A few hours had passed...

There was a loud crash outside the door. Amilee opened her eyes in panic, then there was another crash, this time followed by a yell.

"We can't stop them!"

Ashlynn was still asleep.

"Ashlynn!" Amilee said, shaking her.

Ashlynn opened her eyes and blinked.

"What was that?" she asked groggily, hearing the sounds from beyond the door.

"I don't know," Amilee replied.

Suddenly, the door was ripped from its hinges and flung across the room. Ashlynn screamed, but Amilee could only stare in horror. Standing in the doorway was a man...sort of. His skin was a greenish brown color, and his eyes were sunken back into his skull. He limped forward, an arrow lodged in his leg. It was one of the Netherealm's many zombies, she knew that, but that wasn't what scared her. In his hand he was carrying a hatchet covered with dark blood. The women looked around, but it seemed their was no escape.

"We're gonna die," Ashlynn whimpered, closing her eyes.

Amilee readied herself as the monster made its way toward them. Then suddenly, it stopped as if frozen. It's black eyes glowed green for a moment, and it lowered the hatchet. Amilee pinked Ashlynn's shoulder and she opened her eyes.

"What's it doing?" Amilee asked.

Ashlynn didn't answer, she couldn't. She was too busy staring at the man behind the zombie...

There was something different about Quan Chi, he no longer possessed the arrogant look that was so familiar to her.

"Come," he said to the zombie, then turned to leave. The zombie followed obediently, leaving the women by themselves.

"Come on," Amilee said. She practically had to drag Ashlynn out of the room. The temple had been ravaged, the floor was littered with bodies, all wearing the colors of the Brotherhood. Outside, Quan Chi stood with his back to them, facing a small group of zombies.

"You have carried out my orders well," he said to them, "I release you from your bond."

The zombies stood for a moment before ambling away in different directions. Quan chi turned around, and Ashlynn moved further behind Amilee.

"You are lucky I got here in time," he said, "Scorpion would have killed you, but saving you was not my purpose for coming here."

He turned as if to leave.

"Wait," Amilee said.

"What are you doing?" Ashlynn hissed.

Amilee ignored her, "What's Scorpion planning?"

The sorcerer was silent for a moment.

"He is planning to awaken the One Being," he told them finally.

"The One Being," Amilee said quietly, she had heard the story before, "If it wakes up...everything will disappear."

"What are you talking about?" Ashlynn asked, still standing behind her friend.

Amilee explained to her the legend of the One Being.

"But if it does wake up," Ashlynn said, "Won't Scorpion vanish too?"

"No," Quan Chi replied, "Not if he has found a way to control it."

Amilee crossed her arms, "How could anyone possibly control that much power?"

"He wants to start over," Ashlynn said, "To re-create the realms...How do we stop him?"

She stepped out from behind Amilee, looking directly at Quan Chi for the first time.

"We kill him," Amilee said, "Obviously."

"You are only half right," the sorcerer said, "You must destroy him while he is still within this realm, otherwise he will only return. You must send his soul to the Void."

"That's why you came here," Amilee said, "You were looking for Scorpion."

He nodded.

Ashlynn swallowed, "Will you help us?"

"You expect me to help you," he said, "After what you have done to me? After you condemned me to this wretched place once again?"

"Please," Ashlynn said quietly.

The sorcerer smiled, he had planned on assisting them from the beginning, but toying with Ashlynn was too much fun.

"I will need more help than you two," he said, "Find your companions and bring them back here. I will be waiting."

A few days later...

Everyone had been gathered, and were now standing near the fountain at the Temple of Light, their usual meeting place. No one but Amilee and Ashlynn have any idea what is going on. Ashlynn sighed, Jay had stayed with Arilayn and Rhapsody in New York.

"Hey girl," Jax said, "You wanna explain why I had to fly to China?"

"I can answer that," Raiden said, approaching the group.

He sat on the edge of the fountain and explained their situation.

Cherin ran a hand through her hair.

"Wait," she said, "You want us to help Quan Chi?"

"Look," Amilee said, "If we don't help him we'll all die anyway, so I don't see how we have any other choice."

"So we are all agreed?" Raiden asked, he held up a hand before any of them could answer, "That was a rhetorical question."

"This is not a good idea," Sub-Zero said.

"Yeah well, when is anything we do ever a good idea?" Sonya laughed.

"You must hurry," Raiden said, "We don't have much time."

"I don't want to do this," Cherin whispered quietly to Stryker.

"Why not?" he asked, "You don't want to have a part in saving the world?"

"No...that's not why..."

She was thinking about another encounter with the sorcerer.

"Quan Chi should be waiting in Nekros," Ashlynn told them.

"Well then come," Jax said, "Let's go kick ass."

Nekros, the Netherealm...

