A/N: Hello, everyone. Hope everything is going well for you all. A quick note before I begin. Amaterasu is going to have a more prominent role now that her wife is dead. So I'd suggest getting used to her.

Last time on Gone, but Not Forgotten, Shinnok commenced his invasion and was within arm's length of imprisoning Raiden. As well as killing Mai, Fujin, and a severely weakened Kim. That was due to her patron god Tsukiyomi's death by Quan Chi. Thanks to a surprise interception by Callie, Dakini, and their allies, the roles were reversed. And Shinnok was imprisoned in his amulet. Quan Chi escaped, however.

To add to the madness, Kim's birth parents were revealed, and Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi's true relationship was brought to light. The Sun and Moon Goddesses were married for millennia. Kim herself is a demi-goddess. With the invasion dying down slowly, what will happen next?

Let's find out!

The Maddox Cottage, Edenia, 9:00 PM: One Day Later

Xan's POV

The road to Benjamin and Callie's former home was long and off the beaten path. They told me the house was hidden from public view was because their parents hid from Jerrod and the soldiers he commandeered. Before, Mrs. Maddox was living in her family sector of the realm. But due to publicly speaking out against the Royal Family, they put most of them to death. They even got to her husband, who convinced her to fake her death. Jade must have quite the silver tongue if she convinced them all to come back here after all of that. If it were me, I'd never step foot in this realm again if that's how it treated me. I suppose that's why Callie rarely comes here despite being instrumental in Edenia's freedom.

Why am I here? I spend my time off here since that's where my girlfriend is.

The people do not like the fact that both princesses are intimate with foreigners. They won't say it to my face since they also revealed what I do and my skillset, so they know better than to lash out verbally when I'm in the vicinity. I initially advised against letting the public know of my relationship with Mileena and Kitana with Liu Kang. Even Jade was on board with the idea. Suppose it weren't for the Royal Family revealing the alliance between Edenia, Earthrealm, and the Netherrealm beforehand. In that case, the people might've rioted, and people would have been killed. The Dacarthi Family doesn't play is something I learned in my stays here.

Finally, finding the hidden stone road that takes me away from the public streets was easy to miss, even with following Mrs. Maddox's directions to the letter. The path itself was thin, barely enough to fit one person horizontally. Anyone following has to walk behind or sneak through the thick forests that decorate the path's outer parts.

Shana stayed with me and rarely left my side unless I told her. She's been an obedient girl since her adoption and is her happiest since. One thing about Shana, funnily enough. The people love her. It's because of Shana that the people are warming up to me. I guess they don't have Shiba-Inus or Hokkaidos here in Edenia, let alone a mix of the two. Though it's small, Shana played a part in relaxing the Edenian people.

Finally reaching the end of the path, I saw a small gray cottage in the distance. Very modest-looking, a second floor part of the design despite being in the middle of a forest. A small pond to our right was there, but no life was there except some lily pads.

"This is well hidden. I wonder how long it took for them to get found?"

"I have no clue, but I wouldn't have found it if I didn't appear in your vicinity." A feminine voice said.

I looked to my right and saw Amaterasu, a light smile on her face. "Lady Sun!" I bowed. "I wasn't expecting to see you."

"For the last time, Xan, cease with the formalities. I'm here with good news. Shinnok has been imprisoned in his amulet, and the invasion has reduced, as a result."

"That is great news. A shame I couldn't help."

"No, no, no. You need to relax and enjoy some peace. Though I do need your assistance with something else."

"Let's talk about it inside," I said while walking up to the cottage door, Amaterasu and Shana behind me.

"I concur. I could use a drink."

"I didn't know you partake, Amaterasu-sama."

"My younger brothers and Kimura have convinced me to at least drink in times of celebration."

"Then I'll drink with you." I looked at Shana and could tell she was tired after petting the top of her head as she panted in approval. "You can rest, Shana. I'm not going anywhere."

Shana gave a light bark before heading to her bed, spinning around to get comfortable. She laid down and was instantly asleep. I grabbed some sake from the pantry then went to retrieve some drinking glasses.

Amaterasu stopped me. "No need." I turned to see two drinking plates. "I came prepared. Let's drink outside."

"After you," I responded, taking the sake as she took the plates. We sat on the cottage steps.

"Edenia sure is serene. It reminds me of the bamboo forest you used to raise Kimura. Tsuki and I never had many opportunities to visit Edenia when she was separated millennia ago. But every time we came here, we milked our time for what it's worth just to take in some of the scenery," Amaterasu spoke as I poured some sake on our plates.

"That's what I said when I first saw the landscape. A rush of familiarity ran through me when I first arrived here with the others." I then noticed the elephant in the room. "Where is Lady Moon, anyway? It's not like her to miss out on drinking, especially with me."

Amaterasu paused as her expression saddened. No way.

"No... It can't be." I guessed.

"Your guess is correct. Tsuki is gone, killed by Quan Chi during the attack on the Sky Temple. An act of vengeance for her defeating Shinnok millennia ago."

I couldn't believe it. Lady Moon, dead...?

"And Quan Chi escaped. You still prefer me to be here? Relaxing when I could've been helping? You do realize that if I was there, Lady Moon would've had a better chance of surviving?" I reminded her.

"We were all adamant in giving you your peace because we all agreed that you deserved it. Tsuki knew the risks and was the most for it," Amaterasu defended her twin without hesitation. "But some time with you isn't the only reason why I'm here. Xan, I have been withholding information that you should've known for centuries. Now, I'm here to come clean with Tsuki gone."

"What are you talking about, Amaterasu-sama?"

"First. Tsuki and I... aren't twins. We are betrothed to each other and have been united under matrimony for millennia."

The look of shock on my face would've shaken this realm to the core. "What? How come you never told Kim or me?"

"We... we were afraid of your reaction. Considering you and Kimura come from an era where something like that was frowned upon. We expected you to be against the notion, if not disgusted."

