Tanya stood near Mileena, arms crossed, staring down the two people in front of them. The Edenian village was empty now, completely deserted.

"Just who do you think you are? Do you really believe you are capable of defeating us?" Mileena snorted.

Sonya smiled, "I think you two are a little too confident for your own good."

"Ha," the masked woman laughed, "Come Tanya, we haven't the time for this, we must head back to Outworld."

"You ain't goin nowhere," Jax said, starting to stride forward. Before he could reach them, the two women had vanished.

"Damn," he sighed, "How come everybody we run into can just...poof...you know, disappear like that huh?"

Sonya shrugged, closing her eyes.

"I don't know and I really don't care," she said, "All I know us we have to get back to Outworld."

Jax shook his head, following her down the stone path, "I know I know, I'm sick of this."

Amilee, Maria, and Scorpion had finally located a tiny seaside village in Outworld, Sun Do. They had found an elderly but renowned healer, who was now applying some kind of ointment to Maria's injured arm.

Amilee looked at Scorpion who had been pacing across the small room.

"You know," she said, "There's something I should tell you."

The ninja stopped his pacing, "What is that?"

Amilee swallowed. She was a little afraid to tell him, knowing how horrible his temper could be.

"Well," she started, "See, Raiden knows we need all the help we can get and he could only think of one person who knows how to stop Onaga."

She paused.

"And?" Scorpion and impatiently.

"He sent Ashlynn and Jay Yung to the Netherealm to ask..."

Suddenly, Scorpion's milky eyes rounded.

"No," he whispered, "Tell me he did not!"

The old healer busied himself with Maria's arm, apparently frightened.

"He said Quan Chi was the only person who knew..."

Scorpion wouldn't let her finish, "You cannot do this! He is the most vile creature in existence! He will only help you if it benefits him! You have no idea what you've done! After he is freed, Gods know he will betray you! What if he joins Onaga!"

Maria waited until his ranting was over to speak.

"That's a risk we'll have to take I'm afraid. OW!"

The healer pulled his hands back, "I am sorry miss, but I told you it would hurt."

Maria only glared at him. Before she could say anything, the door swung open and a young woman stepped inside. She was tall, with raven hair and dark eyes. She wore a low cut outfit of purple.

"Li Mei," the healer smiled, "How are you?"

Li Mei ignored him, staring at the three strangers.

"Who are these people?" she asked.

"The were attacked by a group of Tarkata, I was just helping this woman with her wound."

Li Mei still seemed suspicious.

"You do not work for Onaga?"

"Of course not," Amilee replied, "We're trying to stop him. We're here to help."

"Help?" Li Mei asked, "Then you must let me join you!"

Scorpion looked doubtful, but the other two seemed fine with it.

"We need all the help we can get," Maria told her, disregarding Scorpion's stare.

The healer stood from his stool with effort, "You may rest here for the night."

By the time Cherin, Sarah, and the army arrived in Outworld, the sun was already setting. The Edenian leader approached Cherin.

"My people do not wish to travel this place at night," he said, "It is not safe."

"All right," Cherin replied, "Send a few people to find a safe camping spot."

The man nodded, instructing two young men to find a spot. They returned a while later, looking frightened.

"There was a man out there! He froze the ground! I've never seen anything like it!"

Cherin and Sarah exchanged a smile.

"Sub-Zero," Cherin said. They waved at the approaching figure. Sub-Zero glared at the two Edenian men.

"I didn't mean to startle them," he said, "They ran away from me..."

"I'm glad you're here," Sarah said, "We need the help."

"I was searching for Frost when I heard of your arrival," the Lin Kuei ninja replied, "Where are the others?"

Cherin looked around, "Amilee and Maria are around here somewhere or the other, Jax and Sonya are still in Edenia I think, and Ashlynn and Jay went to the Netherealm..."

She hesitated, so Sarah cut in, "To ask Quan Chi for help?"

Sub-Zero's eyebrows shot up, "That is not a good idea."

"We know," Cherin sighed, "It was Raiden's brilliant plan."

"Well, we cannot worry about that now. We need a safe camping spot, hmmm...the Living Forest isn't too far from here..."

"The Living Forest?" Cherin gasped.

Sarah shook her head, looking at the Edenian people.

"Why do I not like the sound of that?"

Sub-Zero only shrugged, smiling slightly.

Amilee turned over in the bed, in the house that the old healer had loaned them for the night, when she was startled awake by a bright flash. For a few seconds all she could see were purple spots.

"Where the hell did the portal take us?" someone asked through the darkness.

Amilee sat up, "Ashlynn?"

"Emma," Ashlynn said, surprised, "Where are we?"

"Some village," Amilee yawned, "In Outworld."

Maria was apparently awake on the other side of the room.

"We were resting for the night," she told them.

"It might be a little awkward when the owner of this house finds us in here," Jay Yung said. Amilee suddenly noticed that Ashlynn and Jay weren't the only people standing in front of her. There were two others. Maria stood, lighting one of the wall lanterns. Amilee gasped.

"It has been so long," Quan Chi laughed.

Amilee tried to focus her attention on the other man, the one clad in red.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"We are Ermac," the ninja replied, "And now that We are free We will go and make a home in Earthrealm..."

