Sarah's mouth fell open. Mileena had appeared as if from nowhere, a handful of Ashlynn's hair wrapped around her hand. She released the red haired woman, throwing her savagely to the ground. Ashlynn stood, she hadn't noticed Sarah standing in the shadows behind her.
"Where am I?" she demanded.
Tanya was approaching from her left, and she knew she was in trouble.
"Please don't resist," said the woman in yellow, "Make this easier on yourself."
Knowing that Ashlynn hadn't seen Sarah, Mileena tossed the bottle of dark liquid to her. Sarah only stared at it, unsure of what to do. Ashlynn was too busy arguing with Tanya to notice. Mileena desperately gestured at Ashlynn, making drinking motions with her hands. Sarah glanced at the bottle, then at her friend. In a split second decision, she threw the bottle to ground, shattering it. The sound caught Ashlynn's attention, and she turned.
"Sarah," she said, surprised, "You've been here this whole time?"
Sarah only nodded, her throat dry with fear. Tanya and Mileena had identical looks of fury on their faces.
"It is about time we met," said a voice.
Ashlynn turned again, this time to face a pale man with emerald eyes.
"Shinnok," she guessed. From Raiden's description, this couldn't be anyone else.
"The one the and only," he replied arrogantly, "I have brought you here to ask, no, to demand that you join me."
"I would die first," Ashlynn spat.
A strange smile took over his face.
"No," he said, "They will die first."
Tanya took her by the shoulders, spinning her around. Only a few yards away was a shimmering orange orb, and inside the orb...
"God no," Ashlynn breathed.
Jay Yung was pounding on the orb, desperately trying to free himself and his daughters, but to no avail.
"Please," Ashlynn begged, her eyes glued to her family, "Please don't hurt them."
"All right," Shinnok said nonchalantly, "Agree to join my army, and they will be safe. I give you my word."
Ashlynn pried her eyes from the orb, looking into his strangely vivid eyes. Usually she could tell when someone was lying, but she had no idea about this man.
"Mom!" Arilayn yelled, "Mom don't! You know you can't trust him!"
"She's right Mom," called Rhapsody, her face wet with tears, "Don't do it!"
Jay blinked, astonished at how mature they were acting. He himself was holding back tears.
"It's not worth it Ashlynn," he said, his voice cracking, "Don't."
"I can't let him hurt you..." Ashlynn said, crying herself now.
Rhapsody buried her face in her father's arm, sobbing.
"If we have to die to save the realms then...then oh well!" Arilayn said bravely.
Ashlynn turned again to face Shinnok, shaking.
"I...I will not join you," she said quietly.
"Funny," he laughed, "You were so easily manipulated by Quan Chi..."
"I've learned."
"Obviously," he said, "Very well, have it your-
Suddenly he flew forward, taking Ashlynn to the ground with him. Angry at being caught off guard, he pushed himself up to face his attacker. Scorpion was standing, unmasked, sword at the ready. Ashlynn smiled in spite of herself, letting Sarah help her to her feet.
"I have no time for this foolishness!" Shinnok bellowed, "Tanya! Mileena! Take care of this nuisance!"
The two women closed in on him, both faces set in hard stares. Tanya lunged first, but Scorpion was quicker. He ducked her blow, rebounding with a slash of his sword to her abdomen. She sank to her knees, blood dripping down her legs. The ninja then turned his attention to Mileena, snatching her braid before she could attack. With one fluid movement, he sliced through her neck, letting the body fall and then dropping the head on top of it. Tanya, meanwhile, had fallen face first onto the ground. Scorpion wasn't taking any chances. He plunged the sword through back, pulling it back out with little effort. Shinnok had been standing nearby. His expression was a mix of shock and admiration.
"Impressive," he mumbled.
It was then that they heard it, coming from far off to the south...a battle cry.
As Quan Chi led his own army toward Shinnok's he could make out his nemesis, alongside Ashlynn, Sarah, and Scorpion. Shinnok was pushing through his soldiers, furiously making his way to the front.
