…Johnny Cage, and you are?

…can't let what happened to Art happen to you…

…let's dance…

…not to you…

Sonya bolted upright in bed, sweat pouring off of her. Wiping her brow, she threw the covers back and set her feet on the stone floor. She let its coolness soothe away the ache that was beginning to grow there. The past few weeks were beginning to take their toll; she was sore in places she didn't even know existed. She stood, stretching and popping her shoulders, sighing in relief as the tension in her upper back was released.

She stretched a little, performing a basic form to loosen her muscles. She walked over to the closet and opened it, gasping at what she saw.

Outfits of every shape, size, and color were arranged systematically. Sonya wandered into the "athletic-looking" section and began perusing for a comfortable outfit. The one she was wearing had seen better days, and soon she picked out a deep blue set.

It was warm, but flexible, allowing her to perform even the most difficult kicks and stretches. The light of early dawn shone in through the half-open window, and she decided it was a good time to start her day.

She exited her room and made her way through the halls, searching for a way out. She managed a full circle before coming to the kitchens, where several servants were milling about. One of them spotted her and quickly shuffled behind her, bowing.

"Honored guest, why have you traveled down here?" Sonya jumped out of her skin and turned.

"Jesus! Don't do that!"

"My name is Hesan, Madam," he replied, not missing a beat.

She looked at him oddly, "Right, how do you get out of here? I want to go for a run," she near-demanded.

"I'll go with you," a voice from behind her called. As one, the entire staff bowed humbly as their princess entered the room. "Come on." Sonya followed Kitana out of the castle and off of the grounds. Wordlessly, they began a slow jog, warming their muscles for a sprint.

"Glad to see you found some clothes," the Outworlder spoke. Sonya merely grunted a response and picked up the pace. "Blue is a good color for you," Kitana tried anything she could think of to get Sonya to respond, even provoked, but the younger woman wasn't going for it.

She did lighten up, however, about an hour later, when Kitana challenged her to a race to the gates. Sonya took off, quick as lightning, but Kitana kept up with her. Channeling her frustration, and anger, Sonya pushed herself ahead and beat her companion through the gates. Both of them placed their hands on their knees to catch their breath.

"That's where you went, Sonya," came a deep voice from her left. She looked up and saw Jax and Liu finishing off rolls from breakfast. Liu smiled.

"You ladies care to spar with us?" he gestured over towards the garden. A small arena had been set up, large enough for two people to spar comfortably. It reminded Sonya of a Mortal Kombat ring, but she shook that thought from her head.

"Why not?" she responded, and joined the other three. Kitana and Sonya entered the ring, going first to give the guys time to warm up. They bowed to each other, and then began. Sonya feigned a front punch to Kitana's head, then followed up with a snap front kick, leaving the princess winded. Kitana dropped for a back sweep, but Sonya jumped. Kitana responded with a jump spin hook kick, connecting with Sonya's hip in mid-air, sending the Earth realm warrior sprawling to the ground. Sonya rolled and jumped up, narrowly avoiding a stomp kick. She spun with a back fist, but was blocked, then spun back around in time to block Kitana's groin kick, pulling the other woman off balance. With a well-placed elbow to the back, Kitana was down.

Now it was Liu and Jax's turn. The women exited the ring as the guys jumped in, Jax bending briskly at the waist. Liu responded with his traditional Shaolin bow, and the match began.

Jax started it off with a roundhouse kick hammer fist combination. Liu dodged the kick, but the hammer fist landed on his chest. He lashed out with a spear hand, hitting Jax in the throat. The larger man stumbled back, allowing both men to regain their composure. They began to circle, each man sizing up his opponent.

Liu was first this time with a double front kick, feigning with the first and sending the second into Jax's abdomen. Jax bent over, then came out with a double punch, landing two hits simultaneously on Liu's torso. A back sweep was the answer, and Jax found himself on the ground. Rolling over and up, he missed Liu's joint-breaking kick. Liu spun around with a back kick, but Jax caught it just before it hit him. He spun Liu completely around, sending the Chinese man to the ground. Liu kipped up, using his momentum to perform a flawless sidekick to Jax's sternum, laying him out.

As Jax rolled out of the ring, Sonya jumped in, smirking at Liu. "I was wondering when I'd get to fight you," Liu said, smiling. Sonya replied with a curt nod.

"Here's your chance," she lunged at him, throwing a three-punch combo that left him guessing. Her foot came from the ground fast; he didn't have time to duck. It connected with his cheek, sending him spinning. She didn't relent as he faced her again, attacking him with more ferocity and speed. It was all Liu could do not to get hit. He blocked everything, just barely, and the more he blocked, the more she seemed to throw at him.