"Never. I judge people on the content of their character, not their sexual orientation. Plus, you've never been to a Japanese brothel before. Orgies back then were as common as death. And if I think this way, Kim probably does the same."

"I see. I apologize for thinking less of you," she apologized. "As for the other truth, I know the identity of Kimura's birth mother."

"You do? I doubt Kim would want to know that. She vehemently abhors her birth mother, whoever she may be."

"She didn't seem that way when I told her. In fact, you knew her when she was alive," Amaterasu admitted.

"I did? Who was she?"

"Xianghua."

"Amaterasu-sama, you must be drunk. There's no possible way Xianghua is Kim's birth mother. That would make me Kim's birth father."

"Well, allow me to explain." She remained calm while drinking her sake.

So, Xianghua was the reincarnation of Lady Uzume, who's the goddess of dawn, dance, and humor. All of which described Kim perfectly. Which also explained Xianghua's bubbly and optimistic personality.

"To think that a deity would fall in love with me. Did Xianghua know that she was Lady Uzume's reincarnation?"

"She knew when I told her. It was like a bank of lost memories returned to her, and that's when she became adamant about becoming yours. Xianghua was driven before, but my reminder only multiplied her drive. Then one night, you unknowingly got her pregnant. And with that knowledge, she made up her mind. A month before her political marriage, she went to the orphanage where you were adopted by Ms. Mani and left Kimura there. You know the rest."

"Wow..." That was all that left me. "So not only is Kim, my birth daughter..."

"With the woman you first loved."

"She's also a demi-goddess?"

"Yes. But the cost of that information was high since it took Tsuki's death for me to reveal the truth. On top of Kimura's near-death experience due to Tsuki's passing. It took giving her soul up willingly to Kimura to save her life. One of these days, she's going to receive all of Tsuki's powers to make up for losing the powers Tsuki gave her."

I drank the sake on my plate before pouring some more. Amaterasu motioned to pour some more in hers as well, to which I complied.

"So, what happened to my blessings?"

"You still have them. I blessed you, not Tsuki. Your powers no longer have Tsuki's influence on them. Try summoning your fire or your Jian," she instructed.

I decided to do the latter, opening my free hand. Eventually, the Jian materialized in a shroud of Blue Flames.

"Blue Fire? I expected your flames to be purple."

"Perhaps it's my contamination of Abyss's soul that caused them to turn blue as opposed to purple." I made the Jian disappear before taking another drink. "What an eye-opening day. I had a feeling something was amiss as I raised Kim. We were always close like a blood daughter and father, but now I know it's because she's my actual biological child."

"Do you think Kimura will think any different of you?"

"I don't think so. You can't just reverse 99 years of parenthood just because of some things that neither of us knew," I answered honestly. "But what of you, Amaterasu-sama? Your lover is no longer among us. What will you do now in terms of companionship?"

"Alas, I have no idea. For the first time since we were wed, I am alone. Tsuki stated that you and Kimura are more than enough to help me fill the hole she left. But I personally wish to leave you to your romance with Mileena as you bring about the best in each other."

"Well," I started while pouring another cup. "I think you should spend more time with Kim. Romantically speaking, of course."

"Truly? Why do you say that?"

"When her training was finished on her 100th birthday, we shared a drink on the front porch in the bamboo forest. Much like we're doing now. She was heading out in the morning. But for the first time since I adopted her, she seemed nervous, afraid of going out on her own without me. That was when I realized that while we both may be immortal, we're still human and feel humane things. That's why she wished to train with me more. But Kimura was having doubts, stating that she didn't want to be alone now that she received someone who genuinely loved and wished the best for her. She had the tone of it being just at that moment, but I knew that she's afraid of being alone long-term."

Amaterasu listened intently as I continued explaining.

"I reassured her that I will always be here if she needs me. Her smile returned, and we continued to drink until we both passed out on the porch." I chuckled from the fond memory. "Amaterasu-sama, you've just lost your lover. It may take some self-persuading on her end physically, but I have without a shadow of a doubt that she'd be all for it. It'll save you from being a recluse like me and save Kim from her worst fear. I don't see any reason as to why you shouldn't pursue her."

"I see."

"Exactly," I said before drinking again. "I don't want to say anything that'll get me smitten, but Kim might love you more than Lady Moon would. Maybe that's why Tsukiyomi-sama was so adamant in giving Kim her soul."

"I understand. You are right, Xan. I thank you for sharing your wisdom with me."

"Anything for you, milady."

"Though if I pursue your daughter, you really need to stop referring to me with the honorifics."

"You make a fair point. You have my blessing, Amaterasu-san," I referred to her as an equal.

"Thank you, Xan."

"Of course. Now, what's this about a job you want me to do?" I asked.

Callie's POV

I had no time to relax with Skarlet or Lao since Raiden all but invaded my house in California the following day. He gathered the others and told me they were marching to the Netherrealm to finish Quan Chi off. While I wanted to rest after an eventful night yesterday, I all but jumped at the opportunity to finish this war since Shinnok got pinched in his own Amulet. That weakened Quan Chi's power significantly. I wanted to bring Skarlet along, but Raiden didn't want too many people down there. Earthrealm, the Netherrealm, and Edenia are part of a joint alliance, so I don't see why Duffeck would mind.

Dakini would have tagged along, but Nightwolves are barred from entering the Netherrealm. And with Dakini only being a teen physically, traversing the Netherrealm will revert her back to her actual age and form. 302 and a baby who could barely walk. (The last thing I need is Benji, Jade, and Sareena chastising me over what happened to their daughter. They have their own stuff to deal with as is)

But in Skarlet and Dakini's stead... we have Kim and Amaterasu.