"Quan Chi," he said, "We meet again. Although I believe the outcome of our encounter will be a bit different this time."
Quan Chi blinked, but his face remained emotionless.
"I doubt that," he said, "I defeated you before, and I will defeat you again."
Ashlynn, still standing near Sarah, was not paying attention to them at all. It was as if everything else had vanished, her family was all that mattered.
"We will see," Shinnok said.
He started to turn around, but instead blasted Quan Chi with a stream of power. The sorcerer, not expecting the attack, was thrown backward, knocking Amilee down as well. That caught Ashlynn's attention. Using her powers of speed, she bolted toward Shinnok. For a few seconds she was nothing but a blur of motion. When she finally stopped, Shinnok was on his knees, winded but not hurt badly. This gave Quan Chi an opportunity. He charged toward his foe, preparing to attack, but to his surprise Shinnok vanished, reappearing near the rear of his army. Quan Chi nodded, snatching Ashlynn's arm, who seemed to be in a trance. Sarah had made her way back to her friends by now. Scorpion, on the other hand, stood stock still, his face blank. Maria walked forward.
"Come on!" she called to him.
He blinked as if just awakening from a dream, then nodded and ran to join them.
Across what was now the battlefield, Shinnok was cursing silently, angry that he had lost his two generals. Quan Chi glanced back at his army, not much larger than Shinnok's. Ashlynn, who was standing beside him, was staring straight ahead, a murderous gleam in her eyes.
"Let me take care of Shinnok," he said to her.
She didn't even blink.
"Listen to me," he hissed, "You may be powerful, but you cannot defeat Shinnok. He is a former Elder God, you have never seen that kind of power."
Finally, she looked up at him.
"He's put the people I love in danger," she said, "I'll rip his heart out."
"Ashlynn-
He was interrupted by the sound of Shinnok's voice from across the field.
"CHARGE! KILL THEM ALL!"
The Army of Darkness started forward, the Netherealm sun reflecting off of their armor, black as night. Time slowed maddeningly...then the two armies collided. Ashlynn was slashing at soldier after soldier, all the while never taking her eyes off of Shinnok. The vampires had joined them, swopping down and snatching soldiers here and there, carrying them high into the sky and dropping them to their deaths.
-Amilee had lost track of her friends in the chaos. She plunged her sword into the chest of a soldier, then ran on, never looking back. A sense of calm had come over her, she was no longer afraid. A little ways away, she caught a glimpse of Ashlynn, mercilessly slaying Shinnok's soldiers.
If only she could see herself, she thought absently.
She also saw Sub-Zero, who had just turned an unfortunate group of soldiers into popsicles. Her heart skipped a beat, but it passed quickly, he could take care of himself.
-Cherin, Maria, and Scorpion had been fighting side by side. Suddenly, Cherin let out a small yelp, falling forward. Maria hurriedly pulled her to her feet, saving her from being trampled. Cherin groaned, and it didn't take Maria long to realize why she was in so much pain. There was a crossbow bolt lodged in her ribs. Desperately, she called for Scorpion, knowing that Cherin could no longer fight.
"Please," she said, "You have to get her away from here!"
"We cannot afford to lose him," said Noob Saibot, who was nearby, "Leave her!"
Scorpion glanced at Maria. Her eyes were filled with a mix of fear and hope. He killed another soldier, then lifted Cherin from the ground, careful to avoid her injury, and ran away from the battle.
-Quan Chi was sprinting full speed toward Shinnok, but so was Ashlynn. He had been trying to argue with her, but she ignored his protests. Shinnok had spotted her approach, and was prepared when she aimed a blow at his head, knocking her sword from her hands. She fell to the ground, fumbling for her weapon.
"Shinnok!" Quan Chi called, desperately trying to distract him.
Shinnok turned his attention to the sorcerer.
"This is it," he said, "I will finish you once and for all."
