The fog rolled up onto the docks, enveloping the Earthrealm warriors in a cold shroud. The dragon shaped bow that was so familiar to them emerged from the mist. It had been a month to the day since Shang Tsung's return. Quan Chi had been true to his word, and withdrawn his troops. New York City had been returned to normal, and none but the fighters could remember the invasion. To the rest of Earth's inhabitants, life went on the same as before.
They made their way up the ramp; Scorpion, Amilee, Sub-Zero, Cherin, Ashlynn, Sarah, Maria, and Jay Yung. Cherin followed behind, head hung low. Inside, the ship was cold and dreary, which served to further darken their moods. Each headed off in a different direction, searching for a cabin. Ashlynn soon found an empty one. She hauled her suitcase into the room, and sat down on the hard bed, sad. Her and Jay yung had mutually agreed to take a break from eachother, to sort things out. So she sat, alone. That was until she heard a knock at the door.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"The other cabins are full," said a familiar voice, Scorpion.
"Come in," she replied quietly.
He entered the cabin, mask off.
"Are you alright?" he asked, taking a seat on the other bed.
"I'm fine," Ashlynn answered, "Just nervous I guess."
He smiled slightly, "You should be."
Ashlynn gave him a glare.
"Well thanks," she said, "That makes me feel better."
The ninja shook his head, "What? Do you want me to lie and tell you everything will be okay and you don't have to worry?"
"No but..."
"Well stop complaining then," he paused, staring out of the window, "We should be there by morning."
There was no answer, Ashlynn was already asleep.
Jay Yung angrily shoved his bag under the bed, in the cabin he was being forced to share with the traitor, Cherin. He fixed his eyes on the wall.
"I don't care if you ignore me," Cherin said quietly.
He sighed, "I don't understand you."
Finally he forced himself to look at her, her expression was unreadable.
"The Realm Chaos showed me that-
Jay cut her off.
"That's not what I meant," he said, "I thought you had something with...what was his name? Havik, or whatever."
Cherin lowered her eyes, "So did I but...I've found someone else."
She smiled happily. Jay, on the other hand, was close to the point of nausea.
"I know who you're talking about," he said, "You have to understand something Cherin, he doesn't care about you. That man has no heart, no soul, he will never love you. He's still in love with-
"No!" Cherin yelled, "You don't know what you're talking about! He doesn't love her! Even if he doesn't care about me now I'll...I'll make him! Somehow..."
Jay shook his head sadly, "You really don't know anything about him do you? You can't make him do anything, I'm trying to tell you-
"SHUT UP! I don't have to listen to this!"
With that, Cherin yanked the door open and stomped off.
The next morning...
The fighters had arrived on the island, and were now making their way up the many steps that lead into Shang Tsung's palace. Jax was hurriedly trying to help Ashlynn with her four bags of luggage.
"Damn girl," he said, lifting two of the heavy bags, "How much stuff do you need?"
Ashlynn shrugged, "I brought extras of everything, you know, just in case."
Jax shook his head as they entered the palace. It was his first time seeing it, he hadn't been at the first tournament.
Later, they met up with Raiden outside the dining hall.
"Are you all prepared for this?" he asked, though he knew the answer.
They nodded silently.
"Good," he said, "Then go have something to eat."
Once inside the dining hall, Amilee was the first to find a seat, right next to the desserts.
"Well Emma," Ashlynn laughed, "Looks like you're pretty comfortable."
Amilee nodded, already reaching for some kind of cake.
"You bet," she said, "Now ya'll hurry up and come sit down, I'm starving."
"But you just ate half a box of Dunkin Donuts on the boat..." Cherin said.
Amilee glared at her, "So!"
Cherin hushed as everyone took a seat at the table, quickly filling up the chairs. Soon there wasn't a seat left for her...
Suddenly Ashlynn felt a bit sad for her former friend, that was until Quan Chi approached the table, smiling broadly. He glanced around the table; Next to Ashlynn was Jay Yung, who's stare could not have been colder, beside Jay are Maria and Sarah, who were pretending to be interested in their empty plates, at the far end sat Sonya, foot on the table, and Jax was busily piling food onto his plate. Amilee and Sub-Zero sat next to one another, exchanging questioning glances. Finally, he noticed Cherin, who was twirling a piece of hair between her fingers. He smiled in amusement.
"I see you have left no room for another," he said, "Was Scorpion planning on joining you as well?"
"Where is Scorpion anyway?' Ashlynn asked, she hadn't even noticed his absence.
Maria cleared her throat uncomfortably.
"Uh...He said he wasn't hungry," she answered, "That he would be...waiting for me...um..."
Ashlynn was beaming, "Really?"
Amilee started to make gagging sounds, but Ashlynn's warning glare stopped her. Sub-Zero coughed, but jax didn't seem to see the point in keeping his mouth shut.
