Amilee glanced at the clock, 10:09 p.m.
"Ugh," she groaned, looking at Sub-Zero who was sitting on the couch next to her, "You're really into this reality t.v thing huh?"
He only shrugged, smiling and turning his attention back to the television. Amilee sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. She was close to sleep, when the apartment was filled with a blinding white light. She jumped, falling off the couch in the process.
"What the hell?" she gasped, standing up.
Sub-Zero didn't look at her, instead his gaze was fixed on the two intruders. Standing near the couch, and looking very confused, were two little girls no older than six. The first one had long golden hair, and the darkest brown eyes Amilee had ever seen. The second had a mane of fiery red hair, blue green eyes, and was strangely familiar...
"Earthrealm?" the red haired one asked.
Amilee's jaw dropped, "You're from another realm?"
The blonde girl looked at her as if this was nothing unusual.
"Yes," she replied, squaring her chin bravely, "Outworld, and if you hurt us our father will-
The red haired girl pinched her.
"Be quiet Rhapsody!" she ordered.
"Ouch!"
The Sub-Zero approached the girls warily.
"How did you get here?" he asked.
Again the children acted like nothing strange was going on.
"Through the portal of course," the blonde girl, who they now knew as Rhapsody, said.
Amilee shook her head, "What portal?"
"The one in our home," the red haired girl said, acting as if Amilee was an idiot.
Amilee, frustrated, decided to stop asking questions, so Sub-Zero took over.
"What does your home look like?"
"Well," Rhapsody began, rubbing her chin, "It's tall, and kind of pointy..."
Amilee looked at Sub-Zero, "We have to get them home."
"No!" the red haired one screeched.
"We can't go back!" Rhapsody added, then turned to Arilayn, "When Father finds out we're gone he will..."
"Why are you so scared of your father? Who is he?" Amilee asked.
"You don't know of him?" Rhapsody asked, sounding shocked.
Amilee shook her head.
"He is the emperor of Outworld," the other girl said.
Amilee fell back onto the couch, squishing Sub-Zero.
"So," she said, pausing to collect herself, "So your mother...her name is Ashlynn?"
"Yes," replied the redheaded girl, who now looked so much like Ashlynn that Amilee could hardly stand to look at her, "How did you know that?"
Amilee took a deep breath, pushing herself up off the couch.
"I knew her," she replied simply. Sub-Zero found it strange that she used the word knew instead of know.
"You have to go home," Amilee said, running a hand through her hair.
The miniature version of Ashlynn crossed her arms defiantly, "No."
Sub-Zero looked at Amilee, "We need to tell Raiden."
"Raiden," Rhapsody said, sounding shocked, "Father says he is an evil god."
"He's not the evil one..." Amilee muttered.
"It's late," Sub-Zero said, signaling her to be quiet, "We should let them stay here tonight."
"Right," Amilee agreed reluctantly, "We'll deal with it tomorrow, I'm tired."
She ushered the two girls into the spare bedroom, making sure they were comfortable before she left.
"We're in so much trouble," she said, flopping down on the couch again.
"I just don't understand something," the Lin Kuei said.
"What?"
"Why did the portal bring them here?"
Amilee stared at him, but couldn't think of a logical answer.
"Where are they!" Quan Chi shouted. Ashlynn backed up into the diningroom wall, trying to put more distance between them.
"I don't know," she said, "I put them to bed last night, they were fine."
"The portal," the sorcerer said quietly, "Was it guarded?"
"Rain was supposed to be watching it," Ashlynn replied.
"Find him."
She complied, glad for an excuse to be away from him, but worried to death about her daughters. She found Rain exactly were she knew she would, standing in the main hall talking with a giggling blonde servant. She gave him a frustrated whack to the back of the head and he spun around, startled.
"What was that for?" he demanded. He had never shown her the same respect that he had for the emperor, but she had learned to deal with it.
"Idiot," Ashlynn snapped, "Your job was to guard the portal."
"I was," he answered calmly.
"Oh really? Then where are my daughters!"
Rain seemed to be thinking, his dark eyes darted from side to side, looking for an excuse.
Finally he sighed, "All right, I was not guarding it."
Ashlynn's eyes narrowed to slits.
"He...he was with me," the blonde woman spoke up, looking worried.
Ashlynn focused her attention on the servant. Meela, if she remembered correctly. A woman she had never liked much.
"Surprise surprise," she said, "Every man in this fortress has been at least once right Meela?"
Meela looked hurt, but didn't defend herself. Ashlynn knew there was nothing more she could do, so she gave Rain one more smack for good measure, and walked back toward the diningroom where Quan Chi stood waiting impatiently.
"Well?" he said.
Ashlynn shook her head, "It seems Rain has been neglecting his duties."
The sorcerer's face hardened, and he walked past her.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"To find them," he replied, moving her aside.
Once through the portal, they found themselves standing in the livingroom of a small apartment. Ashlynn walked to the window, staring blankly at the view.
"Where are we?" Quan Chi asked.
"New York..."
She took a deep breath, it had been so long since she'd seen Earthrealm let alone the city she had lived in for so long. Suddenly a door opened. Apparently it led to the kitchen, because Amilee came out a moment later, singing and carrying a plate of toast. The toast didn't last long. She looked at Ashlynn, then at Quan Chi, and her breakfast went flying into the air.