He lunged forward, but Quan Chi dodged, coming up behind him and clubbing him in the back of the head. Shinnok stumbled forward, but managed to stay on his feet. By now Ashlynn had retrieved her sword. She looked at Quan Chi, who nodded. Simultaneously, they lifted their weapons. Shinnok had no time to react before he was impaled by both swords. His mouth opened as if to say something, but no words came out. Instead, he slumped to the ground, unmoving. Suddenly, the Army of Darkness came to a complete halt, their bodies began to glow red...Quan Chi knew exactly what was about to happen.
"Run!" he yelled.
The others followed him until they were at a safe distance from the glowing army. Ashlynn was going to ask what was happening, but her question answered when there was an explosion of dark fire. It consumed the army...and the orb that held her family.
Jay could tell what was about to happen. He pulled his daughters close, trying to shield them from what he knew was coming.
Ashlynn pulled away from Amilee's grasp, running forward. Through the billowing smoke she could barely make out three figures. One was one the ground, the other two were huddled in a crouch.
"Jay!"
Jay was sprawled on the ground, his face black with soot. Ashlynn ran to him, oblivious of the tears that were streaming from her eyes.
"Jay," she breathed, shaking him, "Jay wake up!"
His eyelids fluttered, and he looked up at her through glassy eyes.
"Hey Ash," he said, coughing.
"Jay please," she begged, "Don't do this to me."
"Don't cry," he said, "You know I hate to see you cry."
His eyes closed, and he was still.
"Jay? Jay Yung wake up!" Ashlynn screamed, shaking him violently. He didn't move. Devastated, she dropped her head onto his chest, crying harder than she had ever cried before. The others remained silent, standing behind her. Finally, Amilee crouched down beside her, wrapping an arm around her best friend.
"I'm sorry," was all she could say.
"I know I could have saved him," Ashlynn said quietly, "I know I could have Amilee."
Amilee shook her head, pulling Ashlynn to her feet.
"No," she said, "Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault."
Ashlynn held her arms out to her daughters, who were also sobbing uncontrollably. Not looking back, they followed the others south, looking for Cherin.
A while later...
They had made their way back to Outworld, which had been returned to normal, and were camped near some crumbling ruins. Ashlynn had spoken with Raiden, terrified that Jay's soul would be sent to the Void, since he had died in the Netherealm, but the thunder god had assured her that the Elder Gods wouldn't let that happen. Now, Quan Chi sat on an old stone bench, away from the others. He had never seen Ashlynn so upset, and the fact that he actually cared was bothering him. Amilee sat down, cross-legged, next to Maria and Sub-Zero. No one had spoken a word since their return.
"I can't believe this," she said.
"At least Shinnok is gone," Sub-Zero said, trying to comfort her.
Maria dropped her chin into her hands.
"Does it really matter?' she sighed, "I mean, we always win, and then something else happens and we have to do it all over again, and now Jay's gone..."
Amilee signaled for her to shush, Arilayn and Rhapsody were sitting nearby. Cherin joined Stryker near the fire, warming her hands.
"Aren't you happy?" he asked.
Cherin had to stop herself from screaming at him, he hadn't actually known Jay like the rest of them had. She shook her head, unable to answer him.
Ashlynn, meanwhile, was standing alone, in the shadows away from the others.
"I need to talk to you."
She jumped, she hadn't seen Raiden approach. She only looked at him, remaining silent.
"Ashlynn, how old are you?" he asked.
Her brow furrowed, "I'm twenty nine Raiden, you know that."
"Yes," the thunder god said, "Have you noticed, in all this time...that you haven't changed at all?"
Ashlynn shrugged, "I don't know I-
Raiden cut her off, "You haven't, and neither have any of the others. Do you know why that is?"
"Raiden please," Ashlynn said, running a hand through her hair, "Just say what you want to say, I'm not in the mood for this."
Raiden nodded.
"I'm sorry," he said, "All right. You, and the others, have been chosen. Not only to defend Earthrealm, but all of the realms. The Elder Gods themselves have handpicked you. Your job is to protect the realms...for all time."
