At dawn, Sonya was awaken and pulled by her maids from the unbelievably soft blankets that had engulfed her when she finally dropped from mental exhaustion the night before, brought on by her frenzied work of coming up with plans for escape. She hadn't come up with much, many factors had arisen that she hadn't considered before. She knew nothing about the building they were in, so wouldn't know where the dungeon was expect for down; she couldn't really help her friends escape because she was sure there were plenty of guards standing watch, and just her appearance below would arouse suspicion; and even if she could break them free, where could she hide them? Like her earlier note, she had no idea of the black tower and its workings. Then something else came to mind. Was she even in the black tower anymore? She had seen no windows, she hadn't been outside, and she had been moved from the Well of Souls when she was unconscious. For all she knew, she was in a whole other realm at this point. That left her at a big disadvantage. Also, even if she could hide her friends, once their escape was learned, guards would be scouring the lands, worlds, realms, whatever, until they were found. That would give them no chance to go after Tsung with an element of surprise. Once he learned of their escape, in fact, he would probably destroy thousands of earth's people to get them, which was a chance Sonya couldn't take. Plus they had no idea how to bring Tsung down anyway.

In fact, Tsung was the biggest danger of all. He could see inside her so easily. If she gave any indication of her plans, any reason for doubt, he would see it, and would probably kill her friends right there, right before her, and punish her for trying to defy him. As much as she was willing to stand up to him, getting her friends killed in a foolish moment of pride would not work.

So before she had fallen asleep, she came to the conclusion that her plan of attack would take time; she had a lot to learn of her new surroundings, she need to get Tsung's ultimate trust so he would not suspect her of anything, she had to learn his weaknesses, and she had to discover a way to hide her future betrayals from him. At the moment, all she could think of to hide her deceptions was by destroying her notes in the fireplace and not letting herself think of those plans at all. Out of mind, out of sight of Tsung's soul searching, right?

After her bath and dressing, Sonya looked at herself one more time in the mirror and mentally shook away everything she had thought of the night before. She erased her memory of her plans, focused her mind to become a blank sheet, let other thoughts of nothings enter her mind, like the gold and black laced gown she was dressed in. The top clung like a second skin, but the bottom flowed out with the grace and elegance of a river of gold. She couldn't help the slight curl of disdain in her lips; she'd never cared for dresses because they were always too girlish for her. But something about the way it fit her, it showed off her eyes and lit up her hair, the way it made her posture seem so much more regal… it made her almost excited inside to hold such a beauty and look of power.

"Good morning, Highness."

The blonde's eyes shifted to the man standing in the doorway.

"Tsung," she replied dully, reenacting the attitude of displeasure for her new position like last night.

He stepped into the room and dismissed the servants, who obeyed immediately. A pleased smile greeted her when he placed a chaste kiss on cheek, and she did not move away. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Well enough." With her short reply she turned away from him and moved to examine a picture on the opposite side of the room.

"I hope you don't run from me at the induction in a fortnight. It will make us both look bad, and I won't tolerate anything but perfection."

"What induction?" Sonya asked flatly without looking at him.

"The ceremony that will introduce us as the ultimate rulers of new Earth." His footsteps padded softly on the carpet, alerting her of his approach. "That evening, we will enter Earth and greet our people at the tower that has been erected for us. Then," his hand brushed through her hair and rested lightly on her shoulder. "You will put into effect whatever plans you have for your new world. You will appoint your own council, you will make up the rules, and you will put into effect whatever politics you want." By this point, his voice had become soft and calming, with a tone that almost matched affection. "But first," he added, sliding his hand down her arm to take her elbow, "you need to learn how to be a proper ruler."

Sonya looked at him and recoiled slightly. "What are you talking about?"

His only reply was a confining smile. "Come and have the morning meal with me. You didn't eat much last night so you must be hungry. Then I will explain everything to you."

Throwing up for the next six hours sounded more appealing than eating with this man, who sounded so much like a father talking lovingly to a small child about ruling and enslaving thousands of innocent people like it was a natural, loving thing to do. Instead, she swallowed quietly and answered, "All right."