"Ahhhh!"
The sorcerer winced, "Must you do that so early in the morning?"
"How did...why...wait..." she couldn't talk straight.
"Emma," Ashlynn said softly, "We looking for-
"Your daughters?" Sub-Zero said, walking out of the kitchen to stand behind Amilee.
"How did you know?" Ashlynn asked, although she already knew the answer.
"They showed up last night," Amilee replied, picking up her ruined toast. She stared at it sadly, then went back into the kitchen. Just then the first door in the nearby hallway opened, and two little girls emerged. Seeing their parents, they darted back into the room.
"Arilayn! Rhapsody! GET OUT HERE NOW!" Ashlynn screamed.
Amilee smiled. Despite how mad Ashlynn had made her, it was strange to hear her friend sounding so much like a mother. The door creaked open, and the two terrified children crept out, avoiding their father...
"Come," he said through clenched teeth, "We are leaving."
Suddenly there was a knock.
"Oh right," Amilee said, "Sarah was supposed to pick up those pictures..."
She mumbled all the way to the door.
Ashlynn braced herself as Sarah walked in. She looked different. Her hair was longer, and somehow she'd gotten taller. She had been the shortest of there little group before, now she had grown a few inches, making Ashlynn the shortest. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wider than Ashlynn had ever seen them.
"Hi Sarah," Ashlynn said, her voice cracking.
Sarah didn't reply. But suddenly she seemed to get dizzy, because she had to steady herself on Amilee's shoulder.
"What..." she started to say, but couldn't get the words out.
"Arilayn, Rhapsody come on," Ashlynn said, "We're leaving."
Each girl took on of her hands as the sorcerer tried to transport them all back to Outworld...nothing happened. Everyone shielded their eyes from the blinding light that filled the room. Ashlynn's heart sunk. Even worse than seeing her former friends, was seeing the man who had once been like a father to her.
"You called Amilee?" Raiden said, ignoring Ashlynn and Quan Chi.
"Yeah," Amilee snorted, "Like an hour ago!"
The thunder god turned away from her, focusing on Ashlynn, who wanted to throw herself out the window.
"Ashlynn," he said, "I had a feeling we might meet today."
He smiled, telling her he knew something she didn't.
"You have very beautiful daughters," he said, earning suspicious stares from both girls.
"Thank you," Ashlynn said meekly, unable to look at him.
Raiden scratched his chin, "I wonder what they would look like if their father was-
The sorcerer stopped him, "Do not say it thunder god."
"Say what?" Raiden asked innocently, "Oh, you mean don't say Jay Yung."
"Please stop Raiden," Ashlynn begged.
Raiden nodded, "I took the liberty of inviting someone over here."
Amilee looked at him, "What? You invited someone to my house?"
He shrugged, "Ashlynn I'm sure Jay will be thrilled to see you."
Ashlynn went white. Before anyone could stop her she rushed at the thunder god, only to be blocked by some invisible barrier.
"Raiden how could you!" she screamed.
There was a knock on the door.
Raiden smiled, "Why that must be him now."
Ashlynn couldn't believe what was happening. Amilee gave her a halfway sympathetic look, and pulled the door open. Jay looked startled at the number of people in the room. Ashlynn could only stare at him, there were no words to say. He stared back, and his eyes got harder as each uncomfortable second passed.
"Well," Amilee said, obviously trying to ease the tension, "I have to go to work so..."
"And I," Sub-Zero paused, trying to think up an excuse to leave, "I need to go shopping."
Ashlynn would have laughed at that coming from him, but she couldn't have smiled to save her life. Amilee left the apartment, followed by Sub-Zero. Sarah sat down on the couch, staring at a blank t.v screen. Jay finally seemed to notice the two girls.
"Who are they?" he managed to ask.
"My...my daughters," Ashlynn replied shakily.
"It's good they don't look like their father," he retorted, unsmiling.
Quan Chi turned from the window.
"I have had enough of this," he said, "I know how envious you must be, I do have something you could never get, after all."
Jay smirked, "That's too bad for Ashlynn then isn't it?"
"Stop it," Ashlynn snapped, "Let's go."
Once gain the sorcerer tried to transport them, but still nothing happened.
"It seems as if something is blocking the portal," Raiden said, smiling.
Ashlynn glared at him, "Don't smile at me like that Raiden."
Quan Chi tried again, still nothing.
"Great so we're stuck here?" Ashlynn said.
"You are so different," the thunder god noted, "You used to be more...innocent, if that is the correct word."
Ashlynn sighed, frustrated.
Jay leaned against the wall, "Yes well it looks like the sorcerer changed that."
"Jay!" Ashlynn yelled.
"Yes," Quan Chi replied, "I did what you could not."
Ashlynn couldn't take anymore, so she sat down next to Sarah. Arilayn and Rhapsody took a seat on either side of her.
"Jay please stop looking at me like that," she begged.
Jay shrugged, "Why? Is Quan Chi the only one allowed to look at you now?"
The sorcerer chuckled, buy didn't turn from the window. Ashlynn dropped her head into her hands, hopeless.