"I so wish you did not have to go," the old woman said to the twenty-something-year-old man as he tightened his red headband.

"As do I, Meixiu," he replied as he turned back to face her. "But, unfortunately, I must. It is my duty."

"I know," Meixiu sighed. "But, I have always feared that you will face a foe unlike any ever seen in Earthrealm. And that you will not return to me."

He smiled and lifted her chin with his finger. "Once was a time when your greatest fear was that it was you who would be the one to leave me alone."

"If you emerge victorious again, then I will be."

"But if I lose, we will be together again before too long." Despite the morbidity of the thought, Meixiu couldn't help but smile a little.

"I just cannot shake this feeling that the sorcerer will have found some new source of power to tip the scales in his favour."

"There is no doubt in my mind that he has not spent the last fifty years sitting idly by for his chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his emperor. Perhaps I will overcome him; perhaps not. At the very least, through my death, the next generation might find inspiration, or the key to defeating this potential new power."

Meixiu shook her head. "Why must you always think of the bigger picture? Can you not think for once of how your death would affect your children?"

He held out a hand, which she reluctantly took, and pulled her in close. "Meixiu. When I was preparing for the last tournament, it was not the high likelihood of death that gnawed away at my mind. It was the knowledge that the immortality bestowed upon the champion by the Elder Gods would mean I would outlive all of my loved ones and die alone. My confidence in my own abilities was hampered by this undeniable fact. But then, on the night before I departed, you appeared before me. You told me that you loved me, had always loved me, ever since we were children."

"I worried that I would never have another chance to tell you," Meixiu explained, a dreamlike expression playing across her features. "And then you promised we would marry upon your return."

"And I promised that I would always love you. And I will never break that promise." He leaned in and kissed his wife. "Never."

"You are just as handsome as the day we were wed."

"And like a fine wine, you have only grown more beautiful with age. Whatever the outcome, our time apart will be nothing in the face of the eternity we will share together afterward. I love you, Kung Meixiu."

"And I you, Kung Lao."


"Who is that, Cousin Lao?" the young boy asked, pointing up towards the centuries old family portrait that hung on the wall of the Kung Family's ancestral home, standing twice as tall as he was.

"That is our ancestor, Jin," his older companion explained. "The Great Kung Lao."

"Wooow..." the four year old responded in awe. "I didn't know he had no hair!"

"Heh. It's tradition among the Shaolin."

"But you and Cousin Kang aren't bald."

"No. He and I are members of the White Lotus Society. Certain Shaolin traditions are relaxed to allow us to focus more on kombat training."

"Are you going to compete in the tournament?" Jin asked, excitedly.

"...Perhaps. Master Bo' Rai Cho says our cousin and I are his star pupils, and one of use is expected to compete, based on our lineage."

"So, you're going to save Earthrealm from Shang Tsung? You're going to defeat Goro?"

"...Yes, Jin." Lao replied uneasily. "Yes, we are."

"Are you going to wear our ancestor's ceremonial hat when you do it?"

"If I am chosen to compete, yes. If Kang is chosen, he will likely stick to his martial arts and dragon fire."

"Who are those two with Kung Lao?" The boy was pointing up towards the man and the woman flanking their ancestor. While he appeared to be in his twenties, his companions appeared at least twice that. "Are those his parents?"

"No, Jin, those are Kung Zian and Kung Xiaohui, Kung Lao's son and daughter."

Jin looked up at Lao, incredulous. "But they're so much older than he is."

"That is because the champion of Mortal Kombat does not age until the next tournament - a gift bestowed by the Elder Gods themselves - lest Earthrealm's champions be forced to defend their title with the body of a seventy-year-old or older."

"Wow. Did he outlive his children?"

"Not quite. Kung Lao was killed by Prince Goro of the Shokan in his second tournament, fifty years after his victory. This portrait was taken mere days before Kung Lao departed towards his death. His wife, Kung Meixiu, fell into a deep depression upon hearing the news, and died soon after. Kung Xiaohui departed the region with her husband and disappeared from historical records. Kung Zian took command of the White Lotus to train the next generation of warriors. His grandson, Kung Chao, began the tradition of one of Kung Lao's descendants competing in each tournament."