"Excellent." Tsung looped his arm through hers and pulled her toward the door. But before they stepped out, Sonya pulled her arm from his.

"I prefer to walk myself." She was careful to make sure her tone left no room for argument, but wasn't bitter. Tsung would know she would want to fight him as much as possible, but she wanted him to think that she was beginning to soften to him, if only slightly. To be suddenly willing and affectionate to his charms would be too out of character for her, so she had to make her changes subtle. She had to take her time.

Shang regarded her for a moment. He was not pleased at her request, she was again defying him, probably to get under his skin, but he knew forcing her would only cause an argument and Sonya would need to be bound, gagged, and dragged to their meal, and it would cause more bad blood than already existed. Inwardly he sighed and nodded to her to do as she pleased. In a polite manner, he opened the door for her and let her step ahead of him. From behind, he admired the way she carried herself with such confidence, and with the independent air that was her life blood.

Desires raced through him that he once thought died with his mortal self those thousands of years ago when he-

A man who dwells in the past cannot proceed into the future.

There were more important things to be concerned with in the present, anyway. Like Sonya's lessons. He smiled slightly. He would make her a powerful leader, hopefully powerful enough to be met by the Dark Lords. So much could result from such a move. He could finally get the power he longed for. A sideways glance at his wife made his ego inflate a little more. He couldn't get cocky now, but he had no reason to doubt that his plans for the future would go smoothly, maybe more so than he originally calculated. He just needed her to let go…

"If you would like a tour, my dear, I could give one to you this evening."

Sonya seemed startled at his words, but quickly covered it up with, "I have no interest here."

Shang chuckled inwardly; he could tell she hadn't expected being caught looking around at the passageways, the pictures and the architecture. And he could tell she was lying. Honestly, he couldn't understand why she insisted on being so stubborn. "It would be best that you know your way around the Tower. I won't always be here to escort you."

"Pity," she replied with fake disappointment.

"Save your pity for the weak; such emotions will bring disgrace upon you." Shang avoided the disdainful glimpse from his wife at being chastised while he steered her into the grand hall of the Black Tower and toward the dinning room off to the side. The room was no longer decorated in honor of the marriage, but it still held a breathtaking appearance in a dark tone that made it haunting and beautiful. Upon the long table, hundreds of different types of foods were presented, ranging from breads to meats to substances Shang was sure Sonya would not recognize.

"Help yourself to anything." He placed himself in a seat at the far end of the table and beckoned Sonya to join him. She picked up a piece of fruit before sitting across from him. Hoping she would ask about the plans for her day, the sorcerer waited quietly, picking at a bread roll he had chosen for himself. Instead of talking, though, she seemed more interested in staring at the table and picking apart her banana rather than eating it. The lack of interest she held in anything left him to be in charge of the conversation. "I hope a mere piece of fruit isn't the only thing you are going to eat."

"I'm not all that hungry." She looked down the table that seemed at least a mile long. "But I'm sure some of those pathetically frail servants of yours could use some of this." At this point she actually looked at him. "Do you ever make an attempt to take care of the people devoted to you?"

Shang couldn't help arching his eyebrow. "Care for my servants? They continue to live; they get food, what more could they possibly want?"

"Better treatment?"

Tsung's mouth curled into a frown. "You will be a lot to work with." He didn't let her see his amusement at her insulted look. "However, I have the best educators in Outworld to teach you."

"Teach me what?"

"How to become a proper ruler. You will learn about the various realms we have access to, the realms that we are at war with, and the gods that sometimes cross our path." Sonya's posture straightened just a bit at the mention of gods, and Tsung didn't need to mind read to know she was thinking of Rayden. "He's dead."

She waited a moment. "Who?"

"Your thunder god."

Sonya was stunned into a temporary silence. When her shock subsided, she gave him a look of doubt. "I don't believe you. Gods can't be killed."