I made a pass at going to Edenia to get Xan, but Kim and Amaterasu instantly refused to do so. It was a real surprise, considering that Kim almost died last night while Amaterasu lost her sister, who turned out to be her wife. Both were adamant about coming with my small group, Raiden, Johnny, and Sonya. As for why we can march into the Netherrealm and find Quan Chi's lair, Duffeck and Uncle Okada scouted the area while we defend Earthrealm. They informed Raiden, and he retrieved me. Guess he's stuck with doing small-time jobs for now.

"Callie?" Amaterasu called my name as we marched deeper into Hell's depths.

"Amaterasu, what is it?"

"I was just going to say that I look forward to working with you. We seldom have contact or conversation, leaving a possible impression of me based on my brothers' words if you even asked them."

She reached for a handshake, to which I accepted. This was clearly a far departure from my first conversation with Raiden. I can see who Fujin takes more inspiration from.

"You clearly act more like Fujin than Raiden, Amaterasu."

"Fujin acts more like me, you mean. I'm older than him and Raijin."

"Excuse my possible ignorance, but you don't look older."

"A fair assumption given my height and the heights Raiden and Fujin choose to give themselves."

I studied her physiology. Amaterasu was slightly taller than me and had fair skin with black hair tied into a low ponytail. She looked like a Japanese supermodel in terms of facial appearance. No one would know that she was a deity if you've never met her.

"I'm confused. The heights that they give themselves. What do you mean by that?"

"The forms that Fujin and Raijin take or assume are of their choosing. They choose to look like gods, which is quite selfish considering they spend most of their time with mortals. I understand a hierarchy must be placed, but changing your eye color is a bit much. Despite not making much contact with the mortal world, I still choose to look like a mortal. It's easier to ease other people if I look like them."

"So why choose to look like this?"

"This is the facial features of a Japanese woman. Pale skin, black hair, dark-brown eyes. I'm a Japanese deity, the leader of the Japanese Pantheon specifically. Naturally, I decided to look like a Japanese woman as a result."

"But what about Kim's mom?"

"Uzume-chan?"

"Yeah. She's a Japanese deity."

"Correct."

"So, how did she reincarnate into a Chinese woman?"

"When choosing between reincarnation and resurrection, deities have no control over who they reincarnate into. Nor initially have the memories of their life until another deity reminds them of their divine lives as I did with Uzume when she was Xianghua. However, they do share the same personality traits. Optimistic, bubbly, and graceful in whatever their profession is."

"You're very good at explaining things, Amaterasu."

She chuckled. "I'm well versed in dialogue as the founder of Shinto, on top of my parents being the creators of Japan. Nearly as experienced as my kombat skill as you will most likely see shortly."

That was certainly an eye-opening conversation. I learned a lot from that chat with the Sun Goddess.

We continued the march on to Quan Chi's lair and finally reached his fortress. It fitted the demon being decrepit and gross looking. Despite the interior's unsettling design, there was an attempt at decoration with the lights and lanterns, albeit a terrible one. An A for effort, I suppose. As we trekked through the lair, we quickly noticed the place was empty. Quan Chi and his cronies must be out for the time being.

"Did we miss him?" I asked aloud.

"If so, he cannot be far from here. Let us continue the trek as we may find some useful information," Raiden said.

Continuing through the lair, we found the center with a view of the hellish wastes. Some tomes were on the shelves with a couple of chests. The two most interesting pieces we found there was a pit of blood.

Kim took a whiff of it and immediately retched. "Why'd I do that?"

"Good question, Kim. But I think that's where Quan Chi makes his revenants."

"Tch. Repeated crimes against nature without a care in the world. The man clearly is the scum of the Earth," Amaterasu commented bitterly.

"Well, of course, Ama-sama. He is from hell, after all," Kim quipped.

We all paused on the other thing that caught our attention.

"What the hell?" Sonya said

Everyone else might as well have shared the same thought. Shao Kahn's Armor...

"What the hell is right, Boss Lady. What is Shao Kahn's armor doin' here?"

"I had a feeling that the Imposter found the location to my base. But to think he did it so soon."

We all whirled to see Quan Chi along with Smoke, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and another revenant I didn't recognize.

Sonya did though. "Kabal."

"Surprised to see me, General?"

Sub-Zero and Scorpion saw Kim, both displeased as they could with their mask coverings.

"Spawn of the Edgemaster," Scorpion seethed.

"Shio Kimura," Sub-Zero spoke coldly.

Kim sported a cocky smirk. "You two losers seem to recover fast. You would think getting sent to a deeper sphere of hell and being eviscerated would hold you two off for a little longer."

"I thought your patron deity's death would have killed you."

"Tsu-sama gave her life to save mine, Milk-for-Skin. Only fair that I'm present to see her avenged in your embarrassment."

"My feelings are of a similar sentiment, Champion of the Moon Goddess. I promised Lord Shinnok that Tsukiyomi and all under blessings be erased in his name. You are a living example of my failure. But your attitude in tandem with your skill has earned you a lot of enemies and many allies," Quan Chi said in an almost admirable tone. "As promised, I'll make your death slow and painful. But that will come when you have no allies left."

Scorpion jumped over the barricade and grabbed his swords in anticipation of his rematch with Kim.

Amaterasu stepped in his way, a hand over her katana's scabbard. "If you wish for an opponent, Spectre, I will oblige you."

"And who are you to say such a thing to me, woman?"

"The Shirai Ryu's founder." She said in a deadpan tone causing Scorpion to wince on reaction.

He then growled. "Impossible! The Shirai Ryu was found by my ancestor, not a woman who has clearly lost sense!"

"Truly? Also, be careful who you spite, spectre," Amaterasu calmly countered as she showed the end of her scarf, the Shirai Ryu insignia embedded there. "You insult a Goddess and leader of the Japanese Pantheon, no less. I watched Shirai Ryu's time since I turned it over to your great grandfather. I was proud of what the Shirai Ryu became. Until you let your anger cloud your judgment."

"Sub-Zero deserved to die."

"Truly? Your rash decisions prevented my clan from coming back to the living world. All over the death of the wrong killer."

