The sun shone through the blinds the next morning, just as Kitana was in the process of waking up. As kahn, it was natural for her to be an early bird. She yawned, stretching out in her bed, her joints cracking somewhat as the princess stirred from her sleep. She slept well, feeling refreshed and energized for the day, and whatever that would bring. Looking around her room, something felt off. 'What am I forgetting?' The princess wondered. 'I had the faction meeting yesterday, sparred with Jade, adopted a child- Harry! Where is he!?'

Suddenly entering a panic, Kitana threw the sheets off, looking around the room for her son. He wasn't in bed, and the bathroom door was closed, so where could he have gone?! Small breathing caught her attention, and she found Harry asleep on a pile of her clothes, as if he had been trying to clean her room, but fell asleep doing so. She felt an odd combination in her chest of her heart warming from how cute he currently looked and her heart clenching from the idea that he thought her bedroom was solely his responsibility to keep clean.

She scooped him up, the long, almost dress-like shirt acting as a sort of wearable blanket. Tucking the bottom over his feet, Kitana effectively had a sleeping bundle once more. But that didn't change her sad smile she wore as she looked her child over, taking in what he had been doing, and most likely what this meant for his mental state. 'You poor, poor thing.' She sighed, kissing his cheek while he slept. 'This isn't healthy, you need your rest...' She carried him back over to the bed and tucked him in up to his chin, wanting him to sleep more. She knelt by his side, gently stroking his hair, smiling tenderly down at him as he slept innocently. She would have to talk to him about this when he woke...

Wordlessly, Kitana changed into her more regal attire, knowing she needed to head to the courtyard to meet with anyone who may request an audience. She could bring Harry with her, or she could have Sindel watch him... or maybe have Jade watch him... Either worked in her eyes. Or Mileena. Thinking about it, Mileena had all but begged her in order to convince Tanya to give children a try. So she decided to go ahead and throw her younger sister a bone and ask her first. Decision made, she went to knock on Mileena's door. It was silent, and then the door opened

"Kitana what's-" Mileena began, but yawned. "Do you need something?"

"I need you to watch Harry for a bit."

"YAAYY!" Mileena squealed, Tanya bolting up from her bed and looking around in a panic. Kitana clapped a hand over her sister's mouth.

"Not so loud, he's sleeping!"

"Mmsry."

"Now... I have him tucked into bed, so all I ask is you watch over him until he awakes. Then you can bring him into your room."

"Okay!" Mileena exclaimed quietly, suddenly dahsing past her and down the hall.

"Urgh... what in the name of the Nine Realms did you do?" Tanya groaned, rubbing her face as she now found herself being forced awake.

"I asked Mileena to watch Harry for a bit."

"Ah, fine..." The dark skinned woman was not a morning person by any stretch of the word, and did not appreciate being pulled from her slumber for any reason, but she understood this was important for Kitana at least... "Fine..." She yawned, lying back down on the bed, deciding to take all the time she could to rest as she woke up before Mileena decided to try and stir her. She loved the Half-Tarkatan woman, but there were some things she did simply because they annoyed Tanya. Waking her early was one of those things... Kitana nodded and left, casting a glance back towards her room, hoping that Mileena would be calm enough around Harry. She really loved him, but she could be a little over-affectionate sometimes.

The younger sister was currently hunched over the bed, just watching him sleep. Good. She wasn't going to disturb him. Nodding in contentment, Kitana left to make her way to deal with audiences. Mileena sat on her knees, watching her nephew sleep with a content sigh. She didn't know how long he'd sleep, but she didn't care! He was so small and adorable! She could sit here all day, and was happy to simply be by his side. Placing a hand on his back, she felt him squirm, then yawn as he kept sleeping. "Mama..."

She let out a giggle and rubbed his back gently. "Nope, mama isn't here... But auntie is." She whispered to him softly. He mumbled something inaudible and curled up in the bed, snoring softly. "Oooh... why are you so adorable?!" Mileena whispered, placing her hand on his back and letting him sleep. The tiny boy seemed exhausted and famished, and while Mileena would've loved to have scooped him up, given him all the attention in the world and taken him to her room, she knew he needed to sleep. And so she carefully squirmed her way under the blankets next to him and hugged him close, quietly giggling to herself as she gently rubbed his tiny back in a soothing manner that kept him sleeping soundly.

Harry didn't fight, just happy to be held by someone and not be thrown. Heck, it wasn't clear if he even knew what was happening, but Mileena's grin never faltered. Harry snuggled into the warm embrace and subconsciously allowed himself to be sandwiched in his aunt's arms. 'I want this... I want this so much!' Mileena thought.

She heard the sound of footsteps and looked up to see Tanya enter the room, wearing her rather revealing nightgown that matched her own. "So we get to babysit much sooner than we initially anticipated." She remarked with a tired smirk.

"Shhhh... the baby's sleeping." Mileena cooed, holding Harry close and kissing the top of his head. Tanya chuckled and sat on the other side of the bed.

"You know he isn't a newborn, correct?" Tanya asked quietly. But when Mileena turned Harry over, her face softened. "Oh, well, fine. He is rather precious." She conceded.

Mileena nodded her head with a smug grin. "He is. He's even cuter than a newborn baby." She whispered. Tanya tilted her head as she studied the child. She certainly wouldn't deny that claim, mainly because he wasn't likely to cry like a newborn...

"He's... small." She finally noted, reaching forward and slowly tracing a finger along his belly, noticing his ribs. "Kitana hasn't been properly feeding the little one."

"It wasn't her..." Mileena whispered, tensing somewhat as what her sister had told her came flooding back to her mind. She tightened her hold on Harry and shut her eyes, trying her best to push the thoughts out of her head.

Tanya blinked at that and frowned with a tilted head. "Ah. Yes, of course... He is very recently adopted, isn't he? How foolish of me... Then I suppose the only logical explanation is that his life before Kitana was a struggle?"

"Yeah..." Mileena said sadly, and Tanya picked up on this, putting a hand on Mileena's cheek.

"What's wrong?"

"It... He... I dunno if he's okay talking about it, but Kitana told me that he's been hurt a lot before she found him." Mileena quietly admitted, her eyes falling somewhat. "Apparently he's been hurt a lot, and not because he was being trained."

Tanya frowned and sighed softly. "This... is an aspect of life, Mileena... Some children are treated poorly by their own family for little to no reason... It's wrong, and I wish it wasn't the case, but in the end... it is..." Mileena looked up at Tanya, and the anger in her eyes wasn't what the Edenian woman was expecting. Mileena wanted to say something, to snap at Tanya, to do... anything, but didn't want to risk waking Harry. Eventually, she just fave her an irritated look and then nuzzled back down in her sister's bed with Harry held close. "Really?" Tanya muttered, annoyed. "You won't even respond?"

"No." Mileena pouted.

"Honestly... Is it really fair to get angry with me? I'm merely stating the truth... It can't always be helped, yet whenever we can help it, we shall. I may be unsure about having my own child, but I refuse to let children suffer." Tanya said gently but firmly. Mileena didn't answer right away, letting out a small sigh in resignation. It was clear she agreed, or at least, understood, but it was clear she didn't like it.

"Yeah..." She finally said quietly. Tanya frowned, then settled down on the bed, wrapping an arm around Mileena and pulling her - and by extension, Harry - closer before warming herself, keeping her lover warm. Mileena could be stubborn, and childish, but she meant well.

"He's so exhausted..." Tanya said softly. "He is sleeping so deeply..." Mileena looked at Harry and saw that her lover was right. Clearly sleep was something he wasn't quite used to. Another reason to worry. Mileena moved her arm for a moment, and let out a slight whine of protest when Harry squirmed away from her hold, turning over and practically rolling into Tanya's embrace. The pyromancer blinked in surprise, then let a soft smile form on her face.

"Oh, very well." She said in a playfully dramatic way, taking her arm off of Mileena and wrapping it around Harry.

Milenna sulked in her spot under the covers. Not only had she lost her hold on Harry, but she lost the warm hold of her lover as well. She curled into a ball and sulked under the covers, then wrapped her arms around both of them. "Ah-ha!" She said triumphantly. Tanya couldn't help but laugh slightly at the Ex-Empress' antics, adjusting herself so all three of them were enveloped in the warmth of her powers. Tanya had to admit, this was nice. There was something about Harry's quiet adoration that she appreciated. He seemed so happy and thankful to be with her and Mileena. Yes, if they could, against all odds, find a child that was as polite, gentle and soft spoken as little Harry, she may be a little more open to the idea of being a mother. But was that really likely? Children were naturally... well... children.

But there was something nice about feeling Harry snuggle closer, as if subconsciously asking for protection and warmth. There was something about the feeling of having someone look up to you as their source of happiness and protection that felt... nice. Was it the feeling of having a child cuddle up in general, though? Or was it just this one specific child that she was developing a soft spot for? It seemed she at the very least had an idea for what kind of child she wanted... "Mama..." Harry mumbled, either dreaming, or not able to tell who was holding him. Either way, Tanya blushed slightly at the small voice believing she was his mother. He said with with such sincerity and such appreciation that it made her heart warm; this was a feeing she could get used to.

She was beginning to take Mileena's wish into consideration. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing if they decided they were going to be parents one day... Perhaps having a little one like this to cuddle close wouldn't be so bad... But then there would be the crying, the training, the inevitable arguments, and the fact that Mileena most likely would be far, far too lenient in terms of disciplinary action. It was just who she was... Yet above it all, there was something nice about spending time with someone this small, having someone to hug and hold close... maybe for the time being she could just watch over little Harry. She knew it wasn't exactly what Mileena wanted, but she also know becoming a parent was a massive decision, and not one to make hastily.

Perhaps... if she helped care for this little one, she would gradually build an interest in having her own. It was a bit of a stretch, but it was still a possibility... She just wanted to make both Mileena and herself happy... It was another forty minutes before both women felt the sleeping bundle stir. Mileena let go and sat up, letting Harry wake up on his own terms, and not wanting to scare him when he woke. "M...mama?" Harry mumbled, slowly looking up with sleepy eyes.

"Hello, sweetness." Tanaya smiled.

"M..mama?!" Harry asked again, sounding a little bit nervous now. The women noticed this, and both hugged him to calm his nerves.

"She's attending to some royal duties, cutie." Mileena explained, not liking seeing her nephew in such a state.

"Oh..." He relaxed slightly, now that he knew his mother had not abandoned him as he had feared briefly. And it was at that moment that he realized he was under the care of his aunt Mileena and miss Tanya. "Aunt Millie?" Harry mumbled sleepily, looking up at Mileena with a half-opened-eyes-face. "Miss Tan?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEE!" Mileena whisper-screamed. "THAT'S SO PRECIOUUSSSSS!" Harry suddenly found himself being wrapped up in Mileena's arms, held like a newborn and bounced playfully. Harry blinked, waking up fully now and giggling slightly at the playful attention. The feelings of sleepiness were rapidly warded off by his aunt's playfulness, and after a minute or so of this, he was wide awake. Tanya watched her lover with an amused smile. She really did act like a teenage girl sometimes. She hadn't squealed this loudly since that brief earthrealm boy band phase she went through...

"Sorry, Aunt Mileena, I didn't mean to be scared... I didn't know where Mama was." Harry said after a bit more of her playfulness. Mileena cooed and kissed his nose with a smile.

"You don't need to apologize, sweetie." Mileena said with a warm smile. "Until she gets back, you're gonna spend time with your Auntie Mileena and Auntie Tanya!" With that, Mileena swung her feet off of her bed and rose to her feet, Harry held close and securely.

Harry raised one of his tiny arms and let out a soft "Yay!" Tanya smiled, following after Mileena. She may not be sure about being a mother, but she couldn't lie, Harry was adorable! The two women returned to their room, and they sat on their bed, Harry being placed on Mileena's lap, lying on his back, looking up at Mileena, who giggled and tickled his ribs playfully. He sitffened slightly at the unfamiliae tickling sensation, squirming about slightly, before he burst into a series of giggles at the tickling sensation flowing through his tiny body. He had never felt anything like this before, but it didn't hurt, so he decided he liked it.

Mileena's heart melted at the sound, he was so precious and sweet... it made her happy to know she could make him laugh. Tanya watched, surprised by the care Mileena was taking in her interactions with the small one. Yes, she could be VERY over-enthusiastic, and on more than one occasion, her friendliness had caused some bruising or cuts. But with Harry, her friendliness seemed to be dialled to 11, but her caution was also greatly increased. It made sense. If she hurt Harry, inadvertently or not, not only would she have to deal with an angered Kitana, Sindel, and most likely Jade (ugh), but Kitana would never let her near Harry again. And there was also the variable that she would never forgive herself to consider. Mileena always was more cautious that usual when it came to children, even prior to joining the forces of good. She never wanted to hurt them. 'Just their parents...' Tanya thought then shook her head. She did NOT want to go down that path again, those thoughts, those memeories deserved to remain buried in the past. They happened, they learned from them, she sighed, then looked to the giggling Harry. "I think you've had him long enough." She remarked, scooping him up and proceeding to make him giggle.

"Hey! I wasn't done!" Mileena whined in protest.

"Well, you are now." Tanya spoke in her condescending elitist tone. "It's my turn to hold the little one." Mileena blinked in disgust, then hit Tanya with a pillow in annoyance. "Really, now. Acting like this in-" Tanya began but was hit by another pillow.

"I want him back!" Mileena protested. Tanya smiled down at Harry, then held him up in front of her.

"Oh? And are you willing to risk hitting him with a pillow to do so?" She asked, mockingly.

Mileena narrowed her eyes. It would be a rather intimidating look if not for the wsy her cheeks puffed out in annoyance. "You would use him as a shield to defend against my attacks? I think you're bluffing. You are no coward."

"Hm... do you want to test that theory?" Tanya asked. For his part, Harry wasn't sure what was happening, but his aunt seemed upset, but he also found it kind of funny. Mileena looked from Tanya, to Harry, to the pillow she was holding, then turned her back on them both, huffing indignantly. "Oh dear, now I guess Harry is all mine."

"Stop it." Mileena protested.

"Aww, are you just the sweetest little thing?" Tanya cooed, winking to Harry. It took him a moment (as he feared he had upset Mileena) but he quickly realized she was just playing with her, and giggled at their interaction. "Well, I guess me and Kitana will see to it that you're well taken care of. Still, this room is so big, it's almost as if two people lived here!" Mileena buried her face into a pillow and let out a low growl of frustration. Tanya smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know who this mysterious second person could be... I certainly hope it's a beautiful woman with lovely sharp teeth." Mileena didn't want to give Tanya this, so she kept her back turned, even through she did blush at the words her lover said.

"Oh well, I guess I'll take good care of you. I wonder if there's anyone else in this palace who would be a good partner..."

"Tanya..." Mileena whined, giving in and hugging Tanya, sandwiching Harry between the two. Tanya smirked, clearly having enjoyed this.

"Oh, hello Mileena. Where did you come from?" Tanya asked teasingly. "Sweetness, did you see where she came from?"

"No." Harry shook his head. Mileena frowned deeply at her lover's teasing. If there was one thing she could live a long, happy life without, it was that. Tanya smiled and gave Mileena a kiss on the forehead, causing the half-takartan to reflexively smile and close her eyes contently.

She pouted slightly, then let out a sigh. "Fine, I guess I like you after all..." She said, crossing her arms over her bust. Harry's laugh got their attention, as his tiny face looked up from the hug he was trapped between with a happy shine in his eyes. "I KNOW I like you." Mileena cooed, kissing his nose. "I love you!"

"He seems rather calm with your, well, differences." Tanya commented, and half-expected Mileena to be angered with her for bringing that up. The Ex-Empress just shrugged, however.

"He wasn't frightened when he first saw them, he was curious more than anything." She remarked.

Tanya hummed and nodded her head in understanding. "The children seem far more receptive to it than their elders."

"Well of course! Kids are pure, innocent beings!" Mileena chirped.

"Hmm... Honestly, I had assumed they would fear your appearance... Children are very easily frightened you see..."

"Not if you're nice to them." Mileena said with a tilted head and a smile. Tanya nodded, looking to Harry who was happily snuggling up to them both. Perhaps due to his experience of being seen as different helped him warm up to Mileena quickly. Or perhaps he just liked the kindness and warmness she gave him. Honestly, both seemed likely. "Ooh! There's something you need to see, Harry!" Mileena suddenly said, excitedly scooping him up and getting off her bed. She went back to the window where she and Harry had sat the day before, and Mileena held him close so he wouldn't fall. They looked out over the golden hue the trees were giving off as the sun slowly rose, beginning to light up the kingdom.

Harry watched the sunrise with wide eyes and a smile. He had seen it happen many times due to the fact that he was often locked out of the house overnight, and it was always a delight to see the sun coming up, though that was partially due to the fact that it was scary when he was outside in the dark... But this was somehow much better than it was seeing it back at the Dursleys house. The view was so much better, and gave him a much clearer view of the entirety of the area they lived in. The trees were so much bigger and so much prettier. And the general area was just so much nicer to look at. Mileena smiled when she saw Harry squirm to get a better look, clearly taken by the sight of the rising sun. He looked around then looked down towards the courtyard. He wasn't sure if he'd see his mother, but more than anything, he just wanted to take it all in.

"It's so pretty!" He said aloud.

"Hm. You'll have to see the courtyard and countryside themselves." Tanya remarked as she walked over to the window. Harry wondered just how big this new world was. His old home was so boring in comparison. Well... okay, it was boring even without the comparison, but the point was, he was taken by the amazing landscape. He hoped to see more soon.

Maybe if he asked his mother, she would take him to see more of this place... He just hoped asking wouldn't be a burden... He was pulled from his thoughts by Mileena squeezing him in a tight hug. He gave a small smile up at his aunt, happy to have a family. She was kind of strange, but she was also really nice! So he didn't really care if she was weird... and then there was Miss Tanya, no. Aunt Tanya. She was nice, she was calm, and really warm. He liked those feelings, he liked them a lot! But he loved his mother the most. Despite how nice his aunties, his grandma, and even Miss Jade were to him, his mother was the one that had done the most for him. She had found him when he was alone in the wilderness, she had taken him in when she learned he had no one to take care of him, she had given him food, shelter and a bed... And she had given him the greatest thing of all... She had given him a mother, just like he always wanted...

Mileena seemed to pick up on this, and gave a soft coo, adjusting him so she held him in her arms like a newborn baby. "Don't worry, my little princeling. She'll be back soon." Mileena spoke softly, resting Harry's head against her breast.

"Princeling?" Harry asked confused, and both women seemed surprised.

"Oh, did she not tell you? You're now a Prince, little Harry." Tanya smiled. Harry's eyes widened as he processed this new information. Him? A prince? It didn't seem real at all! But it was true. His mother was the ruler here, and so that had to make him the prince. But could he be a good prince? He wasn't anything special.

He was...just Harry. "Little one?" Tanya spoke up again, concern clear in her voice. "What's wrong?" Harry didn't reply, he didn't want to even look at her, feeling embarrassed more than anything. He was just a little boy, scared and broken. Miss Kitana had found him, she was the one who took him in, who took pity on him. Was that what a Prince was made of?

"I... I don't think I'd be a very good prince..." He finally admitted.

Mileena and Tanya exchanged glances, frowning in confusion. "And why do you think that, Harry?" Tanya finally asked. Harry looked down and began stuttering, trying to find the words to explain his thought process.

"I'm...I'm nothing...Miss Kitana found me, and she felt bad for me... I'm not a fighter, I'm nothing special..."

"No, no, no, no, no, no." Mileena insisted, shaking her head and hugging Harry close. "Don't think like that! You're a special, sweet little boy."

"But I'm just a freak..." Both women exchanged a wide-eyed glance at that. They had no idea the child had such a low opinion of himself.

"Why would you say something like that?" Mileena asked, worried for her little nephew. He looked down sadly.

"Cuz it's true..."