"Wait," Ashlynn interrupted, "Don't you want to help us fight Onaga?"

Ermac looked strangely at her, "Why would We want to do that? We have nothing else to gain."

"Except a soul of your own," the sorcerer mumbled under his breath.

Ashlynn, standing closest to him, hear the comment however.

"As if you have a soul of your own," she snapped.

Quan Chi's brown eyes flashed, "I could kill you in no time now that I am free of the Netherealm,"

Ashlynn realized he was right, she shouldn't provoke him now. Jay Yung stepped forward.

"You would have to get through me first," he growled.

Quan Chi smiled in amusement, "I do not see how that is a problem."

Jay was about to strike him, but Ashlynn caught his arm, pulling it back down.

"Don't," she said quietly, "We need him Jay."

The sorcerer shook his head.

"You are a fool to even think about attacking me," he said, then pointed to Ashlynn, "She is more of a match for me than you are, sad really..."

"I swear after Onaga is defeated I will rip your heart out!" Jay said, his voice trembling.

Quan Chi sighed in mock sorrow, "I have no heart, so I really do not see how that is possible."

Amilee was on the brink of screaming at them.

"Could I please go back to sleep now?" She begged.

Maria peeked through the window curtains, "The sun's coming up anyway."

Amilee grunted, getting up off the bed.

"Great, fine, whatever..." she mumbled.

"Where are we going?" Jay asked.

Maria looked at him, "Dragon Mountain."

Amilee yawned, just as Scorpion walked through the door. She glared at the ninja for forgetting to knock, but didn't say anything. Scorpion's milky eyes stayed glued to the sorcerer.

"Why is he here?" Ashlynn whispered to Amilee.

"He's leading us to the mountain," she replied, tying her dark hair into a bun.

"The sun is up," Scorpion said, finally dragging his gaze from Quan Chi, "Let's go."

"Wait," Amilee said, "We have to find Li Mei first."

Ashlynn looked at Quan Chi.

"You know," she said, "You can't walk around the village like that. People will recognize you."

Without a word, he brushed past her and rummaged through the closet.

"What are you doing?" Ashlynn asked, appalled, "That stuff isn't yours!"

He ignored her, and pulled out a long, slightly haggard cloak. Donning it quickly, he headed for the door.

Once outside, they found that, although it was early, most of the villagers were already starting their daily routines.

"Wait," shouted someone from behind them, "I am coming!" They turned to find Li Mei, running quickly toward them. She stopped a moment to catch her breath, then stared suspiciously at the new arrivals.

"These are friends of ours," Amilee informed her, then looked at Quan Chi, "Well, most of them."

"The mountain is not far from here," Scorpion said, taking the lead as the group headed toward the distant mountain range. Jay Yung looked at Ashlynn. She seemed tired, on the verge of collapsing.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She looked at him, her eyes only half open, "I'm fine, just a little tired."

"We all are," Jay replied, moving a little closer to her.

"Yeah," Amilee snorted, "Especially since some certain people interrupted my sleep."

Maria looked closer at Ashlynn, noticing the red tinge in her eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay Ash?"

Ashlynn nodded, "I said I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Maria looked over her shoulder, the village was out of sight now. Quan Chi turned to Ashlynn.

"May I please remove this now?" he said. Without waiting for her to answer, he pulled off the cloak and threw it aside. Li Mei barely suppressed a scream.

"Calm down," Maria told her, "It's okay."

The sorcerer smiled, "Why do I always get the same reaction?"

"I wonder..." Amilee mumbled.

"You know," he replied, his smile vanishing, "We could kill Onaga with one less person."

"I'm terrified," Amilee said sarcastically.

Jay Yung turned to Maria, "This will never stop will it?"

"Nope."

Jax and Sonya had just arrived in Outworld. They had finally made it as far as the walled city of Lei Chen, but strangely there are no people to be found.

"Where is everybody?" Sonya asked to no one in particular.

Jax shrugged, tapping on a window that had been bored up.

"Don't know. Hey look."

Standing near a small palace was a man clad in a green robe. He looked startled as they approached.

"Excuse us," Sonya said in her best pleasant voice.

"Y...yes?" the man asked shakily, his eyes darting around nervously.

Jax took over for Sonya, "We're looking for two chicks that came through here a while ago."

The middle aged man's brow furrowed.

"Er...you are looking for chickens?" he asked.

Sonya couldn't help but laugh. Letting Jax do the talking was always a bad idea.

"No," she replied, "He means we need to find two women. Tanya and Mileena."

"Oh," the man said, quietly, apparently embarrassed, "I do not know of them, I am..."

Suddenly he froze, staring with a horrified expression at the city gates. Jax and Sonya spun around. The gates, which had been left open, were swarming with vicious, drooling Tarkata. Jax started forward, but Sonya stopped him.

"No Jax," she said, "We're outnumbered. There's no way we can take all of them by ourselves."

Jax looked at Sonya, then at the approaching horde.

"You're right," he agreed. The Tarkatans were already tearing down each house, viciously slaying anyone who might have been hiding.

"There is a gate behind the palace," the green robed man said, "Go before they see you!"

Without a word, they rushed around the side of the palace. There was a small wooden gate built into the stone wall. Jax yanked off the metal lock, and they made their escape south.