The unconvincing tone in her voice made Tsung smile. "Like I said, you have much to learn my dear. Omin and Klarrehnin will explain everything to you." He stood and held a hand out to her to help her up. "If you are not hungry then let me show you to the observatory. Your lessons will begin immediately."

The week had gone by faster than Shang had realized until he took a moment to reflect. Sitting in the room at the highest point of the tower, glancing dispassionately at the old spells from the first war, he couldn't help but let his mind drift. Sonya was as stiff and apathetic to him as usual, but there were fewer arguments. She always displayed a lack of interest in the subjects her new instructors were lecturing her on, but a glimpse into her eyes, a hard glance behind the blue chips of ice that always glared at him, he could see she was taking in the information quickly and adequately. Already she had learned and understood the creation of all, the First through the Seventh, the gods that had come about and their children, and she was beginning to memorize the few realms introduced to her. Needless to say, Tsung was quite pleased with her hidden dedication, though he kept those thoughts to himself. It was also best, he figured, to keep those thoughts of the excellence with which she would rule to himself. No need to set her up for greatness, just so she could be an utter failure to spite him.

So immersed in his thoughts, he wasn't aware of the other presence in the room until he growled his arrival.

"Greetings, Lord Tsung."

The sorcerer's eyes flicked to the side, and he nodded to his Master Guardsman. "Motaro."

"It's not often that you keep yourself so deep in your musings. Does something trouble you?"

"No. I was merely thinking of my young bride's progress in her teachings."

Though clearly he held no interest in the Earth mortal, the half horse politely asked how progressive she was.

"They say she's quiet, well reserved during their lessons. They're unsure if she's learning or not, considering how introverted she is in her responses."

"Understandable, my lord. She does not want to be here, anyway."

Tsung said nothing for a moment. "She's learning faster than they realize. What they can't see is her eagerness, her silent eagerness. I think she's more interested in becoming a ruler than she let's on. And I think she's more enticed by the power she is being offered than she herself realizes. Something I can most certainly use to my advantage."

Motaro growled slightly and shifted his weight. "You think you can find a darker side in her?"

Tsung's smile grew wolfish. "It's always been there, dragon. Waiting for a chance to grow. Waiting for me to mold it into something more deadly than it ever dreamed." He stood up and moved away from the table covered in scrolls to approach the small window to the side. Down below, standing alone on the small balcony from her room, Sonya stared out to the three moons sinking into the horizon. "And now the wait is over."

"And what if she knows about this dark side? What if she plans to use it against you?"

Tsung chuckled in a haughty tone. "As defiant and brave and foolish as she is, she could not best me in anything. She is still only mortal, an earth mortal at that. She is no threat to me, nor will she ever be. I will always be one step ahead of her, one step in control."

Motaro stood silently for a moment, just swaying with his weight, when he growled slightly and spoke up again. "Since that is obviously taken care of, what about her friends, the other Chosen Warriors? What do you have planned for them?"

Tsung's smile faded slightly, but his tone still held amusement. "The Emperor will place Kitana on trial for treason and treachery to her realm, though it's already known that her fate is sealed. As for the Chosen One," Tsung sneered bitterly.

"You'll take care of him personally?" the centaur answered with a hint of a smile that revealed stained yellow and jagged teeth.

Tsung sighed and again took his seat at the table. "Oh, killing him would be such a sweet pleasure… but letting him live with the knowledge of his failure, now that is the sweetest reward of all. After the judgement, after his grip on reality really starts to loosen, I'll release him back to his home temple, let him see the fruits of his labor, and let his failure drive him mad." Tsung leaned back in his chair, the sheer pleasure of being so ruthless obvious in his dark, soulless eyes.

Motaro growled again. "And that third human, the annoying one?"

A shadow passed over Tsung's face. Bad vibes rolled off the sorcerer and Motaro stepped back slightly, unable to understand his Lord's reaction.

"You're not concerned of that pathetic mortal?" the half horse asked quietly.

Tsung didn't seem to hear him, though his mouth grew slightly taught and it was obvious he was thinking, and his thoughts weren't pleasant in the least.

"It was only luck that let him win that fight-"

"That is not the point."

