"A Different Person"
"Why do people in Outworld call you 'Kitana the Bloody?'"
I had been dreading that question since I met him. Putting it off again and again, even though I knew I should tell him. Deep down, hoping I'd never have to. But I couldn't any longer. Somehow...he found out and was asking me.
"How...how do you know about that..?" I whispered.
"Does it matter?" he answered. "What does it mean?"
I could've lied. Made up some story that wouldn't be as bad as the truth. Or even, just tell the truth...but soften it. Make it sound less horrible than it was. But I didn't. I decided it was time to tell him the truth. All of it.
"Okay, Liu. I'll tell you..."
I left nothing out. I left out no detail. I told him everything. How I killed all those children. How I slaughtered their parents. How I burned their village to the ground. All to satisfy my wounded pride. I told every sensation...every thought that went through my mind that night. And I told him how I felt about it. About how proud I was...how much I enjoyed it. I kept my eyes locked on the floor the whole time. I couldn't bear to look him in the eye at any point.
When I finished telling him...I waited for a reaction but only found dead silence. I finally looked up at him...and the look on his face...they way he looked at me...it felt like my heart was ripped from my chest. His face was mix of anger, disgust, outrage, and disappointment. I think it all sunk in after I told him. I think he realized how I've been lying to him the whole time. Realized who I really was...what kind of person I really am.
I couldn't take the silence any longer and started "Liu...I wanted to tell you so many times...but...but I needed you to trust me..." I was hoping I could at least make him understand why I lied. "And after...I still wanted to tell you...but with everything that was happening and..." I paused and decided to give the real reason I never told him sooner. "...and I was afraid. Afraid of how you'd react. I was afraid you'd look at me...exactly like you're looking at me right now." I was hoping somehow I'd get through to him and make him understand but his face was frozen. "Liu...I know what I did was terrible...and I know I shouldn't have lied to you...but I've been trying...I swear to you...I've been trying to make up for it. I'm not like that anymore. I've changed. I'm trying to make it right." He didn't say a word to me. His expression didn't change. Instead he got up and slowly started to walk towards the door. "Liu please!" I pleaded, "You have to believe me! I'm not that way anymore! I've changed!" He didn't even look at me as he walked out the door, leaving me alone in the room. I choked out one more "...please..." and the tears started.
I ran down the stairs and out the door and I continued running. I wanted to get as far away as I could. I didn't even know where I was going...but I just had to get away. It was just as bad as I feared it would be. Worse. I kept running until I reached a river. On the other side was the city where my step-father's fortress was and I just sat there, weeping.
Why is it so hard for people to believe I'm different now? Why can't anyone understand that I'm not "Kitana the Bloody" anymore? What do I have to do? How much to I have give? Liu...he'd given me so much hope...and now he hated me...just like everyone else. I could feel it slipping away. I was wrong about Rain. And now I was wrong about Liu.
I wanted to say it wasn't fair. That I didn't deserve so much pain. But deep down...I knew that wasn't true. There's that old saying "What goes around, comes around." I had hurt so many people in my life. Ruined so many lives. This was just me getting what I deserved. Just fate's way of punishing me for what I've done. It gives me hope...gives me love...and takes it away in an instant. Maybe I am doomed to spend the rest of my life alone.
"Poor, poor sister. So alone...so sad..." I heard a voice hiss behind me. I very familiar voice that sent a chill down my spine. I quickly turned around and I saw her...standing there calmly as if nothing was wrong, most likely grinning beneath her mask. Mileena. "What is wrong, my sister? You look as if you've seen a ghost!"
"No..." I whispered, utterly shocked.
"Oh yes." she hissed.
"It can't be..."
"There is nowhere you can go...nowhere you can hide that I will not find you."
"It's...it's not possible..."
"You'd be surprised. Have you thought much of me, my sister? After you let me die?" she then paused and then continued, her voice much more grim, "I've certainly thought of you. I think of nothing else."