"No, it's not!" Mileena insisted. Harry didn't respond, he just looked up at his Aunt, pushing his glasses back into place, and both women saw how... hurt, his expression was. He truly believed this, regardless of how much she, Tanya, or anyone else said anything to try and disprove this. And that was disturbing to the two women. Who would force these awful thoughts into a child's head so thoroughly that he honestly and truly believed it from the bottom of his heart? It was so sad to imagine... Tanya had a good guess, and Mileena's previous statement about Harry's rough past made more sense. She turned Mileena around, then kissed Harry on the forehead, before pulling them both into a hug, which she warmed with her powers.

"There, there... there, there..." She whispered. "Harry, you're not a freak. And even if you were-"

"Which you're not!" Mileena cut in.

"-we'd still see you as family." Harry looked up at her, and she smiled back. "And do you know why? Because each member of this family has something to them that I'm sure would result in many calling us freaks as well... You are not alone in your uniqueness." Harry looked up, then let out a mixture of a sigh and a whimper. He had been told this, many, many times now. But it still felt unreal. It still felt like it wasn't true, that he was just a freak...

Regardless, he snuggled down between his Aunts' embrace, just wanting to feel warm right now. The two women smiled sadly at him, it was a nice moment, really. A moment which was partially undercut by the sound of Harry's stomach growling audibly. Mileena stifled her giggle and hopped to her feet with a smile. "I think it's breakfast time~!" She said in a sing-song voice. Tanya nodded and rose to her feet, in all honesty feeling rather peckish herself.

Harry wanted to object, he had been told he didn't deserve to eat, but his mother had made it clear that wasn't the case. He also was afraid if he objected, he'd upset his Aunts, and that was the last thing he wanted. As they walked, Mileena occasionally poked and played with Harry, trying her best to cheer him up. He could tell what she was trying to do, and so he tried his best to give her the reaction she desired. He gave her his best smile, but she could easily tell that his heart wasn't entirely in it. He was still emotionally struggling. 'No... no, no, no no... smile! C'mon cutie... I don't like seeing you upset!' Mileena mentally whined, giving Harry a sad smile. She squeezed him, then decided to let Tanya try her hand at cheering him up. While the Edenian fire-bender was a bit hesitant, she still took Harry and held him close, trying to let him get comfortable in her arms.

"Hmm... Your smile doesn't feel entirely genuine, child. Why is that, I wonder?" She asked rhetorically, tilting her head to the side. Harry looked down and let out a soft, uncomfortable whimper, not sure what to say. "Oh, don't worry, sweetness. You don't need to answer right now." Tanya added, patted his back. "You can talk about this later, if you'd like. Or you can talk about it with Kitana if you feel more comfortable with that." Harry looked up with his sad eyes and then nodded, leaning into her shoulder and sighing, his stomach grumbling again. This made him tense up and shut his eyes, afraid of how they'd react.

They reacted, all right, but not to his grumbling stomach. They reacted with sadness to the fact that he was so damaged emotionally that he genuinely thought he would get in trouble for somethng as natural as being hungry. "You poor dear." Tanya sighed, giving him a hug and a reassuring squeeze. "Come, let's get you fed."

"But... okay..." Harry said quietly, leaning into Tanya's hold, seeming afraid to say anything else.

'Why was he hurt, so?' Tanya frowned.

She honestly had every intention of making the ones that would harm this child suffer in any way she feasibly could. After all, they were the scum of all dimensions, and as such, they deserved nothing short of the very worst life had to offer. The three arrived at the dining hall, food laid on the table for them, and thankfully they were alone. It wasn't that other people around would be an issue right now, it was more the fact that Mileena wanted Harry to herself and Tanya, and Tanya wanted to ensure Harry was okay. He... really didn't need a huge crowd of people around him right now. What he needed, above all else, was peace and quiet in order to heal emotionally. They focused on getting him fed first and foremost.

Tanya looked over the food and smiled, it looked delicious, as usual. Harry looked over it with both curiosity and hope. He recognized a lot of it from what he had been made, but never allowed to eat. Now, he got to! Tanya blinked, then tightened her hold on Harry when she felt Mileena try to take him from her. "Hm, no, I don't think so." Tanya smirked, seating herself with Harry on her lap. Mileena looked like she had been slapped, her face reddening and irritation dancing in her eyes.

"But-"

"Come little one, let's get some food in your belly." Tanya said soothingly, preparing a plate for herself and for Harry. Mileena narrowed her eyes in annoyance at being ignored. She speared some of her breakfast aggressively and shoved the forkful of food into her mouth, grumbling under her breath as she chewed and swallowed. "Honestly, Mileena. Please chew with your mouth closed. What kind of example do you want to set for little Harry?" Tanya asked.

"First, you kidnap my nephew, then you hold him when I wanna hold him, and now you're telling me how to eat?! Who are you? My mother!?"

"No, but she does have a point." Mileena groaned when she realized her mother was here as well, and slowly ate her food the way she was expected. Harry felt guilty, unsure if he had done something wrong, and reached out for Mileena.

Mileena noticed he was reaching towards her and seized the opportunity to snag him away with a triumphant "HA!" Tanya rolled her eyes and let out a deep, exasperated sigh, but decided to just let her have it. Harry didn't say anything, he just tried to hug his Aunt, afraid he'd upset her. Mileena cooed and hugged him tightly, nuzzling the top of his head with her cheek, taking in all the love he was offering. "Hm. I knew Mileena had a soft spot for cute things, but she's really taken to Harry." Sindel mirthfully smiled, watching her daughter hug her grandson.

"Some might say the same thing about you." Tanya smirked, and the Queen scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

"I've always wanted a son, or a grandson." Sindel remarked. "And then I was given this precious little angel."

"Yeah, it's heartbreaking how he sees himself though, the poor thing seems so desperate to act happy for us." Sindel frowned when she heard that. Her grandson had a low opinion of himself? Well that just simply would not do! She would have to be sure to fix that somehow... She'd build up his confidence and make him happy. "When it was explained to him that he was technically royalty, he believed that he was too worthless to be such, that he was just a common boy and that's all he was." Tanya explained. "Something happened to him. He's so afraid of being seen as... human. Not to mention Mileena's been trying for the past bit to cheer hum up, but he's not in the same place he was last night..."

Sindel shook her head. "No... He is in the same place... He was just hiding it last night... The poor dear... The foul miscreants that damaged his self worth must be severely punished for their cruelty one way or the other..."

"If they're from Earthrealm, that may be a bit of an issue." Tanya remarked, usually being one of the more 'logical' ones in a conversation. "Also, I think it's fair to assume Kitana Kahn would be the one who would want to seek them out for what they've done."

"Yes, and then of course there'd be the risk of damaging our alliance with Earthrealm is we simply go in and kill them..." Sindel muttered.

"I wouldn't be too hasty to discredit them. I have a suspicion if some of them knew what had happened, they would be willing to assist us in one way or another."

"Yes, yes... but you're correct. Kitana should be the one to deal with this, he is her son, after all."

Mileena looked thoughtful before looking up. "Hey, we have lots of allies in earthrealm that could help if we bring it to their attention... The big guy with the metal arms, that cop guy, the fast cop guy with the nasty burns..." Mileena felt slightly bad that she didn't know the names of Jax, Stryker and Kabal. She had met the later two (and... nearly killed them... but that wasn't what was important right now.) and figured they might be able to help in some regard. Sindel pondered this, then nodded in agreement.

"True, they may be of help." She agreed, then raised a brow. "Mileena, you're not feeding him too much, are you?"

"Huh? No. He's..." Mileena looked down at the forkful of food she was holding up to Harry, and the tiny book shook his head.

"M'sorry... I'm full." He said quietly.

"Um... Okay, yes, maybe I was..." She admitted sheepishly, setting the fork down. "Well, at least he ate... That's good enough for me..." She held Harry close with a warm smile. "Because his little tummy is too small."

J"M'swoy..." Harry managed to mumble out from where he was being encased in a hug. Mileena huffed slightly and rested him against her chest.

"No, no apologizing." Mileena ordered, poking his nose. "You did nothing wrong."

"Oh..." His response made Mileena sigh deeply again, she really didn't like seeing her nephew like this. Still, SHE had him, so that was a plus.

She gave him a smile and pressed their noses together. "Just what are we going to do with you?" She asked, shaking her head. Harry looked down, unsure. What would they do with him if they ever got sick of him? "Nonononono! I didn't mean it like that!" Mileena said in a borderline panic, hugging her nephew close and trying to be a comforting presence. "Sweetie, I was just playing! I promise!"

"Oh, okay. I don't think I like that game..." Harry quietly said, still looking down at the floor, unable or unwilling to make eye contact. IT really just solidified Sindel's theory that last night he had been in a better place due to his acting, and, well, him being with Kitana.

Sindel let out a sigh and shook her head. "It seems Kitana really is the best thing for him... But she cannot ignore her duties to stay by his side all the time... This js a very complicated situation..." The long haired woman said softly. Still, she'd do everything she could to help her grandson, no questions asked. Sindel also knew Harry had been here less than a day, and after - what she hated to think, but had reason to believe were - years of abuse, the walls he put up weren't intentional, it was a coping mechanism to deal with the fear, pain and anxiety of his part life. So she and the others would do what they could to help him slowly lower these walls until he finally felt safe enough to open up and be happy and open with them... It would take time... but she knew it could be done.

Maybe Harry needed some time with his grandmother, maybe some time with his Aunts, it was hard to say with certainty. It was easy to say what they all wanted, but still. It was pretty clear he wanted to be with Kitana; but seemed to be at least comfortable with Tanya and Mileena. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Mileena repeated, now trying her best to squash Harry's fears and anxieties. It was a slow process, but it seemed to be working.

"You didn't do anything bad though... I'm the bad one... It's my fault for not understanding..." The boy mumbled shyly and sadly. All three women gave him an utterly devastated look at his self deprecation.

'Oh, by the Elder Gods. What's happened to the poor thing!?' Tanya said in her head, looking down sadly at Harry, who Mileena was now hugging even tighter, seeming close to tears. Unfortunately (and certainly not helping Mileena) her efforts didn't seem to be working. Harry sniffed a few times, clearly wanting to cry, but either unable or too afraid to.

"Mileena, allow me. Please." Sindel said softly, and Mileena sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes as Sindel picked up Harry and rocked him in her arms, trying to show him the same compassion she had when they first met. Harry relaxed almost instantly. His grandma's warm, fluffy hair had that effect on him... As long as she held him and kept him draped in her hair, he would feel safe and at ease... At least as much so as he could anyway... "There we are, nice and snug." Sindel cooed, her melodic voice cutting through Harry's fears and soothing him somewhat. His grandma was so nice... even though he didn't deserve it. Sindel picked up on this apprehension and pulled his head into her shoulder, tucking it against her neck. "Oh... you poor, sweet little thing..."

She held the little coccoon close and rubbed his back, trying her best to be a soothing presence for him. Now, she heard the soft crying. Looking down, she saw Harry had finally given in and broken down into quiet crying. Sighing, Sindel seated herself on a chair and let Harry cry himself out. It was clear he desperately needed it, and that was heartbreaking. Mileena teared up just watching it, and Tanya frowned and shook her head sadly. And Kitana, despite not even being there, had an instinctive feeling that her son needed her. And nothing would stop her from checking in on him...

Thankfully, her next meeting would not be for another fifteen minutes, so she slipped back into the Temple, and returned to her room. Nothing. Mileena's room... nothing. Having a guess they might be getting breakfast, Kitana briskly walked down to the dining hall, unsure if Jade was following her or not, and opened the doors. "Mother? Where's-" Kitana began, but her heart shattered when she saw the expressions everyone wore. Wordlessly, she moved to her mother's side, and saw her son wrapped up in a bundle, clearly distraught over something.

"He... he was trying so hard to be brave." Sindel remarked. "I don't know if he's acting out of fear, or if it's because he wants to overcome this, but... he needs you right now."

Kitana didn't need to be told twice. Reaching over, she took the boy from her mother and hugged him tightly against her shoulder. "Oh, Harry..." She whispered softly, stroking his back to try and soothe him the best she could. Harry clutched onto her top, whimpering slightly as he let himself be held by his mother. Kitana wrapped him up in her arms and held him close, knowing that he needed this, he needed this so badly. "It's okay, Mother's here." Kitana said softly. "It's okay, you're safe..."

She sat down in a chair next to Mileena and cuddled the boy close to her breast, rocking him back and forth gently as she hummed a soothing melody to soothe his emotonal state. Oh how she wished he was happy... Still, it was clear her presence was at least comforting, so she'd consider that a victory. "I knew this would happen, I just hoped it wouldn't happen so soon..." Kitana quietly said, rubbing Harry's back in a calming gesture. In all honesty, she was somewhat at a loss for what to do now. did she leave her son with her family? Bring him with her? Unfortunately, neither option was a great one. They both had pros and cons, but she didn't know which had more or less.

'I seriously doubt bringing Harry to what could easily become war talks is a good idea.' She mentally frowned. But leaving him in this state was also a very poor idea... It was a very troublesome situation that she had no idea how to properly approach. She let out a soft sigh through her nostrils and looked around the table, hoping for some advice.

"...Who else are you meeting with today?" Sindel remarked, and Kitana bit her lip.

"Some of our Earthrealm Allies, Queen Sheeva, an envoy from the Elder Gods, and... I'm not sure who else." Kitana listed off those she would be meeting, and Sindel seemed to think this over.

"Well, I am more than happy to watch the little dear. But at the same time, I don't believe Harry would be in any danger if you took him with you."

Kitana hesitated. "Yes, he won't be in any imminent danger... But I'm worried all the people that come to the meetings may be too overbearing for him." She explained. Sindel nodded her head, seeing her hesitation. "What should I do?" She asked, partially to get an answer, and partially rhetorically. Harry looked up at his mother, feeling now more than ever like a burden, like this is where she'd realize taking him in was a mistake, and she'd throw him away like his old clothes... "I love you, Harry." Kitana said quietly, kissing her son's head. "Please don't ever forget that."

He let out a whimper and buried his face into her chest, causing her to let out a sad groan and rub his back gently. "Harry... You have a choice... Do you want to stay with grandma, or do you want to come with me?" Harry looked up at her, clearly torn between the choices. On the one hand; new people. But his mother would be there. On the other hand, his Grandma. But his mother wouldn't be there. He wanted to be with her, but he was afraid what would happen. Would he make things worse? What if he needed her but she wasn't there? But he also didn't feel totally comfortable with being around new people, and his Grandmother was really nice. It was a hard choice. He kind of wished his mother didn't have such important responsibilities. Was that a selfish wish? Oh most definitely. But as a child, Harry was naturally going to have some less than selfless desires every now and then. Not that he'd ever act on them.

"I...I dunno." Harry finally mumbled, admitting defeat. It was clear he wouldn't be able to make this choice on his own, so Kitana nodded, rising to her feet.

"You'll come with me for the time being." she said, giving him a reassuring hug. "If at any point you get overwhelmed, I'll have your grandmother come get you. Does that sound all right?" Harry nodded, unsure of what else he could do. Kitana leaned down and kissed his head. "It will be all right... The meetings are typically very quiet... There won't be any loud noises or aggressive personalities to frighten you..." She whispered softly.

Harry nodded again, letting himself be carried off to the throne room. The other Edenians watching Kitana leave with Harry. Mileena had bit her lip, hard. To a point where there was a small amount of blood. "I don't know if this is a good idea, or a terrible one." Mileena commented. Everyone nodded slowly in agreement. They didn't know how to feel. All they could say was that they felt slightly anxious.

Harry looked around the temple that was now his home, beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake. Thankfully, there were about three minutes before the next meeting, so Kitana was able to return and tried to find a place to seat Harry. Jade was there as well, so Kitana knew if she needed someone to take Harry to her mother, Jade would be able to assist. Still, she hoped it wouldn't come to that. "Sheeva, some of the Earthrealm Allies, an envoy from the Elder Gods, and someone else..." She mused to herself. This shouldn't be an issue. Taking a soft breath, she sat down in her seat next to Jade, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze. She could tell that her best friend was still feeling guilty about losing her temper last night, and she gave her a sad look.

"Jade-"

"Please, Empress. Not now." She said quietly. It was clear shame or embarrassment was trying to fight with her rationale and pride, but it was hard to say who was winning said fight.

"Miss Jade?" Harry asked, looking up at her with his innocent eyes. "Are... are you okay?"

"Yes, child. I am fine." The emerald warrior spoke gently to the child. But he didn't believe her. He saw in her eyes that she was in a bad spot emotionally, and he wished he could help her. But she didn't want him to... He nodded in understanding and looked away. Jade bit her lip, unsure of what his reaction was, he seemed concerned for her, but... never mind. There were more important things to attend to. Kitana didn't know which of the three meetings she knew of she dreaded more; especially with Harry present. So her concern wasn't exactly quelled when the doors opened and two of Queen Sheeva's body guards entered, snapping a sign of respect, then stood to the side as the Queen of the Shokan entered. Still, Sheeva was hot-headed, but also collected when it came to things like this, if things did go smoothly, Kitana would be re-affirmed in her respect for her leadership as much as her Kombat skills. .

She rose to her feet. "Queen Sheeva. It is good to see you again. I trust everything is going well in your kingdom?" Sheeva took a knee in respect to the kahn. She would never cease showing her respect, queen or not, it seemed.

"Yes. This is a time of strength." The Shokan nodded. "Our forces train, but do not see conflict on the horizon. For once, it is quiet."

"Wonderful." Kitana smiled, relieved to hear things were okay. "Why have you requested to meet with me? If you merely wished to talk, you didn't need to request an audience for that."

Sheeva rubbed her arm and looked down sheepishly. Judging by the expression on her face, it was clear that she was quite embarrassed and ashamed to have requested this meeting. Seemed she was having issues with her new position. "I was uncertain of what to do next." She finally admitted. "My people are so used to kombat, that this time... leaves us uncertain of what to do. I came to ask if there was anything you may need assistance with."

Kitana tilted her head to the side, seeming to consider it. "Hmm... Well... I can't quite think of... Hmm... Well, perhaps you and the Shokan could assist with the rebuilding of what was destroyed during the war..."

"Very well." Sheeva nodded, casting a look to the back of the room and Kitana's eyes narrowed in a 'here we go...' way. "Did you take on an apprentice?" She asked. Kitana looked behind her, seeing Harry quickly hide behind her throne, and she smiled slightly.

"That, is a bit of a complication." She admitted. "That is Harry, he is my son."

Sheeva blinked at that, and then she quickly took a kneeling position in order to properly and respectfully greet the little boy. "My apologies for my rudeness, young prince. It is a pleasure to be in your presence."

"Uh... H..hi...hi..." Harry timidly waved, clearly unnerved. Kitana smiled and held her hand out. For a few moments, Harry debated if he wanted to come out or not, but finally nodded and walked over, taking his Mother's hand.

"I, am Sheeva, leader of the Shoakn." Sheeva introduced herself.

"H..hi...Hi Missus Sheeva. I'm Harry." Sheeva was slightly perplexed by this child. He didn't exactly look like his mother, he didn't speak like royalty, he seemed quite timid... Perhaps adoption had a hand in this? Either way, there would never be a day where she failed to show respect. There was a look in his eyes that was clearly one of pain, something had happened, and she didn't need to be told what that was. But there was also a look of curiosity, as if this was the first time he had ever seen a Shokan.

And he wore strange clothing that few in Outworld ever wore... It seemed the boy hailed from Earthrealm. "Hmm... So you've never seen a Shokan before then. We are a race of proud warriors, born with extra limbs other races lack to enhance our mighty power." She explained.

"Oh, cool." Harry blinked. His fears being overridden by the instinctive child-like curiosity. That was something he hadn't ever thought he'd see, someone with four arms? Kitana noticed this, and inwardly rejoiced somewhat. It was small, and it would fade after she was gone, but there was what she was looking for. Hope. He still had his childlke curiousity that every little boy his age should. He still wished to understand new things previously unknown to him, and he was still fascinated by things that were out of the ordinary for him. It was also clear to both women he wasn't exactly comfortable with the 'royalty' title just yet, but that was understandable. He seemed smaller than most newborn Shokan's, even when compared to his own kind.