"What are you talking about, woman!?"

"I've said too much as I've made your master uncomfortable, Scorpion." She pointed out that Quan Chi looked visibly unsettled from that last comment. "But since you annoyed me with your sexism, I'll allow the doubt to simmer in your mind while I display what the strength of a true deity looks like."

She pulled her Katana out with a satisfying sound and adopted Hasso-no-kamae.

"Well, it would seem the Sun Goddess has found herself an opponent. Sub-Zero, Kabal. I suggest you do the same. I recommend Kimura and Messenger. As for you, Mr. Cage."

Quan Chi snapped his fingers just as Kabal disappeared in an instant. Out of the blue, he reappeared and stabbed Johnny's neck as he spilled on the floor. The blood pit confirmed my earlier prediction as a demented form of Johnny formed from inside. Quan Chi cackled in his assumed victory and attainment of a new revenant.

"Quan Chi, you bastard!" I yelled and shot a bullet in his direction, but he was saved by Sub-Zero.

Sonya stepped up. "Sergeant, I will deal with Kabal. Bastard made this personal."

"Fine with me, Sonya. Kim?"

"I'll fight Freezer Boy, Sarge."

"I'll prevent Johnny Cage's death. Just stall the others long enough for me to revert the damage," Raiden announced.

"Say no more, Raiden. Quan Chi! You have a date with a Messenger, and it would be very unwise to be later than you already are!"

"Allow me to apologize for my rudeness, Messenger." He approached me with murderous intent in his gaze. "By giving you a proper burial."

Amaterasu's POV

While I would love to take borderline sadistic pleasure in butchering Shinnok's lapdog into a white paste, I'm afraid I must leave that duty to Callie. I have the utmost faith in her ability. But I do want some lashes of my own against the sorcerer, so I'll make it a point to finish my battle with Hasashi quickly. Well, perhaps I can have some levity at his expense. We shall soon see.

"Whenever you're ready, Scorpion."

"I will deflate your confidence, woman."

I chuckled and mocked him with a smooth rebuttal. "Sure, child."

He growled and pounced at me with his dual wakizashi. Quite the aggressive one, isn't he? I thought Xan was exaggerating about his assessment, but he's right on point. Attack relentlessly, so the inexperienced believe there's no fault in your offense. Tch, Scorpion really is underestimating me because of my appearance. Both the Shios have proved me wrong within a minute.

Finding an opening, I slashed vertically and nearly sliced his abdomen open as Scorpion spilled to the floor. He quickly got up and teleported out of my line of sight. He thinks he's smart but clearly doesn't know who he's battling. I pulled him out of his teleport and threw him back on the floor.

"Come now, Scorpion. You cannot bark as you have and leave such a soft bite. Perhaps a change in stance will motivate you." I changed to the stance that Xan used before he defeated my current opponent, failing to hide my smirk.

He blew a gasket. "You dare mock me, woman!?" He blew a gasket.

"And if I am?"

Scorpion attacked with visible anger. I had little difficulty in blocking and clashing every attack. Looking at the reflection of his blade, I noticed Quan Chi sneaking up on me from behind. Does this sly bastard think he can get me like he did Tsuki? I will have his damn head for this ignorance. Easily overpowering Scorpion and throwing him off balance, I viciously slashed his chest again before turning the blade and savagely stabbing Quan Chi in the abdomen. Before Scorpion could retaliate, I kicked him in his chest wound, causing him to fall on the floor.

I turned to face him, sinking my sword deeper into the spineless fool's stomach. "You clearly must think me an idiot, Quan Chi. I saw you approach through your lackey's blade. I'm more experienced in the art of war than you can ever possibly imagine!"

Callie hooked him back with her Scythe as he collided with Kabal, who was winding up to attack Ms. Blade. The distraction allowed her to achieve victory against the former Black Dragon member.

Turning back to my opponent, I saw Scorpion slowly getting back up.

"On your feet, Scorpion. I don't think you can disappoint me any more than you already have."

"You will regret openly showing such hubris, woman."

"Please, boy. The only regret I have is having to clean your blood off my robes as I just washed these. Flailing your swords about like a child. Where is your discipline?"

"I have power, the only thing I need."

"Clearly, you don't understand the situation you're currently in." My killing intent heightened. "Allow me to end your suffering."

The moment Scorpion stood on his two feet, I rushed at him.

My strikes landed on the two wounds I gave him earlier as he stood helplessly against my assault. His body was weakened as he dropped his weapons. With one final slash, Scorpion crashed against the floor all but dead, my blade drenched in his blood. Disappointed in what Quan Chi has done to this man, I tossed his blood off my sword as I sheathed it.

"If you know what's good for you, Spectre, I suggest staying on the floor," I said dismissively.

Turning to view the others, they're faring just as well as I was.

Kimura was in the middle of a clash with Sub-Zero. She soon, after I started watching, disarmed Sub-Zero of his ice blade and landed a blow against his abdomen that nearly separated him in two.

She leaned at his fallen body with a grin and laughed. "Deja vu, huh, Ice Box?"

Her swordplay was always something to be admired. "Well done, Kimura."

"I can say the same to you, Ama-sama."

We both looked at Quan Chi and Callie, the former on the ground. Then, Sonya started stomping on his chest. Oh, wow. She's really getting into it.

Kimura, finding humor in the sorcerer's suffering, started laughing at the transpiring events. "Alright, now stomp him in the groin."

*CRUNCH*

"Haha! She actually did it!" Kimura responded in elation.

She's undoubtedly like her mother in the cheery department. That's when I remembered what her father told me. He gave me his blessing to pursue her romantically. I immediately felt my spine tingle from the thought.

Quitely clearing my throat, I summoned enough courage and intertwined our free hands together. Kimura glanced down at her locked hand, then at me. Putting two and two together, she smiled warmly, causing me to blush lightly. Summoning some more courage, I kissed her cheek as redness appeared on her face, which made her blush in response.