He tried calling her name, but it was lost in the sounds of her attacks. He looked at her eyes and almost feared her; they held a determination equal to that when she had fought Kano. He began to wonder if she was pulling anything at all, or if she was really fighting him. The punches and kicks came faster, more aggressive, and Liu could tell they were getting harder. He was going to have bruises on his forearms as it was. Suddenly, she stopped, but only because Jax had come up behind her and wrapped his massive arms around her body, pinning her arms to her side. She struggled for a moment against him, not realizing whom it was. Then, as if something else had possessed her, she shook her head and looked around wildly.

"Jesus! Are you alright Liu? I didn't mean –"

"I'm fine, Sonya," he reassured, checking his arms, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." At Jax's skeptical look, she shoved him out of the way and stalked off towards the castle. "I'm fine!" she called over her shoulder. "I'm going to take a shower." With that, she disappeared. Jax whirled around on the other two.

"Now I want some answers!" he demanded.

"What do you mean?" Kitana asked.

"I mean," Jax said, taking a step closer, "That I have never seen her lose it like that. I wanna know exactly what went on, and who the hell this Johnny guy is?"

"Why don't we take a walk in the garden," Kitana offered, "Less chance of distraction." The three walked off, and Liu began his story.

"I met her on the boat. She had just come on and ran into Johnny. She asked about a guy named Kano, and when Johnny tried a line on her, she shoved him out of her way."

"Damn right, sounds like Sonya."

"Well, Johnny, being Johnny, followed her, and I followed him. I didn't know why at the time, but it must have been Rayden or something. We followed her down into the hole, almost got into a fight before Rayden came to our rescue. He explained the tournament to us, and told us that one of us would decide the outcome of the tournament."

"What tournament?" Jax asked.

"Mortal Kombat. It's a tournament held once a generation. We were defending the realm from Shao Kahn. All he needed was to win this last tournament to enter the realm. Well, we stopped him by defeating Shang Tsung, his sorcerer."

"Yeah, well, it seems he wasn't to keen on the rules," Jax offered.

"No, and that's when he killed Johnny. Kahn had taken Sonya hostage, and Johnny tried to save her."

"He lost his own life in the process," Kitana said sadly.

"So? I would have done the same for her, and I'm just her best friend! What makes this guy so special that Sonya can't control herself?"

Liu shrugged, and Kitana spoke up. "I don't know when they went from 'barely friends' to 'something more,' but it was sometime before Johnny fought Goro."

"Who?"

"Prince of the Shokan, and reigning Mortal Kombat champion. He had been killing off Earth realm warriors left and right when Johnny challenged him. I still don't know what possessed him to do that," Liu said. Kitana answered.

"He was scheduled to fight Sonya next, Liu. That's what made him do it."

"Sonya can stick up for herself," Jax defended. "She doesn't need some no name off the streets to do it for her!"

"Yeah, well, try telling that to Johnny Cage."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Johnny Cage? The wannabe actor?"

Liu stopped in his tracks, "Johnny's as good a fighter as any one of us."

"Alright," Jax surrendered, "So this Johnny guy shows, says a few lines, and Sonya falls for him? I don't buy it!"

Liu shrugged again, "You'll have to ask her about it. Something must have happened while they were alone."

"Yeah I'll do that," he said determinedly. Kitana cocked her head a little, as if listening to something.

"The bells…" she said, "It's time. Let's go!" She took off at a run to the castle with the two men trailing behind her. "Jax, you go get Sonya! Meet us in the throne room!"

"Where's that?" he asked.

"From Sonya's room, it's straight down the hall, down the stairs and to the right!" They split off and slowed to a walk as Jax continued to Sonya's room. They entered the throne room to find Sindel dealing with kingdom business. The servants were dismissed and Sindel rose.

"How are you this morning, my daughter?"

"Well, Mother," she replied as Jax and Sonya entered the room. "We are ready."

"Very well, come this way." They followed the queen into a smaller room. Two larger pillars stood on either side, curved toward each other. Sindel stood on a pedestal in the middle of the room and raised her hands.

"This is an ancient portal, kept by my people for thousands of generations." Power began to surge between the pillars. "From this realm, to another," she began to chant, "Take these travelers safely to the Underealm, and there protect them until their return!" A hole opened, and the warriors of Earth realm moved forward. The four fighters entered the portal, immediately feeling the tug of the travel on their bodies.

Sindel watched as her daughter and friends were whisked away. "Gods, please watch over them and keep them safe," she prayed to herself.