"So you're telling me," Ashlynn said slowly, "That we're stuck with this damned job of protecting the realms from God knows what else, forever?"
Raiden nodded.
"Exactly. You do know what this means, don't you?"
"We'll...have to leave Earthrealm," Ashlynn said, "If we don't age, we'll attract attention...So whose brilliant idea was this?"
The thunder god smile slightly, "The Elder Gods, of course. It is a security measure. I told you first Ashlynn, so that you could tell the others. I thought you might do a better job than I could. Ashlynn, I really am sorry..."
"Sorry!" she snapped, "Sorry that my life has been completely turned upside down! Sorry that any hope I might have had of ever having a normal life again is gone! Sorry that I have to live until the goddamned end of time without Jay! Well guess what Raiden, sorry isn't helping me!"
Raiden wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry for a few minutes. When she looked up, her face was soaked.
"I'm sorry," she sniffled, "I didn't mean that."
Raiden shook his head, "It's fine. But Ashlynn, you must be strong, especially for your daughters."
"That's the problem," she said, "I'm not strong. I know everyone expects me to be the leader or whatever but...but I'm really not as strong as you think I am."
"You and the others are all strong in your own ways," Raiden said, "One person's strength can compliment another's weakness. Don't you see? You were chosen the moment you were born. You and your friends were destined to meet, it was all planned out by the Elder Gods. Everything that has happened in your lives has lead up to this, it has prepared you for this task. Even Jay Yung's death, eventually you will be stronger because of it. I'm afraid I must leave you now, tell the others the situation."
He nodded and smiled one last time before disappearing. Ashlynn massaged her head, making her way toward the campfire. She walked straight past Quan Chi, who grabbed her arm and pulled her back to face him. She couldn't let herself cry anymore, so she took a deep breath.
"What?" she asked evenly.
"Where will you go?" the sorcerer asked, he'd been listening in on her conversation with Raiden.
"I don't know," Ashlynn said, "And why do you care?"
"I was just asking..."
"I'm still trying to process everything," she admitted, "And my head hurts, and I just want to get some sleep, so excuse me."
She tried to walk away, but he wouldn't let her go.
"I am sorry," he said, "About Jay Yung..."
Ashlynn eyes narrowed, "No you're not. You have no reason to be."
The sorcerer sighed, unsure of what exactly he was trying to say.
"All right," he said, "Let me put it this way. I am not sorry about Jay Yung's death, but I am sorry that it is causing you so much pain."
Ashlynn blinked rapidly, sure that this was just some strange dream and she would wake up soon.
"What the hell happened to you?" was all she managed to say.
Quan Chi raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
"I mean what happened to the power hungry maniac who tried to kill me a few years ago?" she asked.
The sorcerer wasn't sure how to explain it to her, because he could hardly understand it himself.
"As I have told you," he said, "I do not know what happened. After you defeated me I...felt different. You have changed me somehow Ashlynn, and I am not so sure that is a good thing."
"Trust me," Ashlynn said, "That's a very good thing."
He smiled slightly, but it faded quickly.
"You have not answered my question," he said, "Where will you go?"
Ashlynn sighed, frustrated with his persistence, "I don't know..."
"You do not have forever."
"I really don't know I mean-
"Come with me."
He stopped, shocked that he had said that. He hadn't meant to...
"You're kidding right?" Ashlynn said, laughing.
His face remained serious, "Why would you think that? Where else do you have to go?"
Ashlynn hook her head, unable to absorb anything else.
"Just...let me think about it okay?"
The next morning...
"I can't do this!" Amilee shouted, "This is so not fair!"
Ashlynn had just given them the news, and they were not happy, to say the least. Cherin had started crying, knowing she could never return to her home in L.A. Her head was buried in Stryker's shoulder now. Everyone had begun to discuss where they would go now that they couldn't return home. Amilee had finally decided to travel to the Lin Kuei Headquarters with Sub-Zero, in the frozen north of Outworld. Cherin and Stryker were planning to head back to his old hut, and Cherin had insisted that they add on to it. Maria, on the other hand, had no clue what she was supposed to do. Finally, she looked at Jax, Sonya, and Sarah, who were heading back to the OIA base.