We unlocked our hands but moved towards Callie and Sonya. Turning my katana to a fan, I started fanning myself as we joined them.

Callie noticed my fan and pointed it out. "Amaterasu, why are you fanning yourself?"

"Why else? It is hot." I joked.

That got some chuckles from her and Kimura. "I see where Kim got her sense of humor from."

She isn't wrong there.

"But what should we do with this idiot?"

"I say we kill him. He isn't human; therefore, he shouldn't be held to humane laws. Earth will be safer, and no one would spearhead Shinnok's return," I voiced.

Before anyone could voice their opinions, we noticed a grey figure running down and approaching Raijin.

"Raijin, watch out!" I called for my younger brother by shooting fire at the figure.

He retaliated with smoke, which only intensified the flames to cause a small explosion in the room. Johnny's revenant form was destroyed, and a purifying light swept the room briefly.

"Are you okay, Raijin?"

"I am fine, sister. In destroying the form in the blood pit, I was able to save Johnny Cage's life."

"Hey, check this out!" Kimura called for us while surveying Sub-Zero's unconscious body.

His skin had pigment in it. I then glossed over Scorpion and noticed the same effect.

"That's not the only thing the destruction did. Your electricity in tandem with Quan Chi's dark magic restored the souls of all the revenants present," I noticed. I saw a solid purple light behind me through my peripheral vision, and Quan Chi's body was gone.

"Shit. He got away again."

"We should give chase," Kim suggested.

"No. Without his revenants and Shinnok, he's at his weakest. We'll report to Lord Duffeck about what transpired here, then return to Earthrealm. As far as I know, the invasion is over. The day is won," Raijin declared.

"A shame we couldn't get Quan Chi, but at least we freed the last of the revenants."

"I don't think we planned this far ahead. None of us could've foreseen this happening. What are we going to do with them now?"

"I'm putting Kabal into custody. Maybe he can give us information on Kano's whereabouts."

"I can bring Scorpion to my temple in Japan. Though I'm not looking forward to the conversation when he awakes," I admitted.

"I can come with you," Kimura suggested.

"No, I think I will be enough. Just because his soul is freed doesn't mean he'll change his behavior and opinions."

"You sure about this, Amaterasu?" Callie asked.

"Indulge a grieving widow," I said before picking up Hasashi's unconscious body. "I will take care of him. Even if violence is necessary."

"Sister, I don't think-"

"Raijin. Hanzo is not an orphan that you plucked as some defense mechanism for Earth. He is a man who has been wronged and has wronged others. Words may not be enough. Being diplomatic is an option, not a necessity." I stressed to my younger brother. "I will reconvene with you all later. Since you want to save everyone like some otherworldly messiah, then take Sub-Zero to the Wu-Shi. He is more likely to listen to reason. Brother, General, Callie, Kimura."

I bid my goodbyes as I left the Netherrealm.

Koga's POV

"You see anything out of the ordinary, Captain?"

"Nothing we haven't already noticed, Yao. Hopefully, Ben and his +1 will arrive soon. We can only do so much reconnaissance before we decide to act," I noted to my compatriot. "How're things back home?"

"Much better. My girlfriend finally moved in with me."

"Oh, that's great news! You said you met her at the Dead or Alive Tournament?"

"Yes, I was hired by Interpol to bring in a guy who was the prime suspect of involuntary manslaughter. She wanted to master Martial Arts, so she could exist in the same world as him. So I beat him for her, and I brought him in. We exchanged contact info and eventually started dating. She moved in with me after finishing College. I even watched her walk the stage and met her folks."

"Wow. Good for you."

"Thanks, Captain. Certainly the most normal relationship I've had, but I'm not going to complain," Yao answered as we continued to scout the Red Dragon base. "Captain, I think the cavalry has arrived."

I turned around to see Ben and Jade behind us. "Finally. I was starting to wonder if you were going to show. I hope the trip wasn't too arduous."

"Of course not. It's good to see you, Koga."

We shook hands. "Likewise, Ben." I then kissed Jade's palm. "Mrs. Maddox."

"Please, Koga. Jade will do. We're sorry for keeping you long."

"All is forgiven. Ben, Jade. I'd like you to meet Wuming Yao, a good friend of mine. Yao, this is Ben and Jade Maddox, Patriarch and Matriarch of the Maddox household."

"It's nice to meet you both," Yao greeted them both.

"The pleasure is ours. Where's Ana, Koga?"

"Ana... is in Egypt," I answered reluctantly.

"Huh? Why?" Ben asked.

My face started to sadden, but Yao luckily answered for me. "Ms. Amari's former Boss died, and the Egyptian Army deemed her as the best successor. She was offered the chance to lead the Egyptian Army and accepted. Captain wanted to go with her, but she insisted that this was his job, much like hers. They just said goodbye three days ago. Luckily, the marriage ended on good, if not great terms. Ana made a call to another woman that the Captain loved deeply. She was all too happy to fill the void that Ana left."

"Oh, my God. That's terrible." Jade lent her hand to my shoulder. "I'm deeply sorry, Koga. I shouldn't have pried into it."

"No worries, Jade. I understood she gave up a lot to be with me, so I was overreaching a bit when we got hitched," I responded. "But now that you're here, we can go over the plan."

"Of course. What's the plan?"

"Before Ana and I separated, we scouted Red Dragon Headquarters every day since we first met and surveyed the area. There is only one entrance. Yao, the binoculars."

"Sure, Captain." Yao handed Ben the binoculars.

I directed him toward the one entrance to the base. "We concluded that the front entrance is the only way inside. The guards you see rotate every half an hour. After the guards rotate again, we wait another ten minutes before quickly killing the front guards before taking their uniforms. Daegon only promotes individuality among high ranking members, so they all wear those jumpsuits."

"Alright. After we steal the uniforms, then what?"