It was a general rule that the Shokan were naturally much bigger than the human race, but even with that fact, it was plain to see that this child was too small for his species. A healthy male adult Shokan could easily hold him in one hand, and that hand would almost completely engulf the boy. Heck, Goro in his prime could probably hold Harry like someone would hold a minutes-old kitten. On the other side, Harry wasn't sure what to feel right now. Queen Sheeva said her people were a race of warriors, did that mean he'd have to fight them? That his mother would have to fight them!? But at the same time, it looked like she and his mother were friends in some regard. "Um... We don't have to fight you, do we? Cause I don't wanna get beat up..." Harry said softly. Sheeva raised a brow at that.

"I've no reason to fight you, child. I only spar with those who are able and willing to give me a challenge." She assured. Harry nodded and Kitana gave him a sad smile. This was to be expected, especially when he learned of some of Outworld's darker history. Her mother was right, she'd need to teach Harry some basics when he was older, but-

"It...it happened a lot back home... it really hurt..." Sheeva took this in stride, unfamiliar with Earthrealm customs. She just assumed that it was injuries he sustained from his combat training. However, the expression she saw on Kitana's face told her otherwise... It looked like she had been stabbed, the horror in her eyes, the pain on her face, no matter how much she tried to hide it... wait. He was small, he was- Oh. Oh... things clicked for her, and the sound of Kitana's stuttered breathing confirmed her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." She said, now feeling awkward about what she might have done.

Kitana simply nodded her head at the queen of the Shokan. "It's... It's fine..." She said softly. "There's... no way you could have known..." Harry looked up at her with a rather concerned look on his face.

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

"..." Harry wanted to say something, but the fear overtook him again, and he looked away, looking at the floor. His body language made ti clear he was feeling many things, and none of them were good.

Kitana frowned softly and held him close. She could tell that he had a lot on his mind, but this just wasn't the right time or place to go over it with him "We can discuss it later in private, okay? When it's just you and me..." Harry nodded, now feeling like he had made something worse. Because of course he did. He was here, and his mother was trying to work, and now he had made things worse by being here.

"Is there something we can do to assist him?" Sheeva asked, nodding to Harry.

"For now, no. There are some things we'll be looking into. If something comes up, I will let you know." Kitana answered.

Sheeva nodded her head in understanding. "I see. Very well then... That is all I wished to discuss, Kitana. Thank you very much for your time." She bowed once more, and then she took her leave. Kitana watched her go, and then sighed softly.

"I'm sorry..." Harry mumbled. "I didn't mean to..."

"No, no. You've done nothing wrong." Kitana said with finality. "You were very brave, I am very proud of you for how you handled all that." Kitana finished with a warm hug, trying to show her son she wasn't upset. Harry felt a little tiny bit bigger when he heard that, like he had surpassed and conquered insurmountable odds. His mother's praise filled him with such joy, and he made a mental note to do all he could to make her proud.

"Well, I never expected Queen Sheeva to be someone who found herself at a loss for what to do." Jade remarked with a slight smirk. It was clear she was acting, but this wasn't the time for that.

"In her defense, I don't believe many would have ever considered Outworld having even the slightest chance at healing." Kitana answered, patting Harry's head. Jade let out a hum at that, her mouth forming into a thin line. After the state their world had been in for thousands of years, it was understandable that Sheeva wouldn't be prepared for such a drastic change when all they had known for years was conflict... Kitana smiled down at Harry and shook her head. She seated herself back on her throne, waiting for whomever was next. Humming a soft tune, she felt Harry relax in her arms. He was clearly afraid, but was trying his best not to let fear control him. To Harry, this was such a weird thing. He had spent his whole life essentially a slave, but now a Queen was showing him respect? How was he supposed to react to that? Well, Queen Sheeva seemed nice at least."

Perhaps she would be his friend one day... That would be nice... He was always open to the idea of having friends, even if he didn't deserve it... He wondered too if he would ever have to learn how to fight... Jade watched the two and felt her mouth twitching between a smile and a frown. She was happy to see Kitana so happy with her child, but she felt like an outsider. She now found herself looking at Harry as he looked shyly up at her and gave a small smile up at her. She smiled back slightly. It was half forced and half sincere. She didn't feel happy enough to truly give her best smile, yet Harry just seemed to have a knack for getting a warm reaction out of just about anyone...

'Just like that, love.' Kitana mentally chuckled. 'Just keep being you, she'll warm up eventually...' She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of thunder rumbling. The doors opened and what looked like the tail end of a powerful gust of wind faded out. Kitana frowned slightly, knowing Raiden was here, and somewhat hoping his brother was so she could... 'talk' about how Harry got here. Harry began to shake slightly at the loud noise the god made as he appeared in the area. He was now having awful flashbacks to the times he had suffered outside in the middle of thunder and rain, cold and alone...

"Empress Kitana." The said in unison and bowed respectfully. Kitana inhaled sharply then exhaled, knowing she couldn't let her anger get the better of her. Not when she was representing Outworld.

"Raiden, Fujin." She nodded, her tone mostly humourless, as if she was holding back a snarl. "What do you require that we couldn't discuss yesterday?" Harry looked up at the two newcomers, he hadn't been seen (yet), but he recognized the shorter of the two as the old man who had helped him.

"My brother... *ahem* may have been misguided in his attempts to help someone." Raiden began, his tone clearly saying 'he's an idiot and we all know it'. Kitana blinked at that, then looked down at Harry. While it was true that Fujin chose a reckless way to go about it, he was still the reason Harry had ended up under her care... He had gotten her child out of a bad situation... Still, if either of them thought they were taking him with them, there wasn't a chance in the Netherrealm that was happening. She exhaled slightly, trying to think of the best thing to say, when Fujin looked down and blinked.

"Oh, there he is." He remarked, seeming genuinely surprised before laughing in a 'I-am-so-dead' way as a number of things seemed to dawn on him. "Hey... young one."

Harry looked at him with a very small smile and gave him a timid wave. "Hi mr. Magic Man... Thank you for giving me that thing that brought me here to my mama..." The little boy said softly, looking down shyly. Raiden blinked, looking from Harry, to Kitana, then to Fujin.

"Fujin." He said flatly.

"Yes, I know-"

"FUJIN."

"I know, Raijin."

"That is a child, Fujin." Raiden said sternly now glaring at his brother.

"I know."

"What were you thinking!? Transporting him across realms could've killed him!"

"I never intended for that to happen. He took the Talisman and something happened. Apparently his family called it his 'freakish curse' or something like that..." Raiden let out a long groan, clearly this just got a whole lot more complicated. Kitana however, was surprised by Fujin's latter remark. He had met Harry's family?

"You have adopted him?" Raiden asked, now looking to Kitana.

Kitana nodded her head, a grave expression on her face. "Yes. And I have no intention of ever sending him back there... Not when they were clearly so cruel to him..." She said this softly, yet with a firm air of finality.

"True." Fujin nodded. "It is... disgusting, how twisted humans can be."

"Fujin-" Raiden began.

"No, he is correct. This time." Kitana cut Raiden off.

"Be that as it may. Why didn't you tell us the one we were looking for was so young?" Raiden asked sternly.

Fujin blinked and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, erm... You see, it simply slipped my mind. The life of a god is a very busy one, after all. I'm sure you'd understand that quite well yourself, would you not, dear brother?"

"Why do I work with you!?"

"We're brothers."

"Urgh..."

"But since it's been brought up, I'm not sure if it's best to speak of this with him around. But his family-" Fujin began but stopped himself. Clearly this was something bad, and it was clear he needed to discuss with Kitana. But she was thankful he didn't just up and say what he needed to in front of Harry. "They were very bad people." Was what he decided to settle on in the end. Kitana nodded her head. "And they must face some form of consequences for their actions against this child." Fujin concluded rather sternly.

"Is this what you wanted to speak to me about?" Kitana asked.

"It was more to ask if you had seen any sort of Inter-Realm portals, but it appears that is not necessary." Raiden said, nodding to Harry. "We are not here to separate him from you, we were trying to figure out who they were, and where they went."

Kitana tilted her head to the side. "Did Cage not inform you? I told him I had the child that had gone missing." She said with a frown. Raiden facepalmed and shook his head in exasperation, muttering in annoyance at Johnny's forgetfulness.

"Regardless, there isn't much else we require for this meeting. We trust that he will be well cared for by you." Raiden said with finality. "The Faction Leaders appeared to have been neutral, as usual, in yesterday's meeting, and there hasn't been much else of issue as of late."

"What happened with the Black Dragons?" Kitana asked, frowning slightly.

"From what we've been told, they've scattered for the time being." Raiden answered. "Kano somehow survived the last battle, but appears to be laying low for the time being."

"Hrgh... fine." Kitana sighed, knowing that arms dealer had screwed a lot of people over, Kotal, Jade, Herself, and most of her allies included. The man was scum, through and through, and the fact that he was still alive angered her greatly, but there wasn't much that could be done about it right now... She just prayed he would be found before he could cause any more harm... She nodded in understanding, questioning where to go form here. She could have Fujin and Raiden go to Special Forces and have them deal with Harry's abusers, or she could talk with them when they came by later today and talk with them about it then. She felt like either way, Harry shouldn't be present when they talk about it. He had been through enough, and he could provide information, but a detailed conversation would most likely upset him more than help him.

She looked down at him and smiled sadly. 'They won't get away with harmig you, my son... I promise...' She thought before resting her chin atop his tiny head. He seemed to appreciate the gesture as he relaxed in her arms. Fujin gave a relaxed half-smile at that. Relieved to see that Harry had gotten what he had wanted. He was surprised Kitana would adopt him, but then again, he really wasn't in any place to question this after some of his 'mishaps', so to say. But despite his mistakes, he was still capable of doing good, and his assistance of this small boy was proof enough of that as far as he was concerned. That accidental appearance in the boy's yard had no doubt saved his life.

"We will leave that decision to you, then." Raiden said with finality. "We shall be on our way, so long as there is nothing else you need to discuss with us?" The question gave Kitana pause, should she talk to Fujin now? or later? If now, Jade could watch Harry, and then he'd be back once they were gone... or he could stay and they'd talk later.

Kitana let out a soft sigh, then looked down at Harry. "Harry... would you mind going with Jade for just a short while? I need to have a private conversation to have with Mr. Fujin." She said gently. "I'll have you back very shortly..."

"M'kay, Mama." Harry said, clearly not liking being away from her, but he understood this was something he wasn't supposed to be here for. Jade looked to Harry, then to Kitana with an 'Are you sure about this?' look. Kitana nodded and Jade understood.

"Come along, little one." Jade said, leading Harry to another room. She felt Harry reach up and take her hand, instinctively, she went to pull away, but stopped herself. This was both the Prince of Outworld, but also a child who clearly needed kindness more than anything. Also, it was pretty cute.

So she simply led him along with a smile, looking back at Kitana one last time before closing the door behind them. Kitana turned to Fujin, who frowned slightly. "I believe I know what you wish to discuss..." He said.

"Yes." Kitana nodded. "First of all, what happened exactly?"

"Well, I was trying to return to the Sky Temple, but something pulled me back." Fujin frowned. "Maybe it was his magic, maybe it was something else, but he was left outside in a storm. He clearly hadn't eaten in some time, and he seemed terrifed of everything."

'Very much like when he arrived.' Kitana mused with a frown. "So, you met his... family?"

Fujin scowled in genuine rage, an expression she did not expect from the eccentric god. "Yes. Yes, I met them. And it took all the restraint I could feasibly muster up not to kill them right there for what they did..."

"I figured." Kitana muttered.

"It's just... he was practically a slave to them! Hell, it seemed more like he was a revenant that a person!" Fujin continued, then stopped. Remembering that Kitana (and most of her family) had been revenants at one point, knowing the absolute horror and heavy implications referring to someone like that entailed. "Y'know what? No. I meant that." He frowned, proving how serious he was about all this. "They didn't have the weapons or tools Havik or Shinnok would've used, but it was clear he had been hurt, badly. They made him sleep under the stairs!"

"What." Kitana blinked.

"I'm not making this up. I figured that room was either storage or something, but they made him sleep under the stairs! And it's not like those homes in Earthrealm where it's built to be used as one, they said it was all he deserved." He rubbed his temples and let out a loud groan. "They even wrote a damned journal... A JOURNAL! And a journal of what, you ask? Well, here. Take a look and see for yourself." He passed over a small book.

"Miss Jade?" Harry spoke up, looking up at the emerald assassin.

"Yes, little one?" Jade asked.

"Miss Sheeva said she was a shoekahn, and Aunt Mileena said she was Tarkan. Does that mean there's other people here different from us?" Harry asked. Jade raised a brow, then realized what Harry was asking, and chuckled lightly.

"Shokan, dear." She said, picking Harry up and letting him get comfortable. "And yes, there are other races aside from humans, here." She looked thoughtful, knowing he would want more information. "There are the Tarkatans, for instance. They are humanoids with sharp teeth, much like your aunt... And we have centaurs as well. Half man and half horse." Jade had to admit, seeing Harry's eyes widen with curiosity and wonder was a nice change from the tear-and-fear-filled look he had been having as of late. She saw clearly why Kitana loved him so much, he was a little boy who needed someone. That someone ended up being her friend.

"Aunt Tanya mentioned an Osssh-Tech? Who are they?" Harry asked. This immediately caused Jade to enter a struggle to control her emotions.

"Ossh-Tek, dear." She corrected him, they were people like you and me, but they had powers like you." Her tone made it clear there was more, but she didn't want to talk about it. "You'll learn more when you're older." Harry nodded his head in understanding. He wished he could learn more now, but he had seen how sad Miss Jade looked when he asked, so he decided it was best if he left it alone for now. She was sad enough as it was... Jade might have been somewhat sad, but she had Harry, and began to see what Kitana had been saying about how 'magical' it felt to hold him. Jade could tell that Harry knew something was wrong, that she was upset about something, and he wanted to help. But Jade wasn't ready to let him in. There were bigger problems to deal with.

...speaking of which...

"-THOSE BASTARDS!" Suddenly exploded from another room. Jade reacted quickly, holding Harry to her chest and covering his ears. He looked confused. Jade had covered his ears, so he hadn't heard the full volume, but he had heard his mother's voice... Was she yelling? Was she angry? Had he done something wrong?! Did she not like him anymore?!

"Little one, I-I-I-" Jade stammered. What was she supposed to do!? Leave Harry there and go check on Kitana?! Go check on Kitana but take Harry!?

"It's my fault... she's mad at me... it's my fault..." Jade was ripped from her thoughts when she heard that. It was truly heartbreaking hearing someone so small think that their own mother hated them. In that moment, Jade steeled herself, knowing that as Kitana's bodyguard, and Harry's she needed to keep them safe. Right now, Harry didn't feel safe.

"No. That's not it." She said reassuringly, holding Harry close and rubbing his back like she had seen Queen Sindel do.

"-KING KIL-"

Jade decided then to move into another room, closing the door and thankfully drowning out Kitana's angered screaming. She winced slightly at the highly muffled sound of her voice. She was screaming so loudly, she could still hear her. Jade let out a soft sigh and shook her head. Just what had angered her best friend so much...?

Everything was silent, breath, the air, even the very walls seemed to have frozen in genuine shock at Kitana's fury. She could be known for being abrasive, angry even, but it was always with a reason. A collected, personal reason for her frustrations. Here? This was fury unlike anything anyone had ever seen. To Kitana, this was nothing. NOTHING when compared to what she was going to do to those who abused her son. It was so inhuman! So twisted! It was far, far less demented that what she had seen in her time, but even then! Those were prisoners of war! Warriors from a konquered realm! Harry was a boy, practically a baby! "...and they did this to him." She clenched her fists as her fury slowly subsided and was replaced by something else completely... A sense of heartbreak and despair. Tears began to form in her eyes as she imagined what had been done to her child...

They did it, with no remorse, no sympathy, just because they could. Because they hated him. They hated his powers, and he suffered because of it. Kitana felt frozen, like she couldn't move, but needed too. "Kitana? What's wrong dear?" Sindel asked, entering the room with a look of great concern on her face. Kitana forced the notebook over to her mother, accidentally hitting her as she did so. "Kitana, there's no need for-"

"READ. THAT." Sindel gave her daughter a concerned look, then took the journal into her hands. By this point, Mileena and Tanya had caught up and looked at the journal as well. Sindel opened it, allowing the other two to read over her shoulder... And then the anger returned, and it was cold. There was such hate, such fury... it was honestly terrifying.

"Fujin, what-" Raiden began.

"Remember several generation back, the warrior you chose for the Mortal Kombat Tournament, Ty Katan?" Fujin cut him off, and Raiden's look darkened. Ty was... troubled. A skilled warrior, but a terrible person.

"Yes. Why?"

"They were a family of Ty Katan's. But worse." Fujin said honestly.

Raiden's face turned solemn, his mouth forming into a thin line and his eyes staring blankly. "I see..." He said softly. "So these relatives of the boy's... They harmed him in the same way Ty Katan did his wife and children?"

"Worse than that, but yes." Fujin said with narrowed eyes.

"What happened to them?"

"...a tornado destroyed their house." Fujin coughed, looking away awkwardly. Kitana however, just gave a mirthful smirk at that. She wanted them dead. And she didn't care how that sounded. But they deserved to suffer for what they had done to her son. "Yeah... I passed a message to Jackson Briggs, either Special Forces will deal with it, or the local authorities will."

Kitana let out a sigh and looked down at the table. "...I must see them... at least once... I refuse to let them get away without giving them a piece of my mind... They must be informed that they are evil, sub-human filth..."

"Agreed..." Mileena scowled, Tanya nodded, but Sindel... she was silent. She wasn't angry, she was heartbroken. She looked a the journal, taking in everything which had been done to her grandson. The pain, the shock, and the disgust growing more and more with each passing moment.

"Hrgh... hh..." Kitana breathed heavily, shaking her head before composing herself somewhat more. "I will be meeting Jackson, Kenshi and a few others later today. I will bring this to their attention."

"Very well." Raiden nodded, seeming far more solemn, and less stoic than earlier. He rose to his feet and gave the Kahn a polite bow. "I wish you and the child the best of luck, Kitana... He will heal in good time..." He said. Kitana nodded her head in agreement. She would ensure that Harry did... Fujin followed suit, and the two took their leave with another clap of thunder. Kitana stood there, taking a few deep breaths, thinking everything over.

"Kitana, do you-" Sindel began, but the Empress was already gone.

'How could they. HOW COULD THEY?! He was a sweet little boy! He wanted to have a family, and they treated him like a monster! He's a little boy, he doesn't understand what he was doing, he was just desperate to stay alive! And they have the gall to call him a freak?!' Kitana was stewing in her mind as she went to find her child. She needed to talk to him, she needed to reassure him...

"...ay, ..on..ov...u..." Kitana could hear a soft, muffled voice coming form a nearby room. slowly opening the door, Kitana felt a genuine smile form on her face. Jade was seated on a nearby chair, Harry held close to her chest, her best friend doing her best to comfort him. The sight was enough to quell the undying fury she felt boiling within her, at least a little bit, and she took a deep breath to force herself to further relax. She absolutely did not want to do anything that may frighten her little one...

"You're safe, little one." Jade smiled, not seeing Kitana enter. "You're all right, no one has come to hurt you. No one is going to take you from here."

"Jade?"

"Hm? Oh, Harry. Your mother is here." Jade smiled, adjusting Harry so he could look up at Kitana. But to both their shocks and Kitana's heartbreak, the news of her arrival just seemed to upset Harry more, as he buried his face into Jade's chest, and seemed too frightened to even look at her.

'He thinks I'm upset at him...' Kitana realized. She approached slowly. "Harry, please... don't think I'm angry with you... That couldn't be further from the truth... You could never make me angry..." She spoke softly as she approached, trying to ease her son's worries. Harry didn't look up, he remained clinging to Jade in fear, shaking like when she had first found him, left in a sense of self-loathing and pain, as if everyone who had pretended to be kind to him had turned on him. That's what had happened. That's what-

"Precious..." Kitana said, putting a hand on Harry's back. "Will you please look at me? I just want to ensure you know that I love you, and nothing will ever change that." Those words caused the boy to stiffen slightly before he slowly tilted his head up to look at her with teary eyes. Kitana sat next to Jade, slowly prying her son off of her best friend and holding him close. Harry quickly returned to the position of trying to hide and not look at her, but Kitana turned him over so he was looking up at her. She was upset, not with Harry, but because he seemed so genuinely terrifed.