Jax jumped down from the portal platform.

"So," he said, "Where is old baldy?"

"It is not wise to name call behind another person's back, they could become offended."

Quan Chi was making his way toward them.

"This is everyone," Amilee said.

"Good," he nodded, "Scorpion has gone east, toward an ancient cavern where I believe he has been making sacrifices."

"Sacrifices?" Sonya asked.

"There is no time to explain," Quan Chi said, "There is something else however. Apparently my assault on the temple did not destroy the Brotherhood of Shadow, there is another base off to the south."

"We should split up," Maria said.

"Exactly."

He gestured toward the fighters on his right; Stryker, Sarah, Sonya, Jax, and Johnny Cage.

"Head south," he told them, "Find the Brotherhood base and exterminate every one of them, leave no one alive."

Stryker glanced at Cherin.

"I want to stay with Cherin," he said.

Quan chi's dark eyes narrowed. He moved toward Stryker until they were face to face. Stryker had never met the sorcerer, so he had no idea what to think. Quan Chi was about five inches taller however, and much more well built.

"This is not the time to negociate," he said, his voice low and threatening, "You will do as I say, understood?"

Stryker nodded, his eyes wide. Quan Chi stepped away from him and pointed at the city gates.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked, "Go."

After they had departed, he turned to face the remaining five; Ashlynn, Amilee, Sub-Zero, Maria and...Cherin.

"We must make our way east," he said, "The cavern is a two day walk from here, but if we hurry we can make it in a day and a half."

He signaled for them to follow as he walked toward the gates. Ashlynn jogged to catch up with Cherin who was ahead of her.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She knew the answer was no, but she figured she would be nice and ask anyway.

"Sure," Cherin replied curtly.

"Please tell me your over him by now," Ashlynn said, "You have Kurtis, how could you-

Cherin cut her off, "Shut up, leave me alone."

By now Amilee and Maria were walking beside them.

"She's just messing with you," Maria said.

"Yeah," Amilee added, "Lighten up."

Sub-Zero was walking ahead of them, behind Quan Chi. Amilee ran to catch up with him.

"You know Cherin," Ashlynn said, "I'm your friend, you can tell me if you not-

"I AM OVER IT!" Cherin screamed. Quan Chi turned his head, but didn't stop walking. Ashlynn decided it would be best not to push her anymore, so she walked ahead. They followed Quan Chi out the gate, and began their trek across the plains of the Netherealm. After a few hours almost everyone had run out of water, and Ashlynn, being the shortest of the group, was struggling to keep up. Even Sub-Zero was having a hard time keeping up with Quan Chi's fast pace.

"You're going too fast," Ashlynn said finally, "We can't keep up."

The sorcerer stopped, irritated.

"I could carry you," he said, smiling, "If that would help."

"Funny," Ashlynn said, shaking her head.

Quan Chi turned and began walking again, a bit slower this time. A while later the sun, or what passed for a sun in the Netherealm, was begging to sink behind the mountains.

"Shouldn't we maybe...camp or something?" Amilee asked.

"We have no time," he replied.

"We're all exhausted," Ashlynn said, "None of us can walk anymore."

The sorcerer stopped.

"All right," he shrugged.

Sub-Zero made his way toward a nearby boulder, sitting with his back to it. Amilee sat down next to him, followed by Cherin, Maria, Ashlynn, and then finally Quan Chi. Amilee glanced at Cherin, she hadn't said a word since they'd left Nekros.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

Cherin looked up at her slowly, "I'm fine."

"But Cher-

"I said I'm fine."

"Someone needs to stay awake and keep watch," Sub-Zero said.

"I'll take the first shift," Ashlynn said. This had been their system every time they had traveled together. One person would stay awake for half the night, and then they would switch until morning.

"I'll take the second," Sub-Zero said.

Later...

Ashlynn sat for hours, watching everyone sleep. After a while Quan Chi sat up.

"Your watch has been over for two hours," he said.

She didn't look at him.

"I know," she said, "But I don't want to wake Sub-Zero up."

She stared off into the distance, expecting him to go back to sleep, but he continued to stare at her. She coughed uncomfortably.

"Arilayn and Rhapsody," he said, "They are nine now, correct?"

Ashlynn nodded. They didn't say anything for a long time, just stared into the darkness.

"Are you afraid?" the sorcerer asked.

Ashlynn finally looked at him.

"Yes," she said, "I am, but I don't plan on letting Scorpion get away with this."

"Go to sleep," Quan Chi said, "I will take the next watch."

Ashlynn felt like she was talking to a stranger.

"What happened to you?" she asked him.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're so...different."

Quan Chi smiled slightly.

"I learned a few things after being defeated by you Ashlynn," he said.

Ashlynn could think of nothing else to say, so she tried her best to sleep.