"You could come with us Mia," Sarah said, seeing the look on her face.
Maria shook her head, "No, I really don't think that's the right place for me..."
"Yeah," Jax said, "You'd never survive."
Maria punched him playfully, "I really don't know what to do."
Suddenly Ashlynn smiled, an idea coming to her.
"The temple of the Elder Gods," she said, "They could train you to be a priestess, I mean you're already a great healer."
Maria shrugged, it was the only good idea she'd heard so far.
"I guess..." she said.
"Ashlynn."
Ashlynn jumped, Quan Chi was standing behind her.
"Have you decided?" he asked.
She stood up, nodding.
"Yeah," she said, "I...We don't have anywhere else to go so..."
"Good," he said, a little too enthusiastically for his own liking, "Then we should be going."
A few days later...
Ashlynn hadn't sleeping well for the last few nights. Every night she would wake, expecting to see Jay asleep beside her, and when he wasn't there she would dissolve into tears. During the day, she wandered around the fortress, lost in thought. Now, once again unable to sleep, she was standing in the courtyard, staring at the sky.
"I love you Jay," she said quietly.
Feeling someone watching her, she turned. Sure enough, Quan Chi was standing not five feet from her, leaning casually against a statue. He said nothing, he just stood there, staring at her.
"Do you want something?" Ashlynn asked finally.
"Will you be all right?" he asked, walking toward her.
She swallowed, then nodded, lowering her eyes.
"It'll take a while," she said, "But I'll be okay."
"Good," the sorcerer said, "You are not acting like yourself."
Ashlynn couldn't help but smile, "Is this you trying to comfort me?"
He shrugged, "Possibly..."
"You're not good at it," Ashlynn laughed.
"I realize that..."
"You really don't have to do it," she said, "I'll be fine by myself."
He started to reply, but was interrupted when Arilayn and Rhapsody came running into the courtyard, looking worried.
"What's wrong?" Ashlynn asked.
"Scorpion is here," Arilayn said, "On the bridge."
"When saw him from our window," Rhapsody added.
Quan Chi began to make his way past her, but Ashlynn stopped him.
"Let me take care of it."
Once through the fortress doors, she found Scorpion standing silently at the end of the bridge. The guards had been blocking his path, but it didn't seem as if he would attack them, he only looked annoyed. He turned his head as Ashlynn approached.
"Why are you here?" she asked, signaling for the guards to lower their spears.
"I could ask you the same question," the ninja replied.
"I'm here because I had nowhere else to go," she told him.
He seemed skeptical, "Really?"
"Yes," she said, "But I asked why you were here."
"Because I need to ask you something," Scorpion said, "I have been trying to explain that to these idiot guards of yours."
Ashlynn crossed her arms, "Go ahead."
Scorpion sighed, "Do you know where Maria is?"
Ashlynn nodded, "The temple of the Elder Gods, training to be a priestess."
"I...I want to talk to her but..." he paused.
"But what?" Ashlynn asked, "Go see her."
"You know it's not as simple as that," he said, "She will never forgive me for what I have done. The guilt...has been killing me."
Ashlynn shrugged, "Maria is a forgiving person. It may take time, you'll have to patient."
Scorpion nodded.
"Thank you Ashlynn," he said hesitantly.
In a flash of fire, he was gone. Ashlynn turned, and was startled to see Quan Chi not two feet from her.
"You forgave him so easily," the sorcerer said.
"I know what he did was horrible," she said, "But...he only wanted to bring his family back."
Quan Chi shook his head, "That is your problem Ashlynn, you are so willing to forgive."
"If I wasn't," Ashlynn said, walking past him, "I wouldn't be here."
The End
Be sure to read part 2 of the Mortal Kombat Chronicles, it's called Mortal Kombat:Destiny, I'm still working on it but it will be up shortly. Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story, good and bad, I appreciate it and I think it's made the story better.