"I wasn't yelling because I was angry at you, my child... I could never bring myself to raise my voice at you... My anger is directed at someone else entirely." She spoke as gently and reassuringly as she possibly could.

"But... it was because of me. It was my fault. It's always my fault..." Harry mumbled. Kitana frowned and kissed his cheek, trying to get him to warm up a little. He felt oddly cold, as if all the warmth in his body was gone.

"No, no it wasn't, Harry." She said reassuringly. "I was angry... I was angry because I found out what they did to you." Harry snapped his head up to look at her with wide eyes, then began to squirm slightly in her arms, whimpering in fear. This was it... She knew how he was supposed to be treated now and she was going to treat him just like that... Kitana pulled him close, wrapping him up in her arms, resting his head against her chest and her cheek on the top of his head.

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry I wasn't there..." Kitana finally got out. "If I had known... I...I..." The princess trailed off, juat settling to hug her son tightly. He let out a soft whimper and looked down. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know what to say, he didn't even know what to think. Why was she still being nice to him? She knew how he was supposed to be hurt! "Sweetie, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm never going to hurt you." Kitana persisted. "Just because I've seen what you've been through doesn't mean I'm going to put you through that. It means the opposite, I'm going to do everything I can to help you get better. To keep you warm and safe, to let you know you are truly loved."

He looked up at her with such confusion... It shattered her heart just looking at him... The fact that the mere idea that she wanted to treat him well was so foreign to him, it just... made her want to cry... "Please, love... just trust me." Kitana practically pleaded.

"You know... and you're gonna... you're..." Harry mumbled out, the pain and trauma clear in his voice and actions.

"Harry, I love you more than anything in the world. If I had taken you in so I could harm you, I wouldn't be here holding you like this." Kitana finally relented and decided to be blunt for a minute. "If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't've comforted you, fed you, called you my son. I did these things because I LOVE you." He looked up at her with wide, tear stained eyes, then began to shake violently. Despite the tears in his eyes, he had yet to start fully sobbing... until she had finished that sentence. Those three simple words absolutely broke him. Burying his face into her chest, Harry just let everything out. the pain, the fear, the hidden anxieties he hadn't voiced before, or was too afraid to voice, all of it was lain bare without even saying a word. Kitana silently sat there and let her son cry.

"Harry, don't ever forget that I love you..." He heard her, and her words made him cry even harder. They were so tender, so gentle, so full of love, that they just filled him with reminders of how hated and hurt he was in his old life... He wanted to stop crying and just enjoy this, but... he couldn't... Kitana understood this, and she let him cry himself out, mentally promising to him over and over that he was safe. That he was loved, that'd she'd stop at nothing to find the ones who hurt them, and make them suffer for their actions. She was thankful that the final audience, the one with her Earthrealm allies, was later in the day. The princess had no idea how long Harry would be like this, and she had no intentions of rushing him.

Jade looked on with wide eyes, wondering just what her strong willed, serious best friend had learned that resulted in such a strong reaction. It was upsetting to see the little boy cry, and doubly so to see Kitana so pained. Kitana wasn't sure how long she sat there, but she felt her emotions range from anger, to regret, to fear, to pain, to anguish, and eventually to burning desire. A desire to avenge her child, and a desire to keep him safe. "Oh, you poor thing..." Kitana whispered as Harry finally looked up at her. "It's okay, I'm here with you."

He was slowly beginning to calm down, his sobbing slowly ceasing as he trembled violently in her arms. It felt... nice to get it off his chest... Yes, he was still sad and scared, but he felt... a bit less sad and scared... "There we are." Kitana sighed, patting the top of his head. "Do you feel better?"

"Mmhmm..." Harry mumbled, looking away, only for Kitana to turn his head back to her.

"Harry, if you ever need to cry, you don't need to hold it in." She said matter-of-factly. "I won't be upset with you for doing so."

"T..thank you..."

"Aww, come here, love." Kitana smiled, hugging her son close again. "There are still some people I need to meet with today, do you want to stay with Miss Jade? Or with Grandma?"

"I wanna be with you."

She teared up very slightly at the sincere conviction in his soft little voice, and she nodded her head. "Very well then... You'll stay with me..." She whispered. He smiled happily and nuzzled in close to her. He wrapped his tiny arms around her neck, now breathing peacefully as he relaxed in his caregivers' embrace. Kitana smiled patting his back before looking to Jade.

"Thank you." She said, sincerely. "He seemed very happy with you."

"The poor thing just... broke." Jade frowned. "What happened?"

"Talk to mother, I don't want to bring it up in front of Harry." Kitana said softly, and Jade nodded in understanding.

"I haven't seen you that angry since... well, the winter incident."

"Yes, and I have a very strong suspicion Mileena giddily told that story to Harry..." Kitana muttered. "But I can't prove anything yet." She managed a small smile despite herself as she thought about her sister's antics. If there was one thing Mileena had managed to pick up on after her change to the side of good, it was lightening the mood, even when she wasn't physically there. 'Although I pray to the Elder Gods she didn't show him that forsaken picture...' Kitana grimly thought, not realizing that had absolutely happened. Deep down, she knew it probably had, but she really didn't want to admit to it. That whole day- ugh. That whole day had been one mistake after another. Nothing she did seemed to work! It was like what winter could sometimes be for her here in Outworld. There was nothing wrong with the season, but the ice and snow seemed to be out to get her.

She shook her head to drive those thoughts away. It was of no importance right now. She needed to stay focused on her little prince that was so thoroughly damaged... She looked at Jade. "I will explain all at another time, my friend." Jade nodded in understanding, and gave Harry a small smile to try and comfort him in a sense. When she had been comforting him, she felt so many emotions, but most of all, she felt the love. She felt the small boy holding onto her, looking up to her for protection, it was those parental feelings that she wanted, and she was happy to have had them, even if it was only briefly. She felt a very small amount of guilt for doing so, but truthfully, she had been pretending that... he was her's... That he was her child... While she hadn't said anything out loud, holding him had been precisely what she imagined holding her baby would feel like...

"Thank you, Miss Aunt Jade." Harry said looking up from where Kitana held him. His small voice, sincere tone and timid demeanour was honestly the cutest thing either woman had ever seen. He seemed so sincere, so genuine. It was clear everything they did for him mattered.

Jade smiled softly and reached over to run her fingers through his messy dark hair gently. "You are very welcome, child." She said softly. She thought of what he had called her. Aunt Jade... It was a title she would let out a small sigh and looked up at Kitana.

"M'sorry... I... I was trying to be strong for you and-"

"Harry, you have nothing to apologize for." Kitana cut him off, giving him a quick hug. "Everything you've been through is inhuman. You have every right to be upset, and I'm proud of you for trying your best to get through it." Harry perked up ever so sljghtly at her gentle reassuring words. She was proud of him... His mother was proud of him... He always wanted someone to tell him they were proud of him... That desire came second only to his desire for someone to tell him they loved him... "When we're done here, I'll take you back out to the garden. If you need to talk some more, we can talk out there. Or we can look at the flowers, how does that sound?" Kitana promised and Harry nodded with a small smile. That sounded... amazing! He wanted to be with his mother, and getting to spend time with her out in the garden? That's what he wanted...

It was a combination of two things that made him feel safe and relaxed. Just throw in some kitties and it would be absolutely perfect. Kitana, meanwhile, made an idle note to have a picnic in the garden with him in the near future... Sighing, Kitana rose to her feet, deciding she needed to take Harry back to her room. After her reaction, and Harry's tears, she needed to change her outfit to something less, well, whatever one might call it. Earthrealm was a bit more modest, so her current skimpy garb was inappropriate for a serious meeting with them.

Surprisingly, only Sindel seemed to be waiting for them when they left. Which meant either Mileena was having an emotional breakdown, or she was mercilessly destroying furniture in an attempt to destress without hurting someone. From the barely audible sounds of ripping fabric, it was the latter. "How is he?" Sindel softly asked, her tone and face conveying great concern.

"He's cried it all out." Kitana replied softly, smiling down at her child. "As you can see, he's calmed himself down quite a bit." Sindel let a small smile of relief overtake her deeply concerned frown, grateful that her grandson had been effectively consoled. She placed a hand on his back, and smiled when she felt Harry lean slightly into it. From where he was being held, this was harder than it looked, but still. He was happy, he was safe, that was good enough.

"I just-" Sindel began, but scoffed and shook her head. "It's so-"

"I know." Kitana bit her lip.

Harry looked over at his grandmother with a small smile. "Hi gramma..." He said softly, reaching his tiny arms out to her, as he sensed she was upset by something and he wanted to hug her to make her happy again. Sindel smiled and took him in her arms, quickly enveloping him in a hug, holding him close to her chest, trying to ensure he knew he was safe.

"Hello, my sweet little prince." She whispered, gently pushing some hair from over his eyes. "Oh, aren't you just the cutest little thing?"

"I..I am?" Harry asked, seeming apprehensive. Sindel chuckled lightly, and kissed his forehead. The contact and love metaphorically made Harry melt in her arms.

"Indeed you are, child..." She whispered, stroking his back. She loved her grandson very much... He was just too precious... He really did feel like the son he always wanted, even if he was her daughter's son and not hers... But, that did have some added benefits. Namely, she could spoil her grandson all she wanted, and not worry about repercussions for that. But she also believed Harry couldn't be spoiled, he was just so, well, pure. To prove her point, Harry reached up and hugged her neck, still feeling like he had done something to upset her, and wanted to make her happy.

"Oh, you adorable little thing. If you ever need anything, come find Grandma, all right? I'll take good care of you."

'Stop trying to steal my son.' Was the first thought that went through Kitana's mind. Followed by: 'They're rather sweet together. But still. Stop trying to steal my son.' She smiled in amusement despite herself and shook her head with a soft sigh. She really was going to be trapped in a never ending battle for her own child, and against her own family no less. How very tragically comedic.

"Ooohh... you're a little cuddler, aren't you?" Sindel laughed gently, Harry now back in her arms against her chest. She gave him an appraising look, but couldn't keep the pain out of her eyes when she saw the pain in his. It wasn't right. Someone this small, this young, this innocent? Pain shouldn't be their life, compassion should. She kept her smile on her face, but internally, her anger brewed like a particularly intense storm. These people were going to pay for what they'd done to her grandchild. She herself would foresee their execution given the opportunity. But for now, keeping her grandson safe and happy was more important. And despite how much she didn't want to, she knew that Kitana was what he needed. Giving him one last hug, she passed him back over to his mother, who happily accepted him.

"You love your grandmother, don't you, my dear?" Kitana cooed softly, booping his nose. He nodded his head vigorously with an enthusiastic "Mm-hmm!" Laughing softly, she turned to her mother and nodded gratefully.

"And I love my precious little grandson." Sindel replied.

"I know his Aunts care deeply for him. Where are they, by the way?" Kitana asked, looking up at her mother.

"I think Mileena is currently destroying a mattress." Sindel remarked. "She seemed unspeakably angry after what she saw." And upon hearing that: Harry tensed up once more. "Oh, no. no. no. Nothing you've done dear, they were upset you were hurt."

"Oh..."

Kitana sighed softly. "I think she's going to smother you in affection the very next time she sees you, my dear. You have absolutely nothing to worry about with either Auntie Mileena or Auntie Tanya." She assured him softly. Harry looked up and nodded, a small smile on his face. It was nice to be loved, to be cared for. Kitana nodded to her mother, and headed back towards her room. Harry hadn't said anything as she walked, and she didn't expect him to. Casting a glance to the left, she saw a few chunks of mattress stuffing spilled out from Mileena's room. And she heard the souhd of her sister's sobbing and Tanya's soft voice trying to console her. Her eyes softened at the sound of her little sister's sobs. She just couldn't leave this be, she had to try to comfort her...

When she reached her sisters' door, she looked down at Harry, who was already trying to reach out before they were even in the doorway. Blinking, Kitana smiled as she thought of something. Standing next to the door, she knocked. "..W..what?" Mileena's shaky response came. "I'm...I'm not... I'm not available to talk." Tanya looked over and her face softened, and it took her a minute to get Mileena to look up, seeing the front half of Harry somehow three feet off the ground, looking into the room with concern on his small face, reaching out as if he was trying to hug her.

Mileena's breath hitched at the sight of her precious little nephew. She let out a soft, long whine, then hopped to her feet and rushed forward to take him into her arms, bursting into a fresh set of tears the second he was in her embrace. Harry nuzzled closer, trying his best to comfort her with his tiny arms. Kitana had to admit, it was adorable, and heartwarming. She truly believed Mileena and Harry had some sort of unique bond due to their pasts being so similar. It also made her surprised at how much Harry seemed to want to make people happy, even after everything he had been through she honestly expected he would've essentially hidden away from the world. And she could tell that was what he wanted to do, more than anything, a good majority of the time. But he was fighting against that desire because he wanted her praise. He wanted her to feel proud of him... And she was.

"Harry... my little Harry..." Mileena said, sitting on the remains of her mattress, refusing to even slightly loosen her hug on her nephew. "How... how could they... it's so wrong! It's so wrong..."

"But-"

"No. No. No." Mileena cut him off with a series of kisses to the cheek, forehead and nose. "Nothing. You're not a freak, you're an adorable little boy, and no one should've ever treated you like that..." Mileena managed to get out, still trying to stop her tears. Harry reached up and tried wiping them away. She gave him a wet smile and another kiss before letting out a soft, shuddering sigh. She... was going to kill them... Horrendously and painfully... They were not going to survive... Harry didn't pick up on her anger, he was snuggling close to his aunt's embrace, holding onto what sparse fabric he could find on her clothing.

It wasn't much clothing, but it was still a pretty colour. Tanya idly noted that all the women in Harry's life were probably a bit too scantily clad. Then she shrugged that thought off. Did it really matter? She certainly didn't think so, nor did she particularly want her lover to change her usual attire. So she held her tongue. She clicked her tongue as she saw Mileena still hugging her nephew on the bed. She looked at them then seated herself next to them, wrapping the pair up in a hug. "It's all right, we'll make it through this. Together."

She looked over at Kitana, who leaned against the wall and watched with a smile that was clear even from beneath her veil. The woman adored her son, clearly... And in spite of past bitterness, she adored her sister as well... "Why are you so cute~?" Mileena whined. "It's not fair... you're so adorable!"

'Every little bit helps.' Kitana thought, noting that all this positive reassurance would most likely help Harry's mental state repair itself and push forward to a better place. It was also possible that would be the case for Mileena. Harry's love and adoration with absolutely no strings attached was clearly helping her feel more 'normal'. Something which had always been difficult for her sister. When she lived amongst Tarkatans, she felt off because she seemed more 'human'. Among humans, her mouth was a deterrent. It really wasn't good for her one way or the other. For the longest time, she could only really feel she belonged amongst her family... And even then it was clear she felt like a fish out of water... It was astoundingly similar to the problems Harry was suffering, actually. They were more alike than either one of them realized.

"Mileena-" Tanya began.

"No."

"I didn't even say-"

"No. Mine." Tanya looked to Kitana, then motioned to Mileena with a somewhat annoyed look. Kitana smirked and shrugged at their interaction, knowing her sister's childish tendencies and adoration for her son could be a somewhat dangerous combination. She knew that Mileena would fight literally anyone for Harry. Whether it was a genuine threat to his safety and health, or a member of her own family, she would do anything for her beloved nephew, which was a double edged sword to put it mildly.

Mileena huffed, then finally relented as she handed Harry over to Tanya, who kept him close and warm. Her thoughts returned to her earlier question she proposed, questioning why his smile didn't seem genuine. Well, now they knew why. Just how long had he been repressing these awful feelings building within him? How early did this disgusting, evil treatmen he had received start? Based off of how traumatized he was, she could easily wager it started very, VERY early on. Well, whatever or whenever it began, she refused to let it happen again. Harry was part of her family now, and she'd do all she could to take care of him. To make him happy and feel safe. That was a departure from who she was as a person, but... well, there was something about Harry that just felt right.

The more she thought about her actions after her birth, the more wrong they felt... It was like her sister finally accepting her had completely changed who she was. Before she committed murder with sadistic glee, now she couldn't imagine doing such a thing anymore. Again, she wasn't sure if she wanted to be a mother, but she felt right as she held Harry. The small boy clearly needed the calm reassurance and love the family was showing him, and she hoped that they'd get the chance to 'talk' to the ones who hurt him so. "Well, I'm glad you're with us." Tanya smiled.

She gently patted his head with a smile. Mileena watched with a slight pout. Why couldn't Tanya see how good a mother she could be? Or rather why WOULDN'T she see it? She could be the best parent ever if she just tried it... "Well, I'm glad to know you'll be well taken care of." Tanya smiled, noting Mileena's look. "But before you go..." She held Harry out to Mileena. "I think someone wants to give you another hug." Mileena enveloped her nephew in said hug.

"Hugs are nice..." Harry said quietly, having seen them, but been denied them for so long. Now, he got them! And they felt wonderful! The safe, warm feeling of being held close in the arms of someone he loved and trusted really was the best thing he could ever imagine... It was like that simple act of affection was scaring off all the things in the world that scared him. Eventually, and to her disappointment, Mileena relented and handed Harry back to Kitana.

"Are you SURE you don't wanna stay with us?" Mileena asked, almost pleadingly. Harry looked up with a sad smile but shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Mileena. I wanna be with Mama." Harry finally said.

"Fine... but I'm the one you come to first for babysitting, all right?" Mileena relented, looking up at her sister.

Kitana nodded her head. "Of course, dear sister. This has been clearly established before." She said mirthfully. Mileena smiled happily and hugged Tanya tightly. She may be done holding Harry, but that didn't mean she was ready to stop cuddling. Tanya smirked, knowing Mileena could be childish, but she could also be very sweet. This was proof of that. Kitana laughed slightly and headed back to her room. It wasn't in the next ten minutes, but Kitana hadn't realized how much time had passed. Her final audience (and admittedly the one she now needed to be at more than any other) with Earthrealm's Allies was soon. So, she needed to get changed. "Wait here." Kitana said, setting Harry back on the bed and pulling the blanket over his legs.

He nestled down in the bed and watched as his mother entered her washroom with a more formal attire. He waited patiently as she changed outfits, and when she came out, he decided her new clothes were pretty. Kitana smirked at the shine in Harry's eyes. It wasn't the same type of shine that would be followed by a knife being thrown in their general direction as a warning, but the shine of respect and genuine astonishment. "Hm. Now it's your turn." Kitana smiled, picking up another shirt and exchanging Harry's tear-stained one for a fresh one. She still loathed that Harry was small enough to wear a shirt like a dress, but still.

She decided to leave his pants be, as the shirt was all that really got the brunt of the tearstains. "All right." Kitana nodded matter-of-factly. "Now, you should know now love, there is a good chance we will be talking about what you went through. If we are, it's because these people will ensure that they will face punishment for their actions. But if it becomes too much, go to Aunt Jade, she'll take you somewhere safe." Harry took a deeo breath and nodded with an adorably determined look on his face. Despite how scared of his past he was, and how badly he desperately wanted to put it all behind him, his desire to be brave for his mommy and make her proud won out.

"Very good, my sweet." Kitana smiled, giving Harry a hug. She took the time to inspect him, and felt a bit of relief at the sight of his face having a little bit more colour to it. As if the food and good nights sleep were already helping. She'd do everything she could to ensure he had plenty of both, to make up for what he had been denied. She exhaled through her nostrils at the thought. Denying a child such basic necessities was evil and twisted enough, and the fact that that was merely the surface of the abuse just killed her... She had never met these people, yet she knew that she absolutely loathed them... She took a moment to hold Harry close, just giving him a gentle hug to remind him that he was her son. Nothing would change that, and she would never treat him like he had been treated. As she held him by her side, two thoughts occurred to her: first, if Jade was her bodyguard, should she assign one to Harry? The small boy would spend most of his time with her, Sindel, or his aunts, but that was something to at least think on. Secondly, who could she find that knew magic of some sort?

