Chapter 13
The palace was a monolith of carved and placed stone. Architecture unlike anything Ronin had ever seen or heard of before gave the palace a subtle grace and beauty while at the same time, conveying an image of implacable strength in its lines. The courtyard was abuzz with activity as palace guards and servants alike walked or ran about their duties when a veritable phalanx of soldiers ran out of the main door and lined up in human walls on either side of the door they had just come from. After the troops were in position, there came next a vision of feminine beauty that Ronin could only call D.D.G.
Drop Dead Gorgeous was the only description that would apply to Queen Kitana. She wore black boots that held one shiny metal fan each in special holders. The boots ended just below the knee with black mesh pantyhose that ran underneath her bluer than blue short-shorts that seemed to cling to the curves of her hips like a second skin. Her top was a sleeveless bodice with black laces that showed a generous amount of cleavage without showing too much. She wore her black hair long in the back and held in a ponytail with several leather ties along the length. Her face wore an ageless grace that reminded Ronin of fine porcelain.
Her eyes were dark in color but carried a pain deep below the surface that ordinary people would miss but that Ronin could see. Due to the journal entries his predecessor had left him, the unrequited love Kitana still held for Liu Kang could be seen. Ronin mentally cursed himself a fool for bringing Kung Lao with him only because he knew that the appearance of another of Liu Kang's order would probably bring painful memories to the surface of Kitana's mind.
Kitana came to stand within a few feet of the two travelers and stopped. Executing a short bow that the two returned, she said: "Lord Raiden. This is an unexpected pleasure to see you again. Perhaps you forgot that you have an open invitation to my court at any time in pleases you to appear." She looked to Kung Lao and her breath caught in her chest a moment before she recovered her composure and said: "Kung Lao, it is good to see you too."
Suddenly embarrassed by the attention given him, Kung Lao was momentarily speechless before stammering: "I-It's good to s-see you as well." Whether the two old friends noticed or not, Ronin certainly did. There was an attraction between the two. An attraction that would probably never be explored. 'The memory of their fallen friend and warrior, Liu Kang is holding them back probably'. Ronin thought to himself. 'I may need to intercede. This could be important to the future of both their realms.'
Ronin brought his attention back to the present and said: "With all due respect Queen Kitana, I am not the same Raiden that you last fought along side of. All the same though, it is a pleasure to finally meet you." Kitana looked closely at Ronin and said: "I noticed Lord Raiden but the invitation is still open. If you were chosen by my friend, you are more than worthy to carry his title and privileges. Please, join me inside over some refreshment."
She held her arms out as if to embrace them both but stepped aside so that all three could walk through the door together. Kitana walked on the far left of the group with Kung Lao nearest and Ronin on the far right side. Ronin took a chance and gently nudged Kung Lao closer to Kitana. Unconsciously, Kitana took his arm in hers and continued walking as she explained what had happened since the defeat of Shao Kahn first, then the Deadly Alliance second.
She said: "During the revolts against Shao Kahn, I had sent scouts out to find the crystal orb of our realm. With its destruction, my realm of Edenia would separate from that of Outworld and we could begin to determine our own destiny again. No one could find it until that day . . ."
Flashback to Shao Kahn's palace, just after the Deadly Alliance defeated him.
Kitana led her troops, both human and Shokan to the final obstacle, Shao Kahn's palace in Outworld. Resistance had been fierce to this point with many casualties on both sides but had tapered off for some unknown reason. Her troops stormed through the palace, taking prisoners of those who would surrender, killing those that did not until the throne room itself was just ahead. A group of Shokan femalesled bySheeva, stood just in front of the doors. Sheeva said: "You will not enter."
Kitana said: "Goro and I made peace between our peoples, why do you still fight for Shao Kahn?" Sheeva answered: "Goro was no leader of mine. He was weak and the weak always make 'peace' with the enemy. I say again, you will not enter. I am the leader of the Emperor's personal guard and I say here and now before all who stand with you and with me, if you defeat me in Mortal Kombat, then we will step aside. If, as I expect, defeat you, you will all lay down your weapons and beg for a merciful death from our Emperor."