"What do you want?"
"Merely enjoying the fruits of my labor." she chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
She let out a slight laugh and said "While your boyfriend searched for the ice ninja, I had a quick little chat with him."
As she talked I suddenly realized what she did. "You told him..."
She shrugged and continued "I might have mentioned something about the little nickname the people of Outworld gave you..."
"You...told...him..." I snarled, fuming with rage.
"How could I not? I didn't think it was fair of you to be keeping secrets from your new friends..."
"YOU BITCH!" I screamed as I charged at her. I tackled her and immediately started pounding her face. Everything I'd been going through...all the pain and loss...all of a sudden just turned to uncontrollable fury and I wanted to take it all out on her. I hated her. I hated what Shao Kahn did to me. I hated what he did to my mother.
But most of all...I hated that no one would believe I changed. I was sick of it. I was sick of no one trusting me. I was sick of everyone hating me. How much do I have to put myself through for people to believe me? What do I have to do? WHAT, God damn it! I was sick of it all. I didn't even have to turn against Kahn. I could've just kept being loyal to him as if nothing happened. Not good enough. I hated everything and for just a moment, without realizing it...I embraced the old anger...the old rage that I used to feel while I served Shao Kahn.
Mileena managed to shove me off of her and sneered "That's the spirit sister! That's the Kitana I remember! Not the whimpering simp who shed a tear as I died!"
"No pity this time Mileena! I'm going to kill you and send you back to Hell! And if you come back again I'll kill you again and again and AGAIN!"
We charged at each other and started pounding on one another. Our battle was not an eloquent battle of martial arts. We used no finesse or skill...we just wanted to tear each other limb from limb. We slammed each other into walls and the ground...clawing and tearing at each other. I once felt pity for Mileena...but it was gone and replaced by seething hatred. Terrible, inhuman loathing that Mileena was all too happy to reciprocate.
And I actually believed she could change. That there was some good in her. At one time I wanted to believe that she could turn herself around and change like I did. How wrong I was. There is no good in Mileena. She is evil incarnate. She's an abomination that exists only to torment and ruin my life. She would never change. Some people don't change. Rain didn't. Why should Mileena?
We continued to brawl with each other for several moments until we suddenly heard a loud screech echo through the area like a banshee. We both stopped and tried to figure out what it was. The scream...it sounded like the one I heard before I saw my mother with Kahn. Could it be her? Could she be here?
Then, in of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of red and black moving through the shadows. It looked like a person. Then I saw others...all moving around. Surrounding us. I then realized what was happening and I knew I was in serious trouble.
"NO!" Mileena suddenly screamed. "I can do this myself! I don't need your help!"
"We don't really care." I heard a very strange voice call out from the shadows. It sounded like a dozen people talking at once. It was followed by a tall ninja dressed in red and black with glowing green eyes. I knew who he was. Ermac. He was created by Shao Kahn, a being made up of the souls of dozens of fallen Outworld warriors. He was one of my step-father's most powerful and dangerous enforcers. All around us, dozens of my step-father's soldiers started to close in.
After Reptile and Jade failed to get me...he must have sent Ermac and Mileena. Ermac and Mileena...and a small garrison. This was bad...I honestly wasn't sure if I could beat Ermac. I definitely couldn't beat Ermac AND Mileena. And I was surrounded. I needed to get out of there and get back with Liu and the others and fast.
"Don't try to fight Kitana." Ermac said sternly. "You cannot win."
I knew he was right...but I had no intention of surrendering. And that screech I heard...my mother may have been near. I needed to go. I suddenly bolted and started to run as fast as I could.
"Stop her!" I heard Ermac yell behind me.
All the soldiers suddenly started to converge all around me. I was unarmed and drastically outnumbered, so I didn't bother to fight. I bobbed and weaved around every soldier who came at me. God...there were so many. I ran up and down all kinds of alleyways and streets...with no idea of where I was going. But I didn't care...I was more concerned with escape.