She considered it, and decided that she would just wait until she found something she could work with. With how well things were turning out lately, she felt confident that she would find someone that could help her son. "Kahn." Jade nodded as Kitana returned, earning a frown from the Princess/Kahn/Empress.

"Jade-"

"Apologies. Old habit." Jade shook her head.

"What's a Cahn?" Harry asked, looking up curiously.

"Oh, well. 'Kahn' is a term to describe a ruler." Kitana explained as she seated herself. "It technically means 'Emperor' or 'Empress'. However, there was a ruler not too long ago who used the title, and did many horrible things. I prefer to not use it, as it represents what we were, not who we are." Harry understood maybe... half of that. Kahn meant leader, there was a bad leader, don't call his mother 'Kahn'. Simple enough. He was curious just who this leader was though, and just what he had done to ruin the title of ruler for his adoptive mother... If he had hurt his mother in any way though, he decided that he didn't like this person.

Kitana and Jade noticed this, and they both smirked. Kitana knew sooner or later, Harry would have to learn about her father, and Sindel's 'husband' and the things that happened. But that day wasn't today. Or tomorrow. Or soon. "So, who is coming?" Kitana asked, knowing that they were from Earthrealm, and Special Forces. Jade looked at the note and replied:

"Jackson Briggs and his Daughter, Johnathan Cage and his daughter, as well as Takeda and Kung Jin."

'Good.' Kitana sighed. 'They can help, and Harry should be comfortable around them.' Well, as long as Cage didn't put his foot in his mouth like he had a tendency to do... The man meant well enough, but he had almost no filter, and that often lead to more than a few problems she could do without. Still, in the presence of Jackson and a few others, Kitana hoped he would remain civil. Still, she knew she'd have to control her own anger when the topic of what her son had been subjected to was brought up. Her maternal instincts were still screaming at her to make those bastards suffer slowly, and she was trying her best to quell their bloodlust as much as possible.

She would, well, she might. But she knew in front of her allies, she needed to remain composed. Things had been awkward to tense long enough with Earthrealm during Kotal's reign. The last thing she wanted was her allies thinking she was becoming like her father. She would request that they give these filthy vermin the punishment their own world deemed most suitable, and nothing more... As hard as it was to not be able to kill them herself... Perhaps life with the inmates would be more painful in the long run... Still, she'd ensure that Harry was safe and happy, no matter what it took. On that thought she cast a side-glance to Jade, thinking about how she had been comforting Harry... it really seemed like there was something more there.

'Of course there is.' Kitana reminded herself. 'She and Kotal...' She was simulating what she had wanted to do with her own eventual child. Pretending for those few fleeting minutes that Harry was her own son... She had wanted to have Kotal's child so badly... To be a mother so desperately... She wanted to comfort her, to do anything she could to help her. She loved Jade! She- wait... Kitana exhaled and shook her head, knowing this wasn't the time to think such thoughts. But still, she respected Jade, appreciated her company... was she just feeling guilty for upsetting her the other night? She could figure this out later.

Right now she had to focus on the meeting she had to attend. Smiling down at Harry, she stroked his hair gently to ensure he felt at ease, then took a deep breath and approached the door leading to the meeting room. Pushing the door open, she felt an awkward feeling grip her spine when she saw they were already here. thankfully, they were talking with Jade, and didn't seem to notice her immediately. How long had she been holding her son!? Did he really take up that much time!? 'Worth it.' She conceded.

She gave him a kiss on the head as she stepped up to join the meeting. "Hello everyone. I trust you are all doing well?" Everyone turned to greet Kitana, having been filled in prior that she had Harry in her custody.

"Empress." Was the collective response with a respectful bow.

"Yeah, things are all right." Jax took the lead. Kitana nodded, noting with a small smirk that Jacqui noticed Harry, and had a similar reaction to most meeting him. Harry tensed up, but seemed to relax a little when she squeezed his arm. There were a lot of people... but this wasn't a bad thing. "Sorry I couldn't be at the faction meeting, something came up and SF needed help."

"So you say..." Johnny muttered under his breath. Jax sighed in response to that. Johnny had always seemed a bit bitter towards the special forces ever since he and Sonya divorced, and that feeling had only amplified after she died and Cassie joined up. Evidently he feared losing his daughter as well. At the same time, he couldn't fault him for not really wanting to be at another 'spend-eight-hours-saying-everything-is-okay-except-Raiden-doesn't-seem-to-get-that' meeting. They weren't exactly great places to have your attention held for long periods of time. Still, it was hard to tell if he was joking or not with that last remark. Whatever that didn't matter.

He looked over at her and nodded in greeting. She remembered their conversation the day prior at the meeting. "So he's the little guy Fujin sent here?" Cassie remarked, nodding to Harry. Cage's daughter didn't have the same energy about her from the few times she had met the girl. But then again, Johnny had mentioned that she wasn't in a great place after Sonya's death, so she wouldn't question this.

"Yes, this is Harry. My son." Kitana nodded.

"H-hi..."

The older girl gave a small smirk and a wave. "Sup." She greeted casually. Harry felt strangely comforted by this. She was the only woman that had ever responded so casually to his presence. All the others either hated him or instantly smothered him. Kitana smiled, relieved to see he was doing all right thus far.

"Hi, little guy." Jacqui smiled. Harry looked to her and gave a small smile, clearly timid around new people but still doing his best not to show it. It also occurred to Kitana that these were probably the youngest people he had met so far, and Harry probably didn't have any friends back home. His evil relatives would most definitely make certain of that... Shaking her head, she gave the two younger women a small smile and a nod of acknowledgement before focusing her attention on the matter at hand.

"So, I understand there was something you needed to discuss with us?" Kitana remarked, deciding to hold off on discussing Harry's issues for now.

"Yeah, the kid found it." Jax nodded, motioning to Takeda who opened his bag and took something out. "Apparently, there's been some sort of weird crossing where some of Shao's forces remained in Earthrealm, they've started some sort of cult or something." Kitana's eyes widened when Takeda held out the stone with old inscriptions on it. She narrowed her eyes in anger at this. Even in death, her 'father' still found ways to ruin everything... She loathed Shao Kahn with all her heart, and she wanted so badly to completely destroy his legacy...

"Mama?" Harry blinked, looking up at her. It took Kitana a second to calm down, and a few more to remember she was holding her son. She sighed, looking down at him, noting she'd need to explain this later. She didn't want to, but she knew it would be inevitable. Harry could tell when someone was upset, and then he'd blame himself, and then the cycle would continue as THAT would upset her, he'd pick up on it...

She gave him her best smile and gently stroked his hair. "It...isn't important right now, my dear... I will explain it to you after the meeting..." She assured him gently. He looked slightly unsure, but nodded his head regardless.

"Okay, that's pretty cute." Kung Jin said under his breath, and Jacqui smirked in agreement.

"Look, we were wondering if you knew anyone who might know something about this." Johnny spoke up. "Honestly, we think it's just some crazy zealot who thought he saw God or whatever..."

Kitana exhaled softly. "I can't think of anyone... My best guess would perhaps be Skarlet, but she doesn't seem the type to work with someone quite so zealous, as her connection with Shao Kahn was a far more personal one..."

"...Didn't she..." Johnny began but trailed off, either remembering something or deciding to drop it. "Never mind. It's probably not her..."

"Right, I'll have some of my people look into it." Kitana nodded.

"Right, so there's that, and there's the other thing Fujin explained to us." Jax spoke up, then nodded to Harry. "Not sure if you want him here or not."

She looked down at Harry... He needed to put all this hell behind him... Wordlessly, she turned to Jade, who got the message and took Harry from Kitana's arms. "Come along, little one... It's time for your mother to discuss matters that you mustn't hear..."

"M'kay..." Harry said quietly, not liking being separated from his mother, but also understanding and knowing better than to protest.

"So, how much did he tell you?" Kitana asked.

"Enough that it pissed him off." Johnny said bluntly. "I... I don't think I've ever seen him even irritated. But he was just pissed."

"He didn't tell us everything, but before we got here, apparently Stryker and Kabal had a solid lead on them." Jax added.

"And they will be punished?" Kitana asked.

"That's why we wanted to talk to you." Jax nodded. "Didn't expect you to adopt the kid, but either way. He's technically of Outworld Citizenship, so we wanted to know how you wanted to handle this."

"Essentially, do you wanna kill them, or do we let the freaks in our prison kill them?"

"Johnny!"

"What? You really think they'll live that long once the others find out?"

Kitana blinked. "Hmm? He's already considered a citizen of Outworld? But I haven't signed any sorts of papers to make this official... Is that not how things work in your world? Shouldn't you have jurisdiction over them, since they are still your citizens?"

"...It's more a case of no one wants to try and explain this to Raiden." Johnny admitted with a shrug. "Not to mention when the Elder Gods themselves are getting noticeably angry, that kinda stuff doesn't seem as important."

"Also, if he was adopted by Jade or anyone not in your family, then yeah. There'd be some paperwork or something." Jax added with a shrug. "But being Royalty, that sort of supersedes it. At least, that's what we've been told and that's what we're going with." Kitana nodded her head in understanding, then began thinking. She would like to see them perish, but then... was that really the right thing to do? Would their deaths make her any better than her monster of a stepfather?

'Yes. But not by enough to be able to sleep well at night.' She conceded with a slight frown. "I would like them to be brought to justice, be it by our laws or yours. They cannot be allowed to go free."

"Fair enough." Jax nodded.

"Aunt Jade?"

"Yes, little one?"

"Am... am I in trouble?"

"No! Not at all, why would you think you were?" Jade asked, shaking her head.

"Mama seemed really upset over something. I don't think I did anything bad, but I'm used to it if I did, and I don't want to make her upset..."

"Oh, you sweet little boy." Jade smiled, giving Harry a hug. "No, your Mother is upset because she's trying to make Outworld a better place, and some people are trying... not to."

Harry blinked. "But why? Why wouldn't they want to live in a better place? Why would they wanna make it worse?" He asked his aunt in confusion. Jade let out a sigh, trying to figure out the best way to explain this.

"Well, this may come across as rather mean, and I don't mean to frighten you, but why did your relatives hurt you?" Jade asked, feeling Harry tense. She hated this was the best analogy that wouldn't traumatize him.

"B-b-because I'm a freak..."

"No. Not at all." Jade shook her head. "They did it, because they could. Some people are just like that. They hurt others because they can, maybe they're afraid, maybe they're angry, but then there are people who have no reason for why they're bad. They just are. That was the case."

Harry blinked. "They... They did it just because they could...?" That... made him feel even worse. They were supposed to be his family, yet they shamelessly hurt and abused him just because it was something they could get away with?

"Unfortunately, yes." Jade sighed. "But that doesn't matter now, your mother is making things better. She's doing everything she can to ensure things don't ever end up like that again." Thankfully, Harry looked up and seemed to understand. He nuzzled closer, just enjoying Jade's embrace. There was something about how calm and gentle she was that Harry really liked. It was a similar feeling he got from being held by his mother, in fact. His auntie Jade had a natural soothing aura about her that gave him the instinctive feeling that he could trust her to love him and keep him safe. Jade smiled when she saw the look on Harry's face as he looked up to her, clearly thankful for the reassurance.

"Oh, you adorable little thing." She said softly, patting his back. "Your mother could never be upset with you. You couldn't do anything to upset her." Harry was convinced. His auntie Jade sounded thoroughly sure in her assessment that his mother wouldn't leave him, so he felt positive that he could trust in her words. He smiled up at her sweetly. Jade returned the smile, a bit more genuinely and tucked Harry close to her chest as she sat down, letting the small boy get comfortable. Once that was finished, he looked up at her again.

"Aunt Jade? Who were those people Mama was talking to?" Harry asked, innocently.

"Ah. Those were people from your world, little one. Jackson is the leader of one of your militaries, Cage is an actor, and Cassandra and Jacquelyn are soldiers in training." She explained. Harry blinked and tilted his head. They were from his world... Had they arrived with weird paper thingies too?

"How are they here?" Harry asked innocently. Jade chuckled at his question, pushing some hair away from his face.

"Well, it's a bit complicated, even for me." Jade remarked. "But there's a device which essentially opens a doorway between our world, and your old world, which allows us to travel to one another."

"But I didn't get here because of that..." Harry frowned, clearly confused.

"Well, if what Kitana has told me is true, and I have every reason to believe it to be, you weren't supposed to come here." Jade remarked, and quickly set to explaining what she meant, lest Harry think Kitana didn't want him. "See, the talisman you were given was supposed to take to somewhere in your own world, a place where you'd be safe. But your magic reacted and overpowered it, and somehow brought you here. To Kitana."

He blinked at that, and then looked thoughtful, pondering what he had just been told no doubt. After a fashion, he looked up with a small smile. "I'm glad that happened... I'm glad it made that mistake..." He said softly. Jade gave a gentle laugh and hugged Harry close, briefly feeling those warm maternal feelings.

"I'm very thankful as well, little one." She smiled. "But I know no one is more thankful than your mother." Harry smiled, thinking about that. That feeling of actually being WANTED. Of being loved! His Mama did so much for him. What could he do to repay her? He wanted to do something to make her happy, to show how much he loved her, and appreciated everything she did for him. Maybe he could make her a card or give her a flower like he had seen Dudley do for Aunt Petunia... She always seemed to like it when Dudley did it, though she always got mad when he tried to do it, and she would spit on it or rip it to shreds right in front of him and tell him to get back to work...

Jade noticed his thoughtfulness and smiled again. 'He truly is such a sweet boy.' Jade thought. 'So timid and fragile, but so full of love and adoration. No wonder Kitana loves him so much, regardless of his past. He's a little angel who practically fell into her lap.' She would admit she was very envious of her best friend. She would have loved to have a child like Harry... But alas... It was not to be... All she could do now was protect him the best she could. After all, she was his aunt. Harry seemed to be warming up to her as well, she remembered how he could barely look at her, his fear of being seen overpowering his childhood innocence, resulting in him practically hiding in Kitana. Now, he was happily leaning into her embrace, clearly thinking about something. Jade had a pretty good guess, figuring Harry either was trying to think of a question about his new home, or something he could do to make his mother happy.

"Harry, would you like to see something I can do?" Jade asked, and Harry nodded. Setting the boy down in the chair, Jade walked to the middle of the room and looked around, planning her trajectory, then threw one of her razor-rangs. He blinked as he watched the projectile fly, and watched as it perfectly connected dead-centre into a target in the middle of the room with pinpoint accuracy. Then she tossed another one that impacted the first one and forced it deeper into the target. Holding her hand out, they both flew back to her, and she caught them with ease. If the look of wonder on Harry's face didn't melt the bodyguard's heart, the small applause did. He was so enthralled and amazed by her talent. She didn't even try! She was so good at it! Jade smiled, then threw another, this one circling around the room before coming towards her from behind.

"Aunt Jade!" Harry squeaked in fear. Only for Jade to vanish at the last second, and the glave dug into the ground, with Jade appearing next to it in a purple flash. Harry blinked in surprise at that, then clapped his tiny hands with a smile. It was... like all the times he had disappeared when he was frightened or in danger and reappeared in his cupboard... But his aunt seemed able to do it naturally. "H..ho..how did you do that?" He managed to get out, a mixture of wonder and fear in his tone. Jade noticed this and quickly picked him up to comfort him.

"It's an ability I have." Jade shrugged. "Much like your powers."

"I've... I've done that too." Harry said. "Except it's when I was in pain or danger... and I'd wake up in my cupboard."

Jade frowned at this and tightened her hold on him. "That is how many discover their power, little one... They learn of it through trials and tribulations... I first learned of my power when I was in a fight I could not win otherwise."

"Oh." Harry blinked, then tired to hug Jade. Jade blinked, but smiled softly, clearly realizing Harry thought he had upset her.

"No, no, no... it's okay, little one." Jade smiled, giving Harry a quick hug. "You didn't upset me. Besides, there comes a point in everyone's life when they have to overcome a great challenge, and more often than not, they won't succeed on their first attempt."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"MmHmm." Jade nodded. "Even your mother hasn't always gotten it right on the first attempt." She smiled nostalgically at the memories. "She always had a natural gift with her fans in combat, yet she struggled to work with the rest of her abilities... The two of us would often train side by side, and I was often the winner."

Harry looked up, clearly interested.

"Mama has fans? Like, the thing that spins on a ceiling? How do you fight with that?" Harry asked, genuinely confused. His question made Jade laugh slightly as she patted his head.

"No, Harry. Fans as in the kind one would use to cool themselves off, except your mother's are different, they were made to be weapons. She can show you later."

He frowned in confusion. "Oh... Do you mean those little hand ones that you have to wave in front of yourself to get cool with...? I like those... They're cool." He said softly. Jade smiled and nodded her head in affirmation.

"Yes, those." Jade nodded. "I'm not sure if she's shown or told you, but she has powers of her own, too. She can create powerful winds with her fans, strong enough to lift someone up. She can also control them without holding them, and even use them as shields if need be." Harry thought it over, that sounded really cool! But he also was somewhat afraid of the implications. He didn't think his mother would ever use them on him to hurt him (He really, REALLY, didn't want to think that), but rather that she fought a lot. Did she get hurt? What if she lost? What if- Harry was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Jade poke his ribs with a smirk, then lightly poked them again, making him giggle at the contact. She tickled him a bit more, then gave him a smile. "You have no cause for concern, child. Your mother is one of the finest warriors you have ever seen. Very few in this kingdom could possibly defeat her in a battle."

Harry nodded. He certainly thought so! Even though he had never seen her fight, he still thought she was the best! "One of the few I know could beat your mother without difficulty would be Queen Sindel." Jade remarked, thinking aloud.

"Gramma?"

"Yes, she helped train Kitana." Jade nodded.

"Gramma fights? She's so... old..." Harry mumbled, clearly confused. In another room, Sindel felt like she was being judged.

Jade began to laugh loudly at how blunt the boy was. "Oh, my dear she's certainly much older than you or I, but she is most certainly a capable fighter. And for her age, she still looks very much youthful..." She was still amazed at how well Sindel could pull off her revealing clothes this far into her life. Jade pondered if she should tell Harry how old they truly were, due to their Edenian heritage and the rules of the Mortal Kombat tournament. But she feared if she did, then she'd have to *ahem* 'train' with the Queen and Empress, something which would end with her being rather bruised. She thought about Kitana and how she had struck her best friend, and her heart sank slightly. Kitana clearly didn't see it as an issue, but Jade did. It was as if she failed in her duties...

"But... I don't get it... I thought when you got older, you got slower..." Jade laughed again, giving Harry a hug and pressing her forehead to his.

"I think we should keep this conversation to ourselves, little one." She smirked.

Harry tilted his head to the side, and decided to just accept that and move on. "Grandma is really pretty." He admitted softly, which caused Sindel to feel an inexplicable warmth flow through her heart and made her smile despite him not being there. Jade smiled and patted Harry's head.

"Yes, you can say that to them, it'll make them happy." Jade explained. Harry nuzzled down into Jade's embrace for a few moments, then looked up at Jade.

"Aunt Jade? Is Mama done?"

Jade chuckled softly and shook her head. "I'm afraid these meetings can be rather time consuming, child. Please show patience, there's no telling how long this could last. Perhaps a few more minutes, perhaps a few more hours..."

"Oh... Aunt Jade?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Uh... can I stay with you until she's done?" Harry asked, his eyes seeming larger than before, as if he was pleading with her to say 'yes'. Jade felt her heart melting as she smiled and pulled Harry close again.

"Of course, little one. I'll keep you safe and warm until Kitana is done." She rose to her feet and leaned against the wall, trying to listen in on the conversation from within the room. But they weren't quite talking loudly enough for her to get a feel for what they were saying, so she gave up on that pretty quickly. She looked down at Harry, wondering what else she could do with him. Harry seemed open for anything, so long as he was with someone who cared for him.

"How much of the temple have you seen?" Jade asked. Harry blinked, seemingly deep in thought before answering.

"I dunno." Jade chuckled slightly, deciding she could show him some of his new home for a bit, it may help him understand where he was.