"We'll split into two groups with different objectives. Yao and I will be one group while you and Jade form the other."

"What's our goal, Koga?" Jade chimed in.

"You and Ben will take this time to gather as much information on Daegon and the Red Dragon as you possibly can. He's growing more paranoid of the fact that Ben's still alive, so he'll eventually confront you directly. Especially now that his partnership with Outworld is done with Shao Kahn pushing daisies in hell. The only thing stopping him now is the Black Dragon, but he might have to risk it since he really wants you dead." I explained to the Maddox Family.

"And what of you and Yao?"

"We'll be looking for the namesake of Daegon's little clan. The Red Dragon Caro is imprisoned somewhere in the mountain. We'll search for him and retrieve information before freeing Caro of his captivity. This is mostly espionage. If you don't have to jeopardize your position, don't. But I have some additional info if you feel like getting your hands dirty."

"We're listening."

"Your other wife, Sareena's sisters, reside in this base as well. The Red Dragon is allied with Quan Chi and Shinnok. Kia and Jakarta are their names. The former looks like an older, paler version of Sareena, and the latter looks like a black woman with silver hair. Unlike Sareena, they're steadfast in their loyalty to Shinnok's cult. If you run into either of them, I wouldn't be mad if you force fed them a slice of heaven." I suggested killing the demonesses. "Oh, one more thing. If you find a man named Mavado, he wears all black like an edgy tryhard. Kill him for me."

"Of course, but why Mavado specifically?" Ben inquired.

"Let's just say that even for Red Dragon, he's a disgusting human being. Any questions for us?" I finished, relaying what I had gathered as Ben handed Yao the binoculars.

"Why does Yao call you 'Captain'?"

"We were teammates in the KOF XIII Tournament. I was the leader, so he calls me Captain. Anything else?"

Ben and Jade glanced at each other briefly before shaking their heads.

"Good, let's get started."

"Hey, Captain. I think you should take a look at the front entrance," Yao spoke up while looking through the lens.

I put the Hawkeye over my face to get a better look. A man in black and blue swooped down and efficiently killed the two guards with relative ease.

"What the hell? Who is that?" I questioned, slightly annoyed.

"Let me see," Ben said as he was given the binoculars. "Xan?"

"Xan? What is he doing on Charred Mountain?"

"You know him?"

"Yes, a friend of the family. His daughter is my daughter's godmother."

"What is he?"

"Edgemaster, Prophetic Godslayer, and the Goddess of the Sun's personal Champion. He's ridiculously powerful but retired."

"Clearly not anymore, if what we just saw was any indication."

"He must have good reason to do this. Perhaps he was requested to do something from Amaterasu."

"Still, he unknowingly jeopardized Koga's plan with his bold killing and infiltrating of the Red Dragon headquarters, Benji."

"Not completely; the missions can still be salvaged. So long as Xan doesn't trip the alarms. But I don't think we should stand and wait with how he's acting." I turned to the group. "Let's move, double time."

Benji's POV

Koga went on ahead since his job is more important than ours. Yao stuck around with us for a bit longer, allowing us a better look at him.

He wore a green sleeveless top and a pair of baggy brown pants, hair and eye color both brown. From his facial appearance, I could tell he was Chinese. A couple of things stood out. His visible skin had scars all across his arms and from what I could see of his neck. Second, he had giant rings on both his wrists and ankles. Curiosity got the better of me since we may not see him until we're finished with the infiltration.

"Yao," I called for him.

"Yes, Ben?"

"I can come to the conclusion that you're strong since you hang around Detective Koga. Besides that, we don't know much about you. Are you with the White Lotus?"

"No, actually. Until Captain told me of them I thought they were a myth. I may be Chinese, but I'm from Hong Kong. Aberdeen, specifically."

"And what are you?"

"I'm a medicine store owner," he answered bluntly and jokingly.

"I mean, what are you?"

"Oh, hehe. I'm a Sennin."

"You practice Senjutsu? I thought Sennins were myths?"

"To you, maybe. But I know two of them. Hell, my mother is one."

"I can only imagine the ordeal you went through to achieve the title."

"It wasn't fun, I'll tell you that. The process in itself can take an entire lifespan. I got fortunate, in all honesty. First, you have to be a true master of your Martial Art, which takes a subjective amount of time. Then you have to find two out of the five Senjutsu Scrolls and read them in their entirety. That's where the first prerequisite comes into play as the scroll will blank, signifying that you need to further your mastery of martial arts. Once you finish, all that's left is to further train your body and mind so you'll get acclimated to what the scrolls taught you."

"I'm tired just from hearing the process. But you said that you were lucky?"

"Yes, I... *sigh* used to be a criminal. When I was eighteen, I left Aberdeen to travel the world, my last stop in a place called Metro City. Long story short, I ended up owing a debt to the leader of one of the country's biggest crime syndicates and became his bodyguard as payment. After my probation period, I found one of the Scrolls. I was masterful enough to read it when I returned to Aberdeen. Eventually, after reuniting with my mother, she gave me the second one to study after the second Sennin I know offered to help me understand the scrolls. So I had a really good run of luck."

A good run of luck is correct.

"Have you ever tried your luck in a casino?"

"Benji!"

"I have, actually. I won enough money to renovate my store, funnily enough. If I stayed any longer, I would've been accused of cheating," Yao joked.

"And the rings on your wrists and ankles?"

"These are limiters. Sennins must find a way to restrain or handicap themselves to not kill their opponents. For example, the man who helped me fights with one arm and binds the other. These limit my physical attributes, though I can still use my powers. The wrist limiters reduce my physical strength, and the ankle limiters reduce my speed. Yet, I'm still at least twice as strong when I didn't receive the training. Trust me, the rings are for the benefit of others, not me."

We then reached a fork in the pathways. "I think that's our cue to split up. I have to find the Captain. Best of luck on your end. We'll reconvene soon."

Yao then vanished, leaving a small gust of wind.

