weapons clashing with the sound of violent steel. The noise reverberated through the abyss.
Kitana swiped her fans threateningly. She assailed Mileena relentlessly, Mileena evading every assault. Mileena proved to be a very cunning foe. Once again, she leapt incredibly high into the gory air, but this time, did not come down. She had vanished.
Kitana looked around her. The endless horizon gazed back at her. Mileena was gone. The atmosphere, however, she felt, that it still continued to palpitate with aggressiveness.
Mileena leapt out of hiding, appearing abruptly behind Kitana, leg soaring through the air like a guided missile. Kitana had sensed it, and avoided the powerful assault. Her steel fans flashed with an unforgiving light. She pulled her arms back, and released them, hurling the merciless fans through the air. They spun like cogs with tainted teeth, Mileena avoiding them as they reached her. They soared back to Kitana at a peculiar angle, just as twin boomerangs. She caught them, and they shone again with the same spark.
Mileena then released her sai knives, as two mammoth piercing bullets, they flew at Kitana. Nearly grazing her arm, the sais continued on their destructive path, flying down the bridge, fleeing into the darkness of the horizon.
Kitana looked back at Mileena, surprised to see her standing in a vulnerable stance. She would use the weakness to her advantage, she thought. But before she acted, the sai knives mysteriously appeared again, out of the shadows, and nearly cut the top of Kitana's scalp. They soared back again for another try at Kitana's flesh, Mileena never touching them. They flew continuously on their own, as if they were drawn to Kitana like blood magnets.
They enshrouded themselves in darkness, and plunged at Kitana swiftly. As they approached her again, she slashed her fans at them, ricocheting and deflecting them off of her, causing them to expel and disperse. One sai flew out into the darkness, and losing its power, dropped ceaselessly into the eternal abyss below. The other sai shot directly from Kitana, and plunged forcefully into Mileena's left eye. Deep crimson shot out immediately and profusely, the eyeball had completely burst. The sai remained implanted, as Mileena's dead body dropped to the floor of the bloodied bridge.
"Mileena....."
But before Kitana could speak another word in her apostrophe, Mileena's maimed and crimsoned corpse had vanished, just as Liu Kang had before, and just as the sad orphan girl's soul. They disappeared, with a mere flicker of light.
"I do not understand....."
The dormant runes engraved on the planks of the bridge began to illuminate once again, and this time, very violently. The light ascended high into the dark sky, as the bridge began to quake and rumble. Kitana gripped the ropes of the bridge, holding on tightly. Her body was flung every which way, but her determined clutch never let go.
The runes' light started to descend and completely fade. The bridge ceased its treacherous quivering. The runes of the bridge were wiped and erased from their planks, as the magic was dispelled. All of the illusions had been destroyed, as the bridge unveiled its true form.
The wooden, shaky planks became craterous stone. The foreboding aura of the bridge melted away, and was replaced with comfort. The ropes transformed into strong wires. The unstable and hazardous bridge became one of sturdiness, ensuring travelers a safe passage. The endlessness of the horizon also dropped its mask, revealing a relatively short length to the other side of the bridge.
Kitana observed the amazing transformation. The sight of the bridge was to be considered one of purity, compared to the rest of Outworld. It was astounding.
"It was all an illusion," Kitana said, as she finally reached the end of that seemingly perpetual bridge, and placed her foot on the other side of Outworld.