Kitana shook her head sadly as Sheeva said: "Do you accept my challenge of Mortal Kombat, or yield?" Faced with no other honorable course of action, Kitana said: "I accept." The two opposing forces formed a large circle to allow the kombatants to fight. The match was over quickly as Sheeva's body literally exploded after being given Kitana's "Kiss of Doom". The shokan guard surrendered as ordered while Kitana ran into the throne room to confront Shao Kahn only to see his obviously dead and mangled body on the floor at the foot of the throne, in a pool of his own blood. Kitana cried out in frustration: "Nnnnooooooooooooooo!"
Kitana's personal guard ran into the aid of their mistress only to see her throw her fans as they impaled the throne itself. She started kicking the former Emperor's body as she yelled out and cursed at it in thoroughly unladylike language: "You monster, you frelling bastard, you high and mighty barrel of pond scum." Several other languages followed but the intent was still clear. She had wanted to be the one to destroy Shao Kahn, she wanted to kill him, only to have someone beat her to it after all she had fought and suffered for was almost more than she could bear.
A thunderclap sounded as Raiden (Ronin's predecessor) appeared in a bolt of lightning and taking a hold of Kitana's shoulders from behind spun her around to face him. She collapsed into his arms and cried out her pain and frustration on his shoulder. Her personal guard had already withdrawn from the room and held others of Kitana's forces from entering. What kind of image would she present if they saw her crying? She said: "Raiden, it's been in vain. All we have fought and died and suffered for don't matter anymore. Without Shao Kahn to tell me where he has the crystal key to separate Edenia from Outworld, we will never be truly free of him."
Raiden said: "Actually, it doesn't matter. I know where he has it hidden. Follow me and I will take you to it." A ray of hope shown in Kitana's eyes as she followed the thunder god to a small door in the very back of the throne room that was so cleverly hidden, it would be missed unless you were looking for it specifically. Raiden blasted the lock with a shot of lightning and opening the door, made a "ladies first" motion to Kitana.
The room she entered had been magically enhanced to be larger inside than it appeared from the outside. Row upon row, shelf upon shelf was lined with softly glowing crystal orbs and more than a few darkened ones as well. "Which one is it?" she asked. Raiden had entered just behind her and said: "Even I am bound by rules that cannot be broken." Kitana looked to him in confusion when Raiden clarified: "You must choose. But choose wisely. Where the true crystal will separate your realm from Outworld and free your people, any other will eternally seal the two realms together."
Kitana nodded her head and looked around wondering: "Which one is it?" She closed her eyes and clearing her mind, she listened with her very soul. She listened with every fiber of her being and heard a faint whisper from the right. Keeping her eyes closed she listened still harder as she heard the whisper again: "over here, over here." Following the whisper she found a crystal orb that started to shine as she got closer. Upon finding the specific orb, she unflinchingly took it down from the shelf and felt a resonance within her soul that had only happened in one other instance. The first time she set eyes on Liu Kang.
Raiden spoke then: "You have chosen wisely." Kitana held the crystal to her tightly as she looked around to all the other orbs and asked: "What of these other crystal keys?" Raiden said: "Leave that to me." As Kitana walked out Raiden stood in the door and pointing both arms out, one to the left, the other to the right, let loose with the largest lightning storm Kitana had ever seen. Raiden poured all his might into the task at hand as lightning arced from one crystal to another to another until every orb in the room was part of a gigantic electrical circuit. From there, Raiden increased his assault as first one, then another, then small groups of two and three orbs shattered.
When it was done, only a room of broken crystal shards remained to mark the personal trophy case of the late Emperor Shao Kahn. Kitana walked to the center of the throne room and holding the orb she carried aloft said: "With this final act of destruction, let us rebuild our realm!" Throwing the crystal to the hard stone floor with all of her might, the crystal shattered as the released energies created a small storm in the room and flew out in every possible direction.