"Goro must be pretty strong to be able to beat Kung Lao, huh?"

"Yes. It is said the Shokan possess the strength of ten men; and those of the royal bloodline more than that. An exaggeration, no doubt, but I believe the claim that Kung Lao's death was quick, at least."

This wasn't entirely true. While there was no doubt Goro could kill any man painlessly if he desired, the Prince was also very prideful and very confident in his abilities. So much so, that he had eventually taken to giving himself various handicaps to make his battles more entertaining, for himself moreso than the crowds.

"But none of our line have been able to defeat Goro yet? And if Goro wins again, Earthrealm will be invaded by Outworld?"

Lao lowered himself to one knee and placed a hand on the boy's head. "Yes. But our cousin and I will make sure that doesn't happen. Goro will feel the vengeance of the Kung lineage. Kung Lao, Kung Chao, Kung Chen, Kung Jian, Kung Delun, Kung Lei, Kung Xifeng, Kung Ping, and Grandfather Kung Xiaosi will all be avenged this time."

The look of hope and joy in the boy's eyes reinvigorated Lao's determination, driving him to push himself harder in preparation for the tournament that would determine the fate of Earthrealm. Had Jin been born fifteen years earlier, no doubt, Kung Nianzu would have impressed as much a sense of duty and responsibility to compete on his bother's son as he did his own, which made Lao grateful that this was not the case.

"Cousin Kang is also descended from Kung Lao, right?" the boy asked.

"Yes. Grandfather Xiaosi's sister, Qiuyue, married Liu Longwei. Their son, Liu Lee, and his wife, Liu Lin, produced Liu Kang and Liu Chow."

"Cousin Kang has a brother?"

"He does, though his whereabouts are unknown. He disappeared some time following his parents' deaths, before you were born. Even Lord Raiden doesn't know where he is."

"Is he a good fighter?"

"Somewhat. He pales in comparison to his brother, however. I sometimes wonder if that sense of inferiority is why he left."

Jin remained silent for a moment, thoughtfully. After a while, he asked another question. "Cousin Lao? If Kung Lao was Shaolin, then how did he have children? I thought Shaolin were supposed to be celibate."

"Oh. Yes, well, after his victory, exceptions were allowed for certain traditions, similarly to the traditions regarding hair. Marriage and reproduction are allowed to our line in the hopes that our genes may hold the key to defending Earthrealm."

"So, if the rules are waived for those training for the tournament, if I join the Shaolin, I'd have to be bald too?"

Lao chuckled. "That's right, Jin. You won't be competing in a tournament, though your son some day might."

"I don't want to be bald," Jin replied, placing both hands down firmly on the top of his head. "I like my hair."

Lao shook his head with a smile. 'Better to lose your hair than your life,' he thought, placing his hand on Jin's head and ruffling his hair.

"Come, Jin. Master Bo' Rai Cho will be teaching a class soon. I will ask if he will allow you to take part."

The boy's eyes lit up like lanterns at this. "Really!? Cousin Lao, you're the best!" He hugged his cousin around the waist.

"And afterwards, I will teach you how to properly hold a bow."

"You know how to wield a bow, Cousin Lao?"

"I do. While I don't wield one myself, it is a strong foundation for any ranged kombat style."

Jin looked up, confused. "But you don't wield a..." He trailed off as Lao ran his hand along the razor-sharp rim of his hat, with a wink and a knowing smile. "Whoa..."

Lao took his young cousin by the hand and led him out of the room, sparing one last glance back toward the portrait of Kung Lao, the one who had started it all. He would be the one to avenge his ancestors and save Earthrealm from Shao Kahn's evil. Even the prodigy, Liu Kang, would not stand in his way.


I made this one because I wanted to flesh out my ideas for the history of the Kung family, and find the unaging aspect of the MK champion so fascinating. In a way, Liu Kang and the Edenian Kitana are made for each other because of this.

Fun Fact: Liu Kang's bio in the MK1 prequel comic is under the impression that Kang is the family name, rendering his relatives as Lee, Lin and Chow Kang. I guess the newer games can fix things if they try hard enough...