"What in the hell is wrong with you!" he demanded, Maria sank down into her seat, "If you and Scorpion got a thing going on, does that mean everybody up in this thing is sleeping around with someone! Cause I just don't get ya'll females. There goes Ashlynn and Quan Chi, there goes Amilee and Sub-Zero, there goes Cherin and Havivkakasa whatever-
"It's Havik!" Cherin screamed. Some of the fighters at the other tables had picked up on their conversation, and were now listening intently.
"Anyway," Jax continued, "Then we got the smartest woman here, or so Ithought, sleeping with a guy that don't have no damn pupils! This is disgusting..."
Ashlynn, Amilee, and Maria all turned toward him.
"SHUT UP JAX!"
He closed his mouth, piling more chicken onto his plate.
Quan Chi had managed not to say a thing, but he knew that in the blink of an eye he could take advantage of Cherin, so he decided to make it a night...
"I suppose I will dine in another room," he sighed, "And Cherin..."
She looked at him, eyes wide.
"You are more than welcome to join me."
Cherin seemed to slip into some sort of trance. She nodded, looking at her former friends.
"Cherin," Ashlynn said, standing up, "Come on, eat with us. I mean I'd give you my seat and-
"Oh shut up Ashlynn!" Cherin snapped, "It's so obvious that you're jealous of me. You're just trying to find a way to eat with Quan Chi, by giving up your seat. Get over it, he doesn't want you, he wants a woman who will give him the respect he deserves!"
Without another word, she walked off, clinging to the sorcerer like a three year old.
Ashlynn remained standing, mouth hanging open, unable to speak. Everyone continued to eat, ignoring her, until finally Sonya had had enough. She got up from the table angrily, and slapped Ashlynn full across the face.
"Thanks," Ashlynn said eventually, though she did have a sizeable red mark on her cheek, "You guys I'm worried about Cherin."
"Yes," Sub-Zero said, "That's what we were talking about, while you were in a coma."
"Yeah, you've got some wet stuff on your shirt," Sarah giggled.
Ashlynn ignored her.
Amilee yawned, she had just finished her fifth plate.
"Well," she said, stretching her arms, "This has been a great dinner, and I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired and well, I'm going to bed."
Sub-Zero stood, a little too quickly...
"Me too."
They walked off together. For a moment, Ashlynn was jealous of their happiness, but it passed. Then she noticed that Maria was gone as well. Ashlynn sighed, letting her head fall into her hands.
"Hey Jax," Sonya said, "Are you finished because you know..."
Jax looked at her, "Oh yeah, I'm finished."
"Yeah," Sonya continued, "So you know Ashlynn and Jay might wanna..."
"Oh yeah I know."
He continued to sit there, unmoving.
"So...we should perhaps take a hike?"
"Sonya I don't feel like hiking right now," Jax said, trying to hide his smile.
Sonya rolled her eyes and stood up.
"Come on smart ass," she said, "I could whoop you with no arms and one leg."
Jax stood up.
"Girl, last time I was being easy with you, you never have whooped my ass..."
The continued to argue all the way out of the dining hall, the last thing Ashlynn heard was little girly girl, and something about blondes.
Sarah had taken the dishes away, so now it was just her and Jay.
"You haven't eaten a bite," he said softly, "What's wrong?"
Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, she started to cry.
"I miss my children," she said, they had left Arilayn and Rhapsody with one of her friends in New York, "I miss a real home, I miss a real everything. I mean, even if we do live through this, my life still won't be normal. Like, Amilee and Sub-Zero can just fit in anywhere, it's so damn easy for them, but not me...not anymore."
Jay leaned forward, "Why not?"
"Because...I don't even know if the girls would be able to attend a school, I don't know if I can even still control my powers now that I've been through so many...I don't know...experiments I guess. And I don't even have them the real, honest, decent, caring father they deserve."
She stopped, realizing her mistake.
"What?" Jay hissed, "I'm those girl's father, am I not! Don't even start with the parent bullshit because look who you are as a mother!"
"I beg your pardon!"
"They've been tossed back and forth through so much, and whose fault is that Ashlynn? Yours. Half this disaster could have been prevented if you would've just stopped listening to Quan Chi and all his filthy lies!"
Ashlynn had started to cry again.
"I did it to save you all!" she wailed.
Jay seemed unsympathetic.
"Right," he said coldly, "This is pathetic, you're pathetic! You slept with him to save us? Well sorry hero, but we're not feeling very saved right now!"
"Why...why are you acting like this?"
She was shaking now.
"I don't know," Jay replied, a little quieter, "I just don't get you anymore and...if there's one thing I regret, it's ever having given you those girls."
Ashlynn stood, sending the chair crashing behind her. Jay was unprepared for the slap that she gave him, it sent him staggering back a little.
"Well if I...could make those kids anyone's they wouldn't have been yours either!"
She ran out of the room, ignoring the stares from the other fighters. Jay yung just stood, unable to move.