"Then let us go and show you what you have yet to see. It's important you are acquainted with your new home, after all." She said softly. Harry smiled up at her and nodded his head. He really liked his auntie Jade. Jade took in a short breath when she felt Harry hold onto her arm, leaning against her as she carried him. It really felt like everything this little boy did just made her love him even more. "So, I assume you've seen the quarters, throne room and dining hall." Jade began as she entered another room. "This is the training lounge."

Harry looked around at all the painted targets and all the wooden dummies. "Ooooh. Do you beat these things up to practice?" Jade nodded, setting him down and summoning her staff, which she used to impale one of the dummies. Harry blinked, amazed by Jade's strength. Thankfully he didn't seem to understand the implications of what this could do to a person, but rather saw it simply as a demonstration of talent. Pulling her staff out, Jade spun it around her masterfully hitting five dummies before impaling another one. She hoisted the dummy into the air and slammed it on the ground, smashing it into wooden splinters. She then struck each wooden piece with her staff, further fragmenting them into smaller chunks of wood.

Harry was amazed, this was something he had never even thought about before! His Aunt Jade was so fast and fluent, it was as if she wasn't even thinking as she did so. It was as if this was just common practice to her! Which it was, but he didn't know that. He wondered how his Mother fought, or his other Aunts, or his Gramma... and then there was Miss Queen Sheeva, she said her people fought a lot, what was fighting with four arms like? Could he fight? No. He didn't want to fight. He didn't want to hurt anyone, and he really didn't want to be hurt either... Just the thought of it made him shiver. But his mommy would protect him... and his aunties and gramma too... right? Jade noticed Harry's shift in demeanour, and quickly put together what he may be thinking about. Harry didn't notice he was being picked up until Jade rested his head against her chest, patting his back.

"It's okay, little one." Jade said softly. "You don't have to fight, and you'll be kept safe. Your mother is trying to make Outworld a place where violence isn't the immediate answer, and I can see you doing great things one day without needing to fight to prove your strength." Harry felt reassured by her words. She was a very strong and confident presence that clearly knew what she was talking about. She truly gave off a very wise aura, one of someone that had many years of experience with the world around him. Jade laughed gently, feeling content holding Harry as he looked up to her with curiosity and trust. He nodded in understanding, and Jade decided to continue showing Harry around his new home. Leaving the training lounge, they walked down a large, long hallway until they arrived at another room.

"This, is the library." Jade explained as Harry looked around at the seemingly endless sea of books. He always was interested in books, even if they didn't want him reading them... He had overheard his aunt telling Dudley all sorts of stories and had been enamoured with each and every tale that he had been able to hear. "Do you like to read, Harry?" Jade asked, curiously.

"Uh... I dunno how..." Harry mumbled, looking away as if he had done something wrong. Jade frowned then held him up to eye level so she could talk to him.

"That's okay, little one. You'll be well taught." She smiled, setting Harry at her side as she walked down the rows of books, showing Harry everything it had to offer. The small boy was clearly intrigued, looking around himself as she carried him. She reached the destination she was searching for, and pulled a small book off the shelf. "Hmm... This one will do just nicely. Shall I give you a reading lesson, little one?" Harry perked up and gave her a hopeful look.

"Y..you would?" He asked, and Jade both felt her heart melt and break at the same time.

"Of course, my sweet." Jade smiled, carrying Harry and the book over to a nearby chair and seating herself in it. Once she was sure Harry was comfy, she opened the book to the first page. "Do you know what this word is?" Jade asked.

Harry looked at the word she was pointing out and scrunched his face up in concentration. It was... one of those As... "Um... Is it apple...?" He asked softly. Jade beamed and nodded her head in affirmation.

"Correct, well done!" She said with a smile, noticing Harry's eyes light up. It was only more confirmation that he was so broken, so abused, that the smallest bit of praise was the greatest thing in his eyes. "Now, this one."

"Uh...appleing?" Harry blinked, trying his best to pronounce the word correctly.

"No, appealing." Jade corrected him. "But I can see how you would think that." She went over the english dictionary that had been gifted to the royal family to better learn the written language of their earthrealm allies with him, and she was very, very impressed by just how talented this child was. There was a lot he didn't get, but for every word he did get right, his eyes lit up when she told him he did well. She gave him a few simple sentences out of a book to try, and he was making progress, slow as it may be.

He was learning a basic life skill for the first time ever, and she was the one to teach it to him. She couldn't help but feel a mild sense of guilt, like she was overstepping her boundaries and taking this experience away from Kitana. Still... it wasn't perfect, so she could teach him more. By that logic, she was just lending a helping hand. Yes, that worked. Not to mention there would probably be many other things she'd need to teach him, and Kitana could have first crack at those. She smiled under her veil and listened closely as she had Harry read a little short story out loud. He was doing very well, having easily read multiple sentences without missing a single beat. She was impressed. He was a good little learner.

When the story was done, Jade smiled and kissed him on the top of his head, making him coo happily at the affection. He really was too sweet for his own good... "Well done, Ravnica." Jade smiled, then froze in horror when she realized what she had just called him. Harry looked up in confusion, but didn't say anything. She put her veil back up and gritted her teeth in embarrassment. She had just called him the name she had in reserve for her own child, what was she doing?! She let out a sigh . "Well done HARRY." She simply corrected herself.

Harry winced, looking away, afraid he had done something wrong. It took Jade a few moments to realize that, and she bit her lip before sighing. She wasn't sure what to say, so she'd just try and move on from that. "Are you hungry, child?" Jade asked, and Harry tentatively nodded.

"Um... I get to eat? I upset you... I shouldn't eat..."

Jade closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. This was wrong, this was all wrong, and she wanted to know the full story... She would ask Kitana for the details if she was willing to give them... But she felt an underlying sense of dread when thinking about it? "No, you did nothing wrong, little one." Jade spoke softly, giving Harry a quick hug to try and reassure him. From the way Harry leaned into it, Jade knew this meant a lot to the little boy. That only raised more questions. She knew he had been hurt, but she had assumed it was merely physical abuse. She silently scowled at the thought that mere physical abuse was the best-case scenario for the little boy in her arms, but again, didn't say anything. Jade understood there was a time for tact and a time for being blunt. Presently, it was time when Harry needed reassurance. "Now come... Let's go and find something to eat... It's well past lunchtime and you must be starving." She whispered softly, rising out of the chair and carrying the child out of the room. He nodded and leaned against her.

Harry felt like he shouldn't eat, he had made his Aunt Jade upset! But she said he hadn't, and he should eat. But- that went against everything he had ever been told up until a day ago. So, if his Aunt said he hadn't upset her, then that probably meant he hadn't. The issue with that line of thinking, was the expression his Aunt Jade tried to hide. She was sad, something happened at some point, and he wanted to make her happy, but he didn't know how. He tried hugging her. He knew that usually worked. And she did smile... But it seemed off, like it wasn't really a happy smile... He was worried. Why was she sad? What had happened to his auntie to make her feel sad? The pair were both thinking the same thing, feeling the same thing, and wanting the same thing. What happened? Why couldn't they help? How could they make them happy.

Jade soon found herself in the meal prep area, and smiled down at Harry. She carried him as she gathered some food for his lunch, and put it on a plate, and then did the same for her. "There we are, a hearty lunch fit for a young prince." She said with a nod as she took a seat next to him, taking the first bite of the food, which prompted Harry to do the same with his own. He hummed softly, loving the taste.

"It's really good." He said after swallowing. "It's better than what I made."

"Oh, you cooked?" Jade asked, her tone one of calm conversation, but a few moments later, something snapped in her mind. He cooked. That wasn't an issue, so long as he was being supervised, but his abuse was clear, which probably meant-

"Yeah, they said it was terrible though, no matter what I tried." Harry said, seeming downcast.

Jade shook her head and closed her eyes. "Even if that were true, which I am not saying it was, what can one expect when they force a child so young to cook all their meals for them? Children were not made for such tasks."

"They said I had to..." Harry mumbled. "If I wasn't cooking, then I had to clean everything. I didn't mind, I liked when things were clean, but they got angry if it wasn't done right. And they kept changing what was 'right' and I was too stupid to figure it out." Jade's eyes widened as Harry spoke. Kitana's anger made much more sense now, and she had a bad feeling she was just scratching the surface of this.

"No, child, you are most certainly not stupid." She finally said when she managed to regain her voice. "You are a very bright child... Most your age would struggle with that book, especially if they haven't read before in their lives..."

"Oh." Was all Harry said in response, looking down at his food. Jade bit her lip, then patted his back softly, making the small boy look up at her. Now, Jade saw the pain in his eyes, he was trying to hide it, either out of fear for how she'd react, or he didn't want her to be upset. She sighed softly. A part of her wanted to tell him to let it out, but that really wasn't her place now, was it? It was up to his mother to help him feel safe enough to unbottle his pent up emotions... She would have to leave this to Kitana.

Their meals finished, Jade smiled and picked Harry up again, sighing contently as she felt the small boy lean into her embrace, holding onto her arm. "Hm. Where else..." Jade muttered. She then noticed Harry had a hopeful glint in his eyes, but seemed afraid to say anything. "Is there somewhere you'd like to go?"

"Uh, Aunt Mileena and Aunt Tanya showed my the big yard outside... but I haven't been there yet." Harry said innocently.

Jade tilted her head to the side. "Hmm... Very well. Let's go and see the yard then..." And with that, she carried the boy outside where the large, sprawling yard was waiting with well-kept green grass and tall strong trees as far as the eye could see. Not too far away was what was known as the 'Grotto', a small pond with a waterfall and several stone statues. Harry looked around with curiosity clear in his eyes as he took everything in. Jade smiled at that as she took Harry around the yard, answering his questions as they came. He was so fascinated by everything he saw. And she didn't blame him, quite frankly. Because based off what she had seen, the yards of those in Earthrealm just simply didn't compare. They were always so...plain.

Granted, she hadn't been to many places in Earthrealm, but her opinion still stood. "There's a lot of winged snakes." Harry blinked, looking around, and it took Jade a moment to realize he was talking about the dragon statues.

"Those are dragons, child." She smiled. "In Outworld, they represent strength, wisdom, power, the marks of both a powerful warrior, and a powerful ruler." She didn't know how much he knew about the Elder Gods, so decided to leave the fact that the Dragons represented them in their 'purest form' as even she didn't fully understand that.

Harry looked at one of the statues with wide eyes and approached it slowly. Gently, he reached out a tiny hand and began to stroke its snout with a small smile. "Thank you, Mr. Dragon, for being strong for people..." Jade's smile threatened to split her face in two. It wasn't fair! He was so genuine and adoring in his words and actions! But he was just a little boy. Yet everything he did seemed to be a bid to make her love him even more.

"Heh, well, the odd thing is, not many of them have names." Jade remarked, picking Harry up again and pointing to another statue. "That one is known as Shenron, and was regarded as the Guardian of Good Will and Dreams."

"So, he made people happy?" Harry asked. Jade grinned again before answering.

"Well, some who believe in the old tales may claim that your accident which resulted in you coming here may have been his doing." Jade said. "However, that's merely an old legend, but that's what that dragon represented."

Harry beamed at the statue of Shenron and stroked his snout as well. "Thank you for helping me and giving me a family... You and that old man..." Harry said softly, choosing to believe in the dragon and the idea that he had a hand in his current life.

Jade didn't know why, but she felt like she was going to cry. there was something so pure and innocent about Harry, and she truly loved that. once he was done, Jade gave him a hug, just silently enjoying the feeling of holding the little boy close, earning a happy coo from the tiny boy. She didn't know if Kitana was done with the meeting or not, but this time, she didn't care. She wanted to keep Harry for the time being, she loved his small and timid personality, and she loved holding him close. This was what she had dreamed her child would be... Just a tiny, innocent bundle of love that she could hold close, tell stories to, show off her talent as a warrior, prepare meals for, and just show them what life had to offer... And by the Elder Gods, Harry was all of that in an abundance. Jade doubted he would ever grow up to be a warrior like Kitana, herself, or even some of their allies, but Jade felt like that was okay. He didn't seem like the kind of boy who would want to fight, let alone be good at it. He was just such a pure soul, he clearly cared for making people happy rather than proving his strength.

And that, in many ways, was something much greater than any fighting power he could ever show... Elder Gods know this place needed a little ray of sunshine after all it had been through... Harry was the little beam of light they all needed. She sat down on the edge of one of the fountains, watching Harry look down at the fish swimming around in the basin. She noted again how he seemed so intrigued, either because they were different from the fish in Earthrealm, or because he had simply never seen fish before. "They're really pretty." He said, looking down into the crystal clear water. Jade smiled and patted his head lovingly, just enjoying the sense of wonder that he had about him.

"They truly are, aren't they? These are koi fish." She explained. Harry looked at the swimming aquatic creatures and smiled. He liked the name 'koi fish'. It sounded funny. Jade looked to a nearby basket and took out some fish food. Wordlessly, she handed it to Harry, who looked at it in confusion, as if asking if he was supposed to eat this. Jade laughed and shook her head, showing him how to break it up, sending the Koi swimming to the surface to get something to eat. Harry's eyes widened in realization, and he tried what his Aunt showed up, laughing as the fish popped up to gobble the flakes before disappearing back down a foot or two, only to suddenly realize there was more food, and returned for it. Harry giggled and clapped his hands as the fish ate their food. Jade really did love listening to it... "Lovely creatures, aren't they? I enjoy coming outside to watch them... It relaxes me so..." She said softly. The fish were one thing that would always bring her relief from her sadness and pain.

"MmHmm. They're so colourful!" Harry nodded, looking down at the shimmering water, with accents of gold, orange and white reflecting here and there as the fish absentmindedly swam. He looked up at his Aunt, and his face softened somewhat. "Aunt Jade? Are you okay?" Blast it... she hadn't been as careful as she should've. Jade mentally kicked herself, then smiled.

"Yes dear, I'm all right." She nodded. She set him down and looked at the fish with a contemplativr expression. She had lost her chance to be a mother, and Harry was nice to just... pretend she had a child, just for a little while... He was... therapeutic... Harry looked back down at the fish, mesmerized by the colours more than anything. It seemed almost random and chaotic, but also so closely designed. He didn't know how to put it into words, but he thought it was really pretty. It reminded him of the garden he now lived near.

Suddenly he felt the urge to look at the nearby plantlife. While it wasn't as plentiful and beautiful as the garden, it was still very pretty, with big towering trees, little flowers emerging from the green grass, and little bumblebees buzzing around. He was taken in by the calm beauty of it all, he felt relaxed and happy around it, and he didn't know why. But honestly? He didn't much care. It was a nice sight, and after everything he had been through, that was more than good enough for him. Jade noticed his diversion of attention and smiled softly, looking over as well. "The servants work hard to maintain this place... And they do a very good job, wouldn't you agree?" Harry nodded his head.

"I had to work to keep my old home clean too..." Harry said quietly, and Jade bit her lip as she listened. "It never looked this good though..."

'What did they do to you?!' Jade frowned. She knew he had been abused, that much was clear. She didn't like it, but she could believe he cooked once ore twice, but this sounded like they made him their slave! Why!? He was such a sweet innocent little boy... She had to wonder... Had he ever actually played like a child his age should? Had he ever run around in vast fields and enjoyed the warm breeze? Evidently, judging by his entire demeanour, clearly not... The question still remained: Why? Why had this happened to him? What could he have possibly done to anger those who originally had him to a point where they'd hurt him? There was nothing that he could've done. He was so small and innocent, what could he have POSSIBLY done?!

What if he had done nothing at all? What if he had somehow, against all odds, been saddled with a group of people that managed to find reasons to hate him? It was unthinkable, yet distressingly possible... Jade sighed quietly, just enjoying the sight of Harry's curiosity as he explored the grotto. This seemed right, this seemed like how it should be, it always should've been. Jade was content to let her sweet little nephew explore for the time being, it was clear he needed to be allowed to explore, and she had no qualms with doing so. She did, however, make sure to stand as close to him as she reasonably could without smothering him. After all, she was a royal retainer, and as such it was her job to always protect the family no matter what.

Granted, there wasn't anything out here that could hurt Harry (especially with her guarding him) but she was never one to slack on any of her royal duties. It occurred to her that at some point, Harry might be assigned a retainer... who would that be? There weren't many who served the Royal Family directly, and even fewer Kitana would trust with Harry. Erron Black was here because he was paid to be, and Jade knew Kitana would probably leave Harry on his own before trusting him to the Outlaw for more than two minutes, Baraka had left a few years ago to travel with his tribe, so he was out of the question. Ermac... was gone, and Jade knew that wasn't something Kitana or Sindel much liked talking about... so who else was there? She considered the idea of the prisoners in rehab. Skarlet was... ugh... She hated the idea of her being Harry's retainer... Then there was Reptile, who she didn't really know much about. The reptilian ninja was always an enigma to her. She didn't know much about him, other than he had been loyal to Shao, and then Kotal, and then Kitana. From what she remembered, there weren't many of his kind left, and he prided himself on loyalty to the ruler of Outworld, for better and worse. She also recalled he and Kotal did have some sort of bond with one another, the Osh-Tekk respecting the Saurian... but this was during the time before Jade and Kotal had been reunited, so again, she knew little.

She did not despise Reptile, however. He was a strange one, and he had committed less than savoury acts under the leadership of evil, but he promised to loyally serve Kitana no matter what the second she took the throne... He stance on him? Indifference. She looked back to Harry, who was sitting on the ground, looking up at the trees as the leaves gently blew in the wind. Jade smiled and moved forward, picking him up and holding him close to her chest. "This is really pretty." Harry said, looking around once more. "Mama said it's been getting better, I'm happy for that."

'Hm. So Kitana's discussed some of Outworld's past.' Jade thought. 'I wonder how much she's discussed...'

"Indeed." Was what Jade said. She hoped he wasn't aware of the sheer atrocities their previous 'ruler' had committed against the realm. That was a tale for when he was much, MUCH older... Eighteen at the very least. She paused as she realized she was a mother hen. She smiled softly and patted Harry's back, knowing she may be a mother hen... but Harry needed it. Harry was back to looking around the grotto, but didn't have any questions right now.

'What else should I introduce him to?' Jade wondered. 'He seemed okay around Jacqueline and Cassandra... but he may not be ready to meet new people again... I suppose I could return him to my room, and simply tend to him there...' She nodded her head in content with that idea, doubly so when she noticed he let out a soft yawn. "Hmm... it is around time for you to have your nap, I would imagine... You're so young and so deprived of sleep..."

"Oh, I'm sorry..." Harry mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Jade let out a soft coo and kissed the top of his head. He truly brought out the best in everyone, and he was so oblivious to everything, he truly seemed to believe he didn't deserve better than he was given. Jade adjusted Harry so he rested his head against her chest as she headed back towards the temple.

"No, no. there's no need to apologize little one." Jade spoke as she walked. "It's not your fault. Please, rest, my child. I'll put you down for a nap and if Kitana isn't finished with her meetings, I'll show you more of your new home." That sounded just fine with Harry who nodded and mumbled something inaudible as he looked around as Jade carried him. He was trying to stay awake, and he wasn't THAT tired... but today had been a long day for him! (Even if it only was around two in the afternoon.) He felt happy, content, and above all, safe. He closed his eyes, rested his head against Jade's breast, and just allowed himself to be carried off through the castle, sleep eventually overtaking him as he began to suck on his tiny thumb and nestle closer into Jade's hold.

Jade smiled down at him, taking in his small form as he slept. He really was the size of a newborn, and he was so timid and gentle, he was the dream child of practically any woman. Herself included. Kitana didn't know how lucky she was to have found him, she didn't know how lucky she was to have a son who saw the world like Harry did, who saw everyone around him like Harry did... It was a few minutes of walking before Jade opened the door to her room and stepped inside. Pulling the blankets back, she tucked Harry under them before smoothing them out, the small boy letting out an audible yawn and turning over in his sleep. Jade nodded, and decided to practice some forms while her nephew slept. As she did so, however, she made sure to keep a close eye on him to ensure he wasn't scared or frightened in his sleep, or, in case of the unlikely scenario that an assassin busted through the window at that exact moment to attack him.