After several minutes of running I thought I finally lost them. I was still be the river, hiding around the docks. After making sure it was clear I started to run again. I needed to get back to Liu and the others. If the soldiers found me...they must've found the others. I needed to help.
But then I turned a corner and standing right in front of me...towering over me...Shao Kahn himself. I stopped dead in my tracks and just stared at him. I would like to say I did something defiant like spit in his face...but like any child who was caught by their parent...I froze up and didn't move.
"You've caused me a lot of trouble." he sighed before grabbing me by the throat. He lifted me into the air and stared at me with his burning red eyes and said "But now I've got you." I felt my stomach sink and felt as if I was going to throw up. It was over. I was caught and I was going to die.
Behind Kahn, I saw my mother emerge. She stared at me with an evil grin and said "Ah, the prodigal daughter. My, how you've grown."
"M-Mother...you have...you have to listen to..." I tried to say, but Kahn only squeezed my throat and I started choking.
"So what now, my husband? What are we to do with our naughty little girl?" my mother hissed.
"We're going to return to the fortress and have a long family discussion." Kahn said grimly, squeezing my throat even tighter. My mother let out an small cackle and Kahn started to drag me away. I tired to pry his hand loose but to no avail. It was over. I failed and I was going to die.
Suddenly I heard someone yell out "Let her go!"
We all turned and I couldn't believe it. It was Rain. Standing alone, with a harsh look in his eyes. My step-father groaned and said "Oh...the turncoat. And what do you want?"
"I said: let her go." Rain repeated sternly.
"Or what?"
"Or I make you."
I heard my step-father laugh quietly and he threw my to my mother and said "Hold our daughter will you, my dear...while I deal with this impudent fool."
"Rain! Don't do this! Just run!" I screamed out, trying free myself from my mother. I knew Rain was doing this for me. I didn't want him to die for me. Not for me.
"Yes Rain, run. Run and hide. It's what you do best." Kahn sneered.
"I'm going to save you Kitana." Rain said as he charged at Kahn. He threw several punches and kicks at Kahn who towered over him like a giant. Kahn threw a punch that Rain evaded before he shot what looked like a ball of water at Kahn. Kahn laughed and easily slapped it aside, but Rain suddenly connected with a jumping kick that caught Kahn in the face. He then started pounding on my step-father before Kahn managed to slap him away.
"You'll pay for that you worm!" Kahn snarled.
Rain charged again and...it happened so fast. I couldn't even really see it...but Kahn caught Rain and lifted him into the air and...all I heard was Rain let out a quick scream which was followed by a loud crunch and small spray of blood.
Kahn threw Rain to the ground, who looked as if something inside him was broken. I was horrified. "Rain!" I screamed out. I tried to free myself from my mother but I couldn't get loose.
Rain looked up at me, his eyes glazed over and quietly said "I'm sorry, Kitana...sorry...I couldn't be...your hero..." And with that he shut his eyes and his head fell limp to the side.
"RAIN!" I screamed out as I felt my heart sink. He did it for me. He tried to fight Kahn for me. He tried to save me. Me...of all people. Me...Kitana the Bloody. He...he really did change after all. Even after I yelled at him...said I wanted nothing to do with him...there really was some nobility in him...
"Look Kitana!" Kahn yelled. "Look at him! This is your doing! He died because of you! How many more must die because of you?"
I looked up at my step-father and his words sank into me. Rain died because of me. If Jade is caught...she'll die...because of me. But that he had to rub it in my face...I decided to let out something I'd been carrying since I found out who I really was. Something I'd been waiting to tell him for so long...
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, YOU GOD DAMN SON OF A BITCH!" I screamed and screamed at the top of my lungs. But even that wasn't enough. There are no words in the languages for Earthrealm, Edenia, Outworld, or even the Netheream that could express how much I hated him.
Kahn stared at me and smugly said "We'll see."
He then struck my head and everything went to black.
End of Chapter XIX