"I can only imagine how powerful he is without the rings."

"A question for another time, Benji," Jade reminded me. "We have to do our part."

"Right, let's go."

Thankfully, the alarms hadn't gone off, meaning no one got caught. I guess Xan must be here on espionage as well. If he wanted to massacre everyone, he probably would've, and we would've seen the floor riddled with corpses if that were the case.

"Do you think Xan just decided to attack the Red Dragon?"

"Highly doubtful. Xan has honored that our problem with the Red Dragon is our own. Someone must have requested him to come here. Whatever the reason, we'll see if we find him," Jade answered.

Being careful per Koga's instructions, we continued to sneak around the base until we reached a door with Ancient Edenian Texts inscribed on it. Smart of Daegon to have important places in another language as I can guess that most of the Red Dragon members are from Earthrealm.

"It reads 'Library.' I think we'll find everything we need here."

"Halt! No one but Lord Daegon goes inside the library!" A feminine voice stopped us in our tracks.

We both turned to see them - Kia and Jakarta. Koga's descriptions were hauntingly accurate to boot. Seeing as a fight was inevitable, Jade and I readied ourselves.

"You must be Benjamin Maddox. Lord Quan Chi has told us about you. Which makes the woman you're with is Jade," Jakatta spoke first. "We know our little sister is betrothed to you both. Return her to us. The true Brotherhood of Shadow is where she belongs."

"Saree's not your plaything to abuse anymore, ladies," I said before readying my baton.

"No doubt you made her weak with you and your wife's compassion and kindness. You'll pay for her treachery with your lives," Kia seethed.

Then we heard the library's door open and closed behind us. We turned around to see Xan intently reading a book, Shana next to him as usual.

"Xan?" Jade called for him.

He looked up and was surprised to see us, his Katanas not on his person. Instead, two medium-sized Daos were on his back with a satchel attached to the waist.

"Benjamin? Jade? What are you two doing here?" Xan inquired.

"We can ask the same of you, Edgemaster. Why are you here?"

"Amaterasu sent me here. The Red Dragon stole some things from her and Lady Moon's treasury over a year ago. She requested I come here to find what they stole and bring them back to her temple in Japan. The treasures include the Lungchuan Dao and the Ruby Hook Swords. The latter is possession of a Red Dragon member named Mavado, while the former is in their Chamber of Artifacts. Luckily, this book tells the location of all the important locales on the mountain, including the Chamber of Artifacts. But I guess those ladies aren't going to let us pass." Shana started growling on cue. "Who are they?"

"Kia and Jakarta. Sareena's older sisters."

"Oh, so they know who I am. Kim told me about how she's been making Quan Chi's life hell just from the fact that she's alive," Xan said before stashing the book in his satchel. "Lucky for me, I just doused my Daos in Holy Water. Do you want our help, or are you two still butthurt over what I said two years ago?"

Jade rolled her eyes while I barely managed to hold off doing it myself. Well, I'll say that's a good sign because of the counseling she's done with mom. While I don't take some of the things Xan says to heart, it does annoy me sometimes. But I chose not to say anything this time.

"We'd appreciate the help, Xan."

"Very well. I want to find the treasury, so I'll make this quick."

The air pressure thickened within seconds. Xan glared with murderous intent towards Jakarta, causing her and Kia to freeze to a lesser extent. He unsheathed one of the Daos and dashed with great speed towards Jakarta. Before Kia could react, the Edgemaster viciously decapitated Jakarta and returned to where he was in mere moments.

"Jakarta! How is this possible!? Who do you think you are!?" Kia angrily inquired.

"You think you have killing intent until you run into me. Mrs. Maddox taught me how to weaponize it into a potent illusion spell. Though I can only use it once a day and target one person. The fact that you couldn't do anything means I'm getting used to the power. You two can handle Kia as I have a treasury to find. Come, Shana. Give Sareena, Dakini, and Theo my regards."

Xan and Shana then ran past the still mortified Kia.

"I'm glad he's not our enemy. Let's deal with Kia and do some digging of our own."

Jade nodded. "Agreed."

Before a blow was struck, alarms blared at near deafening levels. It was to our collective benefit as Kia looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Oh, no! Someone released Caro!"

"Detective Koga works fast. I can see why he calls himself the World's Greatest Detective," Jade commented on Koga's potency.

In our impressed stupor, Kia tried to run away and warn Daegon.

"Hey! You're not going anywhere."

I drew out my pistol and aimed for Kia's head. One shot led her to spill on the floor, blood leaking freely from the skull. Sareena's abuser was no more.

"You've improved at shooting with your firearm, Benji."

"Thanks. Callie's pointers helped tremendously."

I walked up to Sareena's now dead sisters and absorbed their souls in a couple of motions. "Done. Let's get into the nitty gritty of why Daegon is so persistent on killing me." Being a gentleman, I opened the door for my wife. "Beauty before age."

Jade smiled as she pecked my lips. "Bless you, Benji. Keep it up, and you're getting lucky tonight."

She winked at me before going inside the library. Making a final double check, I followed her and closed the door behind me.

Xan's POV

Following the directions in the locale journal, Shana and I masterfully maneuvered through the compound. I glanced at her and petted her head after stopping for a quick break since no one else was nearby.

"How are you doing, Shana? I hope I'm not pushing you too hard." She yawned before barking. "Okay, I'll make sure to finish fast so you can go back to sleep. I'm sorry, girl." I apologized to her. Her tail starts to wag as she licks my face.

Okay, back to work.

I started running through the compound with Shana quickly tailing me. Soon after, I reached what I believed was the center. I noticed three figures, one holding a pair of Hook Swords.

That must be Mavado.

It seems he's doing battle with the other two and the space where the Red Dragon should be is empty. Bodies of the Red Dragon fodder were strewn about the area, meaning those two must've done that too.