Thankfully, neither happened as he practiced. If anything, she nearly woke him up on more than a few occasions her breathing or grunts made him turn about, but Jade was quick to pause and allow Harry to continue sleeping. She did keep an eye on the window, as there HAD been some would-be-assassins, but thankfully, there weren't any this time. He mind went back to what she could show Harry, or do with him while Kitana finished with her duties. She remembered she and Kitana would explore the Krypts... but had a feeling that would terrify Harry. She looked at the sleeping child and shook her head. "MUCH too young and innocent..." She muttered. Herself and Kitana were adventurous children, but Harry was...not. He would not be able to stomach it.

So, for now? She'd keep him safe and tucked into her bed, letting the little prince sleep. Honestly, she had expected Mileena to come check in on him (and probably steal him) but she figured either Tanya or Sindel had kept her distracted for the time being. That or she didn't know where he was... True enough, Mileena had gone to check on her nephew, and then couldn't find him, and was looking for him. Anyhow, Jade finished a series of strikes, she turned and looked back at Harry, still peacefully snoring in her bed.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, she was highly expecting the child to have a nightmare any moment now... She had learned that he was emotionally distraught a fair portion of the time, so it was not out of the question. But Harry wasn't in the throughs of a nightmare, the past few hours had been wonderful to him, and he had loved every bit of his Aunt Jade's company and affection. she was so calm, and smart, and she never got upset with him when he asked questions... for once, his sleep was peaceful, the odd flash of a dream being of his family. And not the old one that abused him. He didn't even consider them his family anymore. No, the family he spoke of was his mother, his grandma, his three aunties... This was family... Vernon and Petunia were the bad guys.

On top of that, he got to sleep in a warm bed, wrapped up in nice, if somewhat heavy, blankets. Compared to his old life of sleeping under the stairs, or outside, or wherever he was left, it made sense he would find great enjoyment out of something that many may consider passé. Plus, he wasn't trying to sleep and not get caught, he could sleep peacefully knowing his family would be there for him when he woke up. This was the life he always dreamed of, the life Dudley always got to live while he was left by the wayside unless he was currently the target of his 'family's' wrath... He finally knew what it meant to be loved by a parent... By a family...

Jade finished her practicing and seated herself on her bed. She rested her hands on the mattress as she considered future events, trying to think of what would be coming in the following days. Thankfully, there weren't any major events or meetings coming up, which meant Kitana would be free to take care of her son. Jade blinked when she felt something on her hand, then her cheeks reddened as she saw the sleeping Harry holding onto her hand, resting his head against it as he slept. It was clear he didn't know what he was doing... but it was so adorable, Jade dared not disturb him. And so she sat calmly in bed, letting the child use her hand as a pillow. As he slept, Jade decided now was as good a time as any to do some meditation. Closing her eyes, she focused, emptying her mind... She mentally groaned at the obvious 'that didn't take long' joke Kitana (or herself, admittedly) would make. But to her annoyance, it wasn't going as quickly as it normally would. Her mind was now filled with memories and thoughts she was trying to avoid. She sighed quietly, trying to push them from her mind, but frustratingly, that didn't seem to work this time.

She eventually decided to just give up and let out a sigh, shaking her head in exasperation at her mind's fractured state. Ever since Kotal Kahn had passed away, meditation had become increasingly difficult... "Mmrmm..." Jade blinked, and felt Harry tighten his grip on her hand. For a moment, Jade believed Harry was having a nightmare, but saw Harry was just turning over in his sleep, nuzzling closer to her hand before letting out a soft snore. Jade smiled sadly at him, he really was the ideal child for a mother...

She wondered how things would be if she had a son, or a daughter. She normally fought such thoughts, but now... she was tired. She let her mind wander to the thoughts of what having a family would be like, what caring for her newborn son or teaching her daughter would be like. She began to tear up, and when she felt Harry subconsciously tighten his hold on her hand, those tears only increased. Biting her lip, she forced herself to calm down. She was strong... She had to keep herself together... She took a few deep breaths, and managed to hold back the tears... mostly... somewhat... okay, no she couldn't. They weren't loud sobs, but she did pull Harry closer, holding the tiny boy (who still held her hand) at her side and looked down at him.

She loved him. And she wished it had been her that found him. But she couldn't be a mother because her duties were much too important, and... No, she was making excuses... Excuses to hide that she was jealous of Kitana... She (and Mileena, and Sindel, and Tanya, and Erron, and Sheeva, and Barakka, and Kung Lao, and Johnny, and Jax and so on...) had always expected her and Liu Kang to start a family together. They clearly loved one another, but their duties as Kahn and Time Keeper made that difficult. Jade was a body guard, but she hadn't started a family due to other reasons, and now... well, now she felt like she couldn't. Not that she was too old or anything like that, but because the man she had loved was gone, who else was there? 'Do you hear yourself!?' She mentally kicked herself in irritation. 'This is no way for you to think!'

However... that didn't work this time. She buried her face in her free hand and let out a soft moan of distress as that infuriating pit of despair bubbled up inside her. She hated feeling like this... She just wanted to feel happy again... This was just too much... "Mama? M'sowry..." Harry mumbled in his sleep, tightening his hold on Jade's hand, nuzzling against it, afraid he had done something to upset her. Jade looked back and sighed, shaking her head. She needed to get control of herself, she couldn't be like this in front of Kitana, let alone her son! Harry was already emotionally damaged enough as it was, he didn't need to think he had upset her...

She steeled herself and returned to her usual firm, proper demeanour, sitting tall on the bed. Perhaps a little too tall. Frankly, even she felt that her current posture was incredibly stiff and forced... She was trying too hard... She didn't blame herself, and she dare not blame little Harry, he didn't know anything about what was happening, he was just... being himself. Jade sighed deeply, now feeling oddly trapped. Harry was holding her hand and sleeping like a baby, and she couldn't pull free and return to training to alleviate stress. So, she was now left seated on her bed, watching her nephew with a sad smile, and a mind that wouldn't stop running. Wonderful. 'Don't you dare blame the little one for any of this!' She mentally snapped at herself. She didn't, she didn't even BEGIN to, but still.

He needed her to stay... He needed her to be there for him... Why else would he cling so tightly to her arm? She wanted so badly to return to her training, but she was stuck in a situation where she felt she had to confront her pain... "Mama..." Harry mumbled through a yawn, and it felt like Jade had been stabbed. Sure, Harry didn't know Kitana wasn't here, but he said it with such conviction and love, it's something she hadn't realized she always wanted to hear, until she hears it said. She hesitated for a moment... Then, slowly, she leaned down and pressed her lips against his cheek in a warm, loving kiss. It felt right... It was something she'd wanted to do for ages... Sure, it wasn't her own child, but the feeling was there...

Jade froze, then felt her smile widen when she felt Harry reach up with his free hand and touch her cheek as if he was trying to hug her in his sleep. Jade felt her face redden and she let out a soft coo at his little interaction, and she gently wrapped her free arm around Harry, pulling him close but not disturbing his sleep. After a moment's consideration, she decided on a way to properly hold him without disrupting his slumber. Carefully, she slipped next to him under the covers and pulled him into a tight hug. After a moment's consideration, she decided on a way to properly hold him without disrupting his slumber. Carefully, she slipped next to him under the covers and pulled him into a tight hug, gently stroking his back.

Harry let out a happy sound and nuzzled close, his tiny form snuggling against her with a warm smile. Jade smiled in return, just... she felt wrong, but at the same time, she didn't care. But she also did! How was she supposed to move forward? Was she supposed to just forget the want she had to be a mother? Was she supposed to disregard Kotal? It was starting to get to her, and Harry was both pulling her away from those negative thoughts, and oddly pushing her somewhat into them. This was so...frustrating... What was she to do?! Was she supposed to move on?! She couldn't possibly! She pledged her life and soul to Kotal, she couldn't just go and make love to another man to have her child! She looked down at Harry, who was still sleeping soundly in her arms, holding her hand like a pillow and breathing peacefully.

"What do you think I should do, little one?" Jade whispered, kissing his forehead. Harry didn't respond, he was still in a nice sleep, enjoying his afternoon nap. Jade sighed and shut her eyes, trying to find an answer. Unfortunately, there wasn't one. But at the same time, Harry did bring about some level of alleviation. He was nice to hold in her arms...She certainly understood why Kitana was so quick to fall in love with this child... Everything he did was so pure and wholesome, it was enough to touch the heartstrings of any woman. Harry was now snuggled up against her tummy, breathing in blissful ignorance to the world around him. This was nice... Jade smiled, she felt relaxed all of a sudden, she felt like things were okay. As if things would work out in some way, a way she didn't know, and a way she - admittedly - wasn't too sure she WANTED to see, as it meant she would leave the man she loved behind, but in this moment, she decided to forgo the anxiety and heartbreak and just enjoying the love and warmth this tiny boy brought her. She wanted to enjoy it until either his mother, or one of his other relatives stopped by and decided she had taken care of Harry long enough.

She closed her eyes and allowed herself this moment of tenderness and warmth. Frankly, this was the happiest she had felt in a very, very long time... She had thought she could never feel so happy again... Kitana sighed as she walked down the hallway back towards her room. The last meeting went longer than intended, but still, she had reason to believe the ones who harmed her son would suffer for their transgressions... still, now she just wanted to hold her son in her arms, reassure him that everything would be okay, that no-one would hurt him...

'Where is he?' Kitana blinked, when she saw her room was empty. She checked her mother's room, and her sisters, but he wasn't in any of them. 'Oh, is he still with Jade?' Kitana kept walking, slowly opening the door to her friends room, and her heart melted at the sight before her. She smiled softly and slowly entered the room, taking great care not to disturb the two... Only for Jade to turn around and make direct eye contact with her. The young Kahn blinked, then nodded her head in greeting.

"He's holding my hand." Jade said quietly. "There isn't much I can do." Kitana let out a soft laugh as she walked to her friend's bedside. Jade seemed embarrassed, but Kitana could care less right now. Harry seemed so happy and content, that's what really mattered to her.

"Well, good to see all your training hasn't been for naught. The little prince has succeeded in defeating you." Kitana joked, and Jade gave her a flat look. "All those decades of fighting, and a child holding your hand defeats you, incredible."

"Would you like me to try and break free?"

"And risk stirring the little dragon from his nap?"

"You're enjoying this too much." Jade muttered.

Kitana put a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggle, then reached over and gently stroked her son's messy dark hair. "Is he not the most precious thing when he sleeps?" She asked softly. Jade had to agree wholeheartedly.

"Not just when he sleeps... the little one is so precious and he doesn't seem to understand that." Jade said softly. "I took him to the grotto, and you should've seen his reactions to the dragon statues, he was so infatuated with them. I gave him a lesson in reading-"

"The poor thing can't read?" Kitana sighed. "Ugh, I shouldn't be surprised..."

"He's a remarkably quick learner." Jade added.

Kitana tilted her head. "Oh? I may need to test him later. What language has he learned? The earthrealm english?" Jade nodded her head. "Lovely. Then I can be the one to teach him out language and writing."

"Hm." Jade nodded. "There's many things I think you can teach him, one of those should be that he doesn't need to be afraid of speaking."

"Oh no, what happened?" Kitana asked sadly.

"I... I said something by mistake, and I corrected myself, and yet he felt like he had offended me. When I went to get him something to eat, he looked like he wanted to say he didn't deserve to eat."

Kitana sighed and shook her head. "I despise those... THINGS that he was stuck living with... May they burn forever in the fires of the netherrealm for what they've done..." She said with a hushed but enraged tone of voice.

Jade nodded, then looked down to Harry smiling slightly. "I'd give him to you, but he's holding onto me, and I don't want to wake him." She remarked, and Kitana frowned in mock annoyance.

"Don't lie to me, Jade. I know you're in league with my family to steal him." Kitana said.

"Oh? What if I am?" Jade replied, the answer somewhat surprising Kitana. "You wouldn't take his Aunt away from him, would you?"

"I could have Erron make it look like an accident."

"Your mother could do the same for you."

"...Why is it such a sweet little boy is bringing the worst out in all of us?" Kitana rhetorically asked, trying her best not to laugh. It truly was cosmic irony how her family was brought together by this sweet precious baby, but also was slowly being 'pushed apart' because of him... well, not really.

"If you're saying you don't want him to stay I'd be-"

"NO." Kitana said in a low, serious tone. "If anyone's leaving, it'll be all of you. I'm keeping my son."

Jade smirked beneath her veil. "I believe we would have to have a mortal kombat tournament to make that decision." The second those words left her mouth, both women grimaced. "Hmm... I regret mentioning that."

"Yeah." Kitana said quietly, both women looking away awkwardly before Harry got their attention as he yawned audibly.

"Mama..." Harry mumbled, and Jade smiled, Kitana softly laughing and patting his head as he slept.

"Mama's here, love." Kitana said softly. "But Aunt Jade is holding you hostage... Don't worry, I'll rescue you."

"He is holding MY hand." Jade said flatly. "And HE fell asleep, there isn't much I can do."

Kitana tilted her head. "You're implying you won't refuse to return him the instant he wakes up?" Jade frowned and shook her head. She could not disobey a direct order from her superiors without due cause.

"But until then, I'm sorry your highness." Jade remarked somewhat sarcastically. "There isn't much I can do."

"I could lift you up with my fans and catch him."

"Yes, but that would wake him up most likely, and the little one needs his sleep."

"How dare you use good parenting against me." Kitana said mockingly.

"One of us has to." Jade shrugged, then smiled when she saw Kitana's face, the look of genuine shock was akin to having been slapped. "After all, you're Kahn, so someone has to be responsible with the little one. Queen Sindel and Princess Mileena could be such, but I doubt it... and Tanya is always with Mileena. The way I see it, that leaves me."

Kitana frowned at her friend's words. "That's hardly fair, Jade. Mother, Mileena and Tanya are much better with him than you give them credit for. And are you trying to imply that I am irresponsible?"

"No, of course not. But you are busy." Jade remarked, bringing up the one argument Kitana hoped she wouldn't. "There are many aspects of the Kahn's life that aren't meant to be seen by such sweet, innocent eyes."

"And if you were to take care of him, and I was attacked, who would defend me?" Kitana asked, deciding if Jade was going to hit low, she would too. Jade blinked, then scowled, not liking the unspoken accusation.

"You're a capable warrior."

"And you're my bodyguard." Kitana countered.

"Just because you have a point, doesn't mean you need to make it..." Jade sighed in defeat, looking away. Kitana smiled and patted her son's head again.

"Don't think I'm ungrateful for what you've done for my little Harry, I truly do appreciate the fact that I can rely on you to watch over him."

Jade closed her eyes. "It was certainly more than a pleasure... Harry is an absolute joy to be around... He is everything I ever dreamed my own child would be, even if he is yours..." The jade assassin admitted softly.

'Oohhhhh...' Kitana blinked, her eyes subtly widening as she took in what Jade said. 'Okay, that makes a lot more sense now...' No wonder her friend seemed so happy yet so off. She clearly loved Harry, but the little boy reminded her of what she had lost. 'Is this her fate? To be reminded of what she lost forever?' Kitana frowned, thinking it over. 'There has to be SOMETHING I can do to help...' Kitana shook her head, deciding to kiss her son good-nap and leaned down. Only for Jade to lift her head, which resulted in Kitana accidentally kissing her... the two froze awkwardly, and then both looked away, embarrassed.

"I'm... I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to... It was... meant for Harry..." Kitana apologized, uncharacteristically shyly. Secretly, though? She'd enjoyed the contact with her friend's lips... They tasted like lime... Jade blushed and looked away, somewhat burying her face into Harry, unsure of what to do... only for things to be made a bit more awkward for her when Harry suddenly hugged her head with her free arm.

'Oh, by the Elder Gods, why me!?' Jade mentally moaned, both embarrassed, but with a soft smile on her face. Now she was completely pinned by a tiny adorable sleeping child that wasn't even aware of what was going on around him. Seemed she had an extreme weakness to the child and his unfair level of cuteness... Thankfully, Harry let go after a few moments and nuzzled back down in Jade's bed. Jade smiled down at him, then sat up in her bed, still holding onto Harry.

"So, how was your meeting?" Jade remarked, trying to think of something to talk about.

"Fine." Kitana shrugged. "I truly hope those who are idiotic enough to follow Shao Kahn don't cause any more trouble then they already have... and Special Forces will be looking into finding Harry's old relatives..."

Jade frowned at those words and looked down at the little boy sleeping soundly in her embrace. "Everyone was so perturbed when Fujin revealed the child's history... May I ask what they did to him, or would that be overstepping my boundaries?"

"It... oh, by the Elder Gods it was horrific..." Kitana muttered. "They tortured him, mentally and physically. He was less than a slave to them, they beat him, yelled at him, and they took some sort of sadistic pride in it." Jade's eyes widened and she tightened her grip on Harry, who seemed unaware of the mood shift. Jade saw anger, genuine, hate and fury in Kitana's eyes, something which wasn't uncommon all things considered, but this just seemed... truly hateful, like the kind of hate she had for- "Even Shao Kahn didn't treat me as harshly as they treated him." Kitana seethed, clearly hating saying ANYTHING even remotely positive about her 'father'. "I can't believe I'm saying this... but Shao Khan would've cared for Harry more than his own family did..."

Jade was absolutely shocked to hear this come from Kitana's mouth. Her hatred of Shao Kahn was unparalleled, so the fact that she could have this sheer amount of vitriol and say that with such conviction... What had they done?! "They beat him, they burned him... they forced him to cook and clean, far beyond what would be acceptable for a small child to do to help their parents." Kitana continued. "They feared him or hated him for his powers, I don't know which. And that's only the surface level of what they did..." She told Jade. Jade was her closest confidant, after all, it was only fair that she knew... And as expected, the rage emenating off of her best friend was downright dangerous and promised pain and suffering to the ones that had harmed Harry.

By the time she was done, Jade had sat up in the bed, picking up Harry and hugging him close, angered tears running down her face. How... HOW DARE THEY... they treated him so inhumanely! and for what?! Jade suddenly felt like she had failed. She should've picked up on Harry's pain earlier, he had been reaching out for help, he was so afraid to say anything, and Jade had simply assumed it was abuse, but hadn't expected it to run this deep... and then when he reached out to her, when he asked for comfort, she had all but brushed it aside! She knew that wasn't true, but it didn't change how she felt. Kitana caught on to her friend's emotional state and took a seat next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Jade... You could never have known... No one told you... You were out of the loop... The fault is none of yours." Jade sighed, nodding. It didn't make her feel much better, but still. Looking down, Jade realized Harry had let go of her hand, and she slowly picked him up, enveloping him in a warm, protective hug. Kitana knew better than to crack a joke about wanting her son back right now, Jade clearly needed to give the small boy some level of reassurance that he would be okay. After all, she was technically their bodyguard.

She felt a sense of relief that Jade would protect Harry just the same as she did her... Her best friend was a very strong fighter, and loyal to a fault, so she knew that she would die before allowing any more harm to befall her child. And from the soft coo Harry let out before snuggling closer, he clearly accepted Jade as both his guardian and Aunt. He truly was a precious little boy, and it was a tragedy he had been treated so poorly, and Jade seemed to agree, acting like a mother to him- Wait, actually, Yeah. She was acting like a mother... At that moment, Kitana came to the realizatiom that Jade was taking some sort of therapeutic pleasure in caring for little Harry. And that brought great relief to her. It was a step in the right direction... The first step to her healing...

Harry also seemed to genuinely enjoy being with Jade, he had warmed up so much since they first met a few days ago. Now, he was snuggled close, using her hand as a pillow as he was sucking on his thumb. He truly seemed like a newborn baby in this position and with his size, it was both adorable and disheartening considering everything he had been through. She prayed he could grow out of his tiny size, but alas, with his harsh treatment, that seemed very unlikely... Her child was going to have to live with the effects of his abuse long after it was finally all over... She wanted to help him, she wanted to help him escape that, and she had! But, it still felt like she hadn't, and she couldn't say why... Jade noticed then and sighed, giving Harry a slight squeeze, then finally handed him over, Kitana smiling as she took her son back into her arms and held him close, kissing the top of his head.