Motaro stood patiently, but the answer came to him before the question passed his lips. Tsung wasn't concerned of this mortal. He was jealous. "Ah, so that's why you see him as a threat."

"Perhaps."

"Sounds to me like a good enough reason to finish him off."

"But he could still be an advantage to me. A trump card, be it as it may."

"You have something in mind for him?"

"If the need arises. Future plans aside, I need him alive, but out of sight." Tsung stood, rolled up the scroll, and began to leave the room. "He is strong and stubborn, and probably looking for worker. He'd make a good worker, don't you think?"

Motaro growled, this time in near pleasure. "I'll send him immediately."

Sonya unfurled the ancient scroll that had fallen from the shelving above her head, curiosity finally causing an interest she rarely seemed to have anymore. Her instructors left to find a scroll that read of the Second War, when the tournament came into existence between the Realms. Bored with the books she had been forced to study, she finally took a chance to wander around the room, and while looking through some ancient scriptures, something rolled onto her head. When she finished unrolling the object, she realized it was not a scroll of writing, but a weaving. Demons ravaged a world engulfed in flames and blood. People lay dying or dead everywhere, and few fought against the horrid creatures that fell from the black clouds above. One person stood out in the tapestry, a black creature with flame filled eyes hovered over a young man who seemed to be crying out to a woman who lay dead beside him.

Sonya felt chills run down her spine, and then fear swelling up in her breast. In the distance, she could hear screams, awful, pain and terror filled screams. Metal swords clanged, wood from the homes crackled and burned, creatures roared their anger and lust for blood. She suddenly jumped back, her hand at her mouth, her eyes wide and fading while the tiny tapestry fell to the table before her.

Claws dug into her spine. Hot, moist breath dripped down her neck, soaked into her thin shirt. A surge of emotions overwhelmed her senses, making her cower into herself in fear. Hate, despair, evil, pure evil, and it was screaming at her to give up, give in, accept the darkness that could give her so much. A faceless man appeared before her, he grinned and swallowed her whole.

Her hand burned, and when she looked down at it, her breath left her in a rush and she realized she was on her knees. "What the hell?" As she stood, her hand stung terribly, and this time she noticed a thin red welt growing along the scar on her palm. It looked infected, and it hurt like a bitch. But it was fine this morning…

"Are you well?"

Sonya nearly jumped out of her skin. "Don't do that!" she hissed vehemently.

Tsung only smiled in amusement. "You're usually more aware of your surroundings than that. Is everything all right?"

"I'm fine," she dismissed with a turn of her head. She seized the mural on the table and began to roll it back up when Tsung stopped her.

"What were you looking at?"

"Nothing."

But Tsung was already unrolling the ancient weaving, and his eyes became slits as he studied it. "Where did you find this?" he asked softly, angrily.

Surprised by his reaction, Sonya hesitated in her reply. "I was looking through the volumes and it fell."

"This should have been destroyed a long time ago." He threw it a few feet away and vaporized it to a few fluttering pieces of flaming cloth with a flick of his wrist. He watched the last few bits disintegrate before looking again at his wife. "What?"

Sonya's voice returned not a second later. "It was just a picture," she said carefully.

"A picture I never cared for, but enough of that." He turned to face her fully, gripped her shoulders lightly, gave her a wide smile that erased all signs of the uncontrolled outburst from moments before.

An outburst Sonya swore to never forget. Whatever had struck the nerve there could come into use later.

"Your lessons have been cut short for the day. Tonight we will attend a very important political matter, and you will see much that will be of great use to you in the coming week when you take over your Realm."

Sonya shuddered inwardly at the way Tsung made Earth sound more like a business prospect than a planet with innocent, mortal lives. "What political matter?"

"You'll see. Come, you must get yourself ready, and you must look your best. Tonight," Tsung paused long enough to give her a proud smile, "you will meet the Emperor."

Ooookay, is it getting good yet? Feedback is not only appreciated, but encouraged. Let me know what ya think so far, and I'll try to get as much of this story done before I transfer to my next duty station in two weeks.