Seeing the future victim, I dashed towards him with my unsheathed Daos and aggressively closed the distance. I savagely stabbed him in the intestines as he dropped the Ruby Hook Swords.

"Who the hell are you?" Mavado groaned.

"Amaterasu sends her regards, thief."

"Wait a minute, Edgemaster."

I poke my head out to the other two men. "What is it?"

"Allow me to kill him. He tried to cause my wi- ex-wife to have a stillborn."

"Fair enough." I picked up the Hook Swords. "I just want these."

Taking my Daos out of Mavado, I pushed him in their direction as the man in the coat grabbed Mavado's head and started shocking him violently. Mavado screamed as if he was in a church choir, growing louder as the man put in more volts that had Mavado on his knees.

Enough electricity was discharged that Mavado's head imploded. He took a deep breath.

"How are you feeling, Captain?" The Chinese man asked.

"Much better. Now the more important part." He pulled out a folded piece of paper and slipped it into Mavado's pants pocket. Putting my Daos away, I picked up the Ruby Hook Swords and placed them on my back. That's one treasure.

"Now, I need to go to the Chamber of Artifacts," I said aloud.

"Hey, wait a sec."

"What is it? I'm strapped for time."

"Your name is Xan, right? Ben and Jade told me about you."

"That's me. Who are you?"

"Koga, PI. This here's Yao. You almost ruined my plan with your killing of the guards out front."

"Sorry about that. But Amaterasu wanted me to get this done ASAP. We've been on the move since returning to Earth. But you still got the job done, I take it. Benjamin and Jade are in the library right now if you want to rendezvous with them. I need to get to the Chamber of Artifacts so I can take back the Lungchuan Dao."

"Thanks for letting us know, Xan. If you need someone to look into anything..." Koga gave me his card. "...give me a call."

"Will do. Until next time. Come on, Shana."

We continued running through the compound while the alarms blared louder. Eventually, we saw a road in front of us that led to the Chamber, according to the book.

"Alright, we're on the right track. Follow this road, and we'll be at the chamber. Let's go."

Following the directions, we traversed the path and finally reached the entrance.

Seeing that no one followed us, we headed inside. The chamber was decorated with amber glass floors and incantations in what is Ancient Edenian plastered all across the walls. And in the center encased in jade glass was the Lungchuan Dao. Taking out the artifacts book I stole from the library, I flipped pages until I found the designated page. Because of my time with the Royal Family, I understand Edenian on a basic level. So was the author from the way this was written.

"The Lungchuan Dao was forged long before the Red Dragon was established. And its alternative name, the Red Dragon Sword, was another inspiration for the name of the titular clan. Huh, that does make sense since it's a part of Amaterasu's treasury."

"Xan!" The others met with me inside, Benjamin studying the weapon. "Wait a minute... Is that the Lungchuan Dao?"

"Yes, it is," I answered bluntly, checking the glass before spawning the Blue Fire Jian.

Swallowing the blade in Blue Flames, I slashed the glass into pieces and took them out of the Jian before grabbing the Red Dragon Sword. Giving it a quick inspection, I noticed various Kanji on the sides of the blade.

"It's a lot heavier than I thought. Oh, well. I got what I came for. What about you two? I hope your trip to the library was fruitful."

"It was. I'll explain later, but we need to get out of here before Daegon realizes we're in his Chamber."

Benjamin quickly opened a portal to what I assume was Edenia. We all passed through and ended up in the Trainer's Estate. He closed the portal as we all took a minute to relax.

"Alright, Ben. What did you learn?" Koga broke the silence. "Why does Daegon want to kill you?"

"Shocker to none here. Daegon was a Jerrod supporter when he was King of Edenia and shares the Dacarthi family's opinion of the Maddox Clan. Argus tipped Jerrod off on mass murdering my family members while raising Taven and Daegon to hate our family. But from what we read, Taven was against the idea and was disowned by Argus," Benjamin explained.

"That's horrible," Yao spoke up.

"Alas, Delia was the sane one in the marriage and sent Taven off to live with her parents in secret. As a result, Daegon was being groomed to rule Edenia through the Dacarthi family. At the same time, Delia experienced visions of Armageddon and the One Being. Seeing no other choice, Argus had to welcome Taven back into the family to prepare for his heinous idea. While not in the political world, the Maddox Family is still one of the most powerful families in Edenia, on par if not greater, than the Dacarthi Family despite being a warrior Clan. Daegon wants to kill off all the Edenian Royals and become the remaining royal, thus claiming Edenia's throne. He wants me, Cal, Mom, Kitty, Queen Sindel, Mileena, even Jade to perish so no other Edenian who even has a sliver of power can stand in his way. He knew of and wanted to kill Rain, but Xan did that for him two years ago."

"Daegon has truly lost his mind," Jade chimed in. "I already knew he was despicable, but this is low even for him. We have to tell the others."

"I agree, especially if he catches wind of both Dakini and Theo..." I added.

"Xan's, right. Will you join us?"

"Not yet. I have to return Amaterausu and Lady Moon's treasures to their Temple back home. I'll meet you both in Edenia soon after, though. I haven't visited Theo in days."

"Very well. Koga, thank you for bringing us along."

"It's no problem. I should be getting back to Manhattan. Chizuru and I have date plans, and I don't want to be late for that. C'mon, Yao."

"Yes, Captain. It was a pleasure meeting you all," Yao said as they teleported out of sight.

"You want me to make a portal to Japan, Xan?"

"No need. The portal to the Proving Grounds is a short walk from here. You two should go on ahead. I'll meet with you both soon. Come on, Shana." We headed for the door.

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long.

School was piling up and Finals Week just started, so I've been cramming. But Christmas Vacation is almost here, so I'll have a lot more time on my hands. Anyway, what did you think of the chapter? What'd you think of Amaterasu's debut section? Let me know with a PM and/or Review and check out my page and other stories. I'll be seeing you all hopefully soon with the third Bonus Chapter.

Later!