"My sweet little prince..." Harry let out a soft, content hum and snuggled in closer to his mother's embrace. Kitana smiled serenely, closing her eyes and running her fingers through his messy dark hair. They may not have loved him... But she did... She loved him like a mother loved their son, which is exactly what she was. She didn't know if Harry would see his relatives again, she didn't even known if SHE would (although she had a bad feeling she would at least once... hopefully before they were taken away forever) but she'd deal with that when and if it happened. Right now, she finally had her son back in her arms, and she wanted to enjoy this. She rocked him back and forth gently, smiling widely at how he would squirm about to fix his position and make himself more comfortable in her embrace. Content with the rocking, she held him still and rested her chin atop his head, closing her eyes.

She enjoyed this moment, sitting Jade's bed holding her son close, it felt so nice. This was a moment that was just for her and her son. But her mind wouldn't let go the weird feeling of accidentally kissing Jade, and that began to wander in her mind. Sure, she knew she may like men and women, but Jade? She was her best friend since childhood! Her bodyguard, her confidant... she'd need to think on this later. Right now, nothing could ruin this mome- "Kitana? Have you seen Harry?" Mileena suddenly appeared in the doorway. "I wanna make sure my nephew is okay, and I can't find him..."

"He wanted to spend some time with Queen Sindel, I'd ask her." Jade remarked, and Mileena nodded, not seeing Kitana holding her son. Thankfully her back had been turned... once she was gone, Kitana sighed in relief.

"If she finds out, she's going to be very angry with you." Kitana smirked, knowing Jade didn't' much care.

"And then what will she do? Scold me? I have trained my resolve far too hard to be intimidated by Mileena." Jade replied with a shrug of her shoulders. Kitana laughed softly in amusement. Jade really was amusing in just how serious she could be.

"True, but she may go to the Queen..." Kitana chuckled.

"Well, you're the Kahn, so I'm not afraid." Jade shrugged, then laughed, as if remembering something hilarious. "Now, you cannot EVER tell her he said this, but the little Prince had something to say about Sindel earlier..."

"Oh?" Kitana raised a brow, knowing Harry had nothing but love for his Grandmother.

"I told him she helped train you, and he replied, and I quote 'Gramma fights? But she's so old'." Jade laughed quietly.

Kitana's eyes widened at those words, and she snorted, trying her best not to laugh. "Ooh, mother would be devastated to hear that... But then, technically, by earthrealmer standards, would we all not be old?" Kitana laughed softly and rubbed Harry's back, knowing full well he meant nothing by it, but his child like innocence kept him from potentially facing the Queens wrath. Then again, Sindel would never do anything to harm her grandson, and again, it was clear he meant nothing by it.

"He followed it up by saying he thinks she's really pretty." Jade said with a small smirk.

"Hm, good boy." Kitana chuckled, kissing his head. "That's how you stay on her good side... did he say anything about us?"

"Yes. He said he thinks I'm prettier and a better fighter." Jade lied.

"No he didn't." Kitana said flatly. Jade just laughed at having her fib called out. "You really are too much sometimes, my old friend..." Jade's teasing had been a constant since they were children. It was her way of showing how close they were. Kitana sighed, looking down at her happy son, noticing he looked like he wanted to wake up, but he was too comfy to do so, resulting in him snuggling closer to Kitana, letting out a soft coo. "Jade, if Harry's relatives are found, and they're brought to Outworld to face justice, who do you think I could trust to protect Harry? Aside from us, of course."

"...I'm not sure I follow."

"I'm thinking at some point Harry will need a retainer, but I'm unsure of who I could assign to that duty."

Jade blinked in realization, then considered the question. "I myself asked the same question earlier today, and I thought perhaps Reptile could make the best option... He claims undying loyalty to you after all."

"Hm. I actually hadn't thought of him." Kitana frowned. "It's nothing personal, it's just... he's been used for espionage and Kombat should the need arise. I don't know if he even knows I've adopted Harry... but you do make a decent point." The princess paused, then frowned again. "I also need someone who knows magic to train the little dear when he gets older, do you have any ideas where I could find someone to help train him?"

Jade shrugged her shoulders. "No one really comes to mind at the moment. All the magic wielders I know of are either dead, evil or both." Kitana nodded her head in understanding, that was kind of an important detail... Unfortunately, she only really knew five people who were skilled in magic there of whom were dead and she had no regrets about that... Shang could never be trusted, Quan Chi was a manipulative monster who she almost had to respect the cunning of, and her father was... her father. Other than that, there was Kenshi, but that wasn't the same type of power Harry had, and she couldn't think of anyone else at the moment. Or rather, didn't want to think of anyone else at the moment. She would have to search for someone... This was a vitally important task that could not go ignored. Harry's magic was powerful, and if left unchecked, could lead to troublesome situations down the line. He needed a teacher.

'I'll figure that out later...' Kitana shook her head, deciding to just enjoy holding her son. Harry yawned and turned over in her arms, settling back down and sucking on his thumb. "Well, I'll see to it that he gets the help he needs." Kitana nodded nonetheless. At that moment, Harry began to wake.

"Mrgh... Aunt Jade? Is Mama done? I really miss her..." Harry mumbled, squirming slightly in his mother's arms. His sleepy, yet still little voice was honestly one of the sweetest things either woman had heard before. And that was before taking into account what he had said. That WAS the cutest thing they had ever heard. (Yes, they didn't have a lot to put on that list, but Harry was adorable and both women loved him).

"Hello, precious." Kitana gave her son a closed-eye smile.

Harry blinked and slowly looked up, beaming happily when he saw his mother's smiling face. "Mommy..." He said softly before snuggling closer into her embrace. Kitana chuckled softly and kissed the top of his head.

"Aw. did you have a nice nap?" Kitana asked, smiling when Harry nodded. "That's very nice to hear."

"Aunt Jade is really nice..." Harry mumbled, still pulling himself up from his sleep. Kitana smiled again, and Jade had an unexplainable feeling of pride from hearing that.

"She took good care of you?"

"MmHmm... she nearly stabbed herself though, it was kinda scary... but then she disappeared. It was cool." That sentence was effectively a roller coaster of emotions for Kitana, ranging from shock, to anger, to confusion, to realization to amusement. By the end of it, she realized what he was getting at.

"Now, do be careful when showing him your combat skills, Jade, I don't want him getting hurt." She chided lightly. Jade nodded but wasn't too disturbed by the chiding. She knew she had the talent to avoid hurting the boy. "Well, I'm very pleased to see you are dong better, my sweet." Kitana smiled, giving her son a quick squeeze. "But there is something I need to discuss with you briefly, and... it may not be your favourite thing to talk about."

"Hm?" Harry blinked, his eyes growing somber, as if he knew what was coming... but didn't want it to, but also knew he had to.

"Your old family, they are going to be tracked down and arrested for what they did to you." Kitana stated, keeping her tone low and serious. "Now, I don't need an answer right now, but there is a chance they will be brought here for punishment. If that happens, would you want to see them one last time?"

Harry's eyes widened and he shook his head rapidly. "No, please, I don't wanna see them anymore, they're gonna get me, they'll hurt me, please don't make me see them, they're really bad, I don't wanna hurt anymore..." Kitana felt her heart shatter, and mentally kicked herself for even asking this. Yes, she knew she had to, but she really should've known that this would be his reaction. He wasn't a warrior, he wasn't a fighter, he wasn't even an adventurous little boy. He was broken, terrified and afraid.

"Okay. Okay. You won't see them." Kitana spoke softly. "And I promise you, they will never harm you again. I promise." He slowly began to calm down, his breathing evening out as he nodded his head and forced himself to relax. He needed to trust his mommy... Trust that she would keep him safe from bad scary people like his relatives... So, he settled back into her arms, Kitana sighing deeply and patting his back before looking to Jade. "Well, I should've expected that..." The Kahn remarked, and Jade just nodded with a thin line mouth. She didn't like seeing Harry like this, neither woman did. But it was heartbreaking how deep these wounds went if that was his reaction to the POTENTIAL of them being in the same REALM as him...

These people were going to pay. Kitana herself would see to it that they would. She was seriously considering executing them herself for the unspeakable crimes they had committed against her child. They deserved it... Still, she'd deal with them accordingly when the time came. Right now, her son needed her attention, and she was more than happy to give it to him. After another twenty minutes or so, Kitana rose to her feet and nodded to Jade once more. "Thank you, truly." Kitana said.

"It was my pleasure, feel free to bring the little one by when you need to."

"I'll warn you, if Mileena finds out I'm going to you first, we're both in trouble." Kitana half-joked, half thought this was a possibility.

Jade laughed softly. "Yes, she'll certainly give us an earful." She agreed. "But I think it will be well worth it... The little dear is an absolute joy to be around." The emerald assassin said softly with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Aunt Jade." Harry timidly spoke up, Jade's heart melting when she saw him looking over Kitana's shoulder at her. Jade nodded her response, and laughed slightly at the cute interaction, she really couldn't explain what it was about him that she loved so much.

"Now, would you like to return to the garden for a little bit? Or is there something else you'd like to do?" Kitana asked, looking down at her son.

"Um... I like the garden, but whatever you wanna do is fine with me too, mama." He replied sincerely. Kitana smiled warmly at him. It absolutely melted her heart just how much this child loved her...

"All right, let's go to the garden." Kitana smiled, carrying Harry out of Jade's room. Harry looked around, enjoying his new home, it was big, and really spacey, but it also really pretty! "Ah, there we are..." Kitana sighed in relief when they exited into the garden. Harry lit up almost immediately when he saw the garden. He loved all the pretty flowers, they were even nicer in the latw afternoon light... It was a beautiful day, perfect for looking at the plants... Had he even seen the full extent of the garden? He wanted to see all it had to offer.

Kitana kissed his head and set him down, keeping close as he explored, looking at all the different plants. More than a few times, he seemed to inspect them, as if he knew something about how to tend to the plant. Something Kitana found rather amusing, as he had never even heard of these plants before, but she didn't say anything. She just idly stood by and watched him study everything like he was an aspiring herbologist or something. It was most adorable and brought a smile to her face. Occasionally she would explain the odd plant to him when he looked particularly curious. It was a lovely sight, seeing how happy something as simple as a garden made Harry. It truly seemed like this was one of the few things that brought him joy at his old home, and now he was able to continue that enjoyment in a safe home.

And she had no doubt that this garden was far more grandiose than what he was used to, because as far as she understood, his old family was fairly middle class with a rather plain looking house and garden. "Mama? What kind of bird is that?" Harry asked, pointing over to the To''kan Buds. Kitana blinked then her eyes widened in slight surprise.

"That's a Silver-winged Phoenix." She commented, slowly moving to Harry's side to get a better look. "They're very rare birds, as they only appear once every ten years or so."

"It's really pretty..." The bird tilted its head over to look at the boy. Kitana noted it was oddly calm and not trying to fly away. It let out a few soft chirps, and hopped forward. Harry flinched when it suddenly took flight and landed on a nearby plant. It began digging into the centre of the flower for the seeds, it was hard to tell what it was doing, and Harry thought it looked kinda funny. But he was worried about the flower... He didn't want the birdy to kill it... "Please be nice to the flower, birdy... Don't take all the seeds..." He protested shyly. Kitana smiled at his innocent worry for the plant.

Kitana laughed gently before deciding to clarify something. "That's how the flowers grow, precious." She remarked, then let out a soft 'Aww...' when she saw the confusion on Harry's face. "The Silver Wings eat the seeds, but then cause some to fall as well. Those in turn cause more of the flowers to grow."

"Oh." Harry blinked, then let out a soft 'Eep!' when the bird flew to a flower right in front of him. "H..he..hello..." He stammered out nervously. Birds had never done anything to him in the past, but he didn't want to scare it, either. The bird didn't seem to acknowkedge his presence, instead focusing on eating the seeds within the plant. Harry watched the phoenix eat with a small smile. From this close, it was a very pretty bird...

"It's beautiful. Isn't it, love?" Kitana asked with a smile. "Years ago, they were thought to be extinct, so it's a special sight to those in Outworld when they appear. To some, they represent beauty, but to me, they mean strength over hardships."

"Huh?" Harry blinked, and Kitana laughed gently, kissing his nose.

"I mean, these birds were nearly wiped out, for good." She explained. "But they survived something terrible, and they moved on, became stronger. Much like what has happened to my home." Kitana looked down at her son, then took a kneeling position next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "And someday, my child, it will remind me of you as well... You have survived... And you will grow stronger..."

"Thank you, Mama." Harry said, looking up at her with adoration in his eyes. "I love you."

"Aww, I love you too, my little prince." Kitana said softly, pulling Harry into a hug. After a minute, she let go, and the two watched the Silver Phoenix fly off to another part in the garden. Rising to her feet, Kitana took Harry's hand, and they continued on their way through the garden. It was a beautiful day out, Kitana had to note. Perhaps she should have her lunch out here with Harry... It would be a makeshift picnic... It would be a quite delightful way to further bond with her little one. Harry was just enjoying being held close to his Mama. She made him feel safe, and he was happy with that.

'Well... what now?' Kitana wondered thoughtfully. 'The poor dear clearly just wants to be with me. But I should find something to do with him, lest we do the same thing forever...' Kitana blinked when she felt Harry trying his best to hug her, and she smiled at that. Well, for now, she'd be content simply spending time with her son. She decided to take a seat on a nearby tree stump, cuddling her little one close to her breast as she rested her cheek atop his head and gently stroked his back. These tender moments between her and her child... She couldn't get enough of them... It made up for what she had lost, in her opinion. She loved her mother dearly, but she had been controlled, dead, a revenant... so much had happened when she was a child, she lost so much of that special bond. Harry never had that bond, he had been shown nothing but animosity, so she intended to show him all the love and affection in the world.

And she intended to form a bond that was was truly unbreakable... She felt there was nothing more powerful than the bond a mother could share with her child... And frankly, the feeling was almost addicting. Then again, that addiction wasn't being helped by the facts that; one, she had the sweetest, most precious child anyone had ever seen. Two, he was desperate for affection, which only made her want to give him more. And three, the fact that her whole family wanted to give him affection, so she pretty much had to fight just to hold him. She chuckled softly at that last one. If that was one of the biggest problems she currently had in her life, then things were certainly pretty good right now, weren't they? And she intended to ensure they stayed that way...

Kitana hummed a soft tune, looking out over the beautiful landscape of the garden, taking in the colours and overall peace there seemed to be. Still, the previous questions went through her mind. How would she move forward? Who would watch over Harry when she wasn't around? And Jade... how did she help her best friend? Harry was clearly having a therapeutic effect on her, but he couldn't be with her all the time... She needed a way to recover from her emotional baggage withour using Harry as her living teddy bear all the time...And here she was again, remembering and telling herself that her friend wouldn't. She was too stubborn, or maybe too heartbroken. Both of which were problematic. She didn't have any answers, so she decided to try something most would find ridiculous.

"Harry, do you have any ideas on how to make Aunt Jade happy?" Kitana asked, and Harry seemed to think it over for a bit.

"Uh... when I hugged her, it made her happy." He said, innocently. "But she's sad about something, and I think I upset her earlier, but I don't wanna ask if I did..."

Kitana smiled sadly and stroked his hair. "It wasn't your fault, I'm sure of that, dear... Auntie Jade... She has lost someone very dear to her... And she is trying to handle the pain of it the best she can, but is struggling to do so..." She explained.

"Oh..." Kitana felt Harry's whole demeanour shift, he grew saddened, and leaned into his mother for comfort. It was clear he was thinking about helping her, then mumbled. "Idonwannaloseyou..."

"You're such a sweet little boy, Harry." Kitana smiled kissing his head. "And don't you worry, I'm not going anywhere."

"I wanna help Aunt Jade. But I don't think I can... I'm not good at fighting like she is."

Kitana laughed softly and shook her head. "Oh no, my dear, you don't have to be a great fighter like she is to help her. All you have to do is precisely what you did when she had you in her living quarters." She explained gently.

"Oh. Okay." Harry nodded in understanding. If his Aunt Jade just needed him to be there, then he could do that. she seemed happy when she held him, so maybe that was how he could help her. Everyone liked it when they held him, in fact, at least all the girls did... So he could let them hold him when they were sad! That could be how he could repay everyone for their love and kindness! The thought of it made him very happy. Kitana laughed gently and hugged her son, deciding to head back inside. It was a lovely day, and she wanted to walk with her child a bit more. He clearly was enjoying the warm sun, and it seemed like anything she did with him would make him happy. He was such a sweet boy...

She noticed Harry was whimpering suddenly, clearly upset about something, then noticed one of the flowers had shifted colours, and one of them seemed to have frozen. "I...I didn't mean too..."

Kitana frowned and sighed softly. "Oh dear... I knew things like this would be likely to happen... This is why I need to find you a magic teacher, so we can curb these accidents." Kitana explained to her son gently. Harry just whimpered, holding onto her out fo fear that she'd hit him or throw him or do any of the inhuman things his family did. It broke her heart that something so amazing as a gift of magic was such a cause of pain and fear for the little boy she held in her arms. She remembered when he had learned her techniques, which was the closest she had to 'magic'. There was the weird feeling of doing it the first few times, but then it was wonderful! It felt invigorating! But to Harry, it meant nothing but torture and abuse. If he had just been raised in a nurturing environment... She just knew that he too would have these feelings of excitement and joy when using his magic someday. She just needed to work with him to get to that point.

Once Harry calmed down, Kitana spent another minute soothing his fears by speaking softly to him, reassuring him it was okay, that she wasn't upset, and so on. By the time he looked up and nodded, Kitana had a new thought in her mind. She hoped that her Earthrealm allies found those who hurt her son. She was going to make them suffer. "Come along, my sweet." Kitana said with a smile. "I'll show you the other side of the temple."

"M'kay!" Harry smiled up at her, feeling better now that he knew his mama wouldn't hurt him. Kitana smiled as she saw what Jade had alluded to with his curiosity as he pointed and asked simple, child-like questions about his new home. She was more than happy to answer each and every question to the very best of her ability. And he hung on to every word. He wanted to know as much as he could about Outworld. No, he didn't want to, he needed to. It was his home now, and he wanted to understand that. Apparently there was a lot of conflict in the past, and even Miss Queen Sheeva hadn't always gotten along with his Mother. But that was in the past, and they were working on making sure that would never happen again. To Harry, he figured if he was going to help, understanding all this would be a big part of it. He asked about the other types of people is Aunt Jade told him about, Kitana smirked slightly recounting those she had met thus far, and consciously choosing to avoid the Osh-Tekk for now.

"...and while he doesn't live here anymore, there is a man known as Hanzo Hasahi. A long time ago, he was essentially a ghost. He had powers that he used to fight for Outworld, until he eventually gave them up, wanting a better life." She smiled and looked up at the sky. "He was once a very angry sort, with a special hatred for the clan that was the rival to his own... He was tricked into believing they did something truly awful to him... And his hatred burned strong for years..."

"Oh..." Harry said softly, listening to the story.

"He did... he did many things that he regrets, and when he was finally freed, he dedicated his life to fixing his mistakes. And to keeping others from making the same choices he did. It took him quite some time, but he's made peace with his old rival, a man known as Sub-Zero, who can create ice out of thin air." Kitana explained. "They work together now, but it took time, and it was a truly hard experience for both." Harry looked up at her and frowned. "So... you can be friends with people you used to hate...?" He asked softly. Kitana nodded her head. "Do you think my aunt and uncle ever would have stopped hating me and been my friend...?"

'Elder Gods, give me strength...' Kitana mentally froze, her expression still neutral with a small smile, but internally, she felt like she had just been shattered. She was torn between lying and keeping Harry's childish innocence somewhat intact, but also telling him clearly that they were worthless, and they were the monsters, yet she also just wanted to not talk about this at all.

"Harry..." Kitana began, sitting down again. "I don't think they ever would. Some people are just not compatible, some people are just born angry, or hateful, and they never get over that."

"Okay." Harry nodded, and Kitana mentally rejoiced when his next words didn't include: 'I'm a freak' or 'I deserved it'. "I didn't think so... but they are my family. Kinda. I think." He certainly didn't see them as family anymore (admittedly, he never really did, but still).

"They say blood runs thicker than water, but that is not always the case... These are truly despicable people... The fact that they are related to someone as sweet and pure as you is frankly shocking to me." She explained gently.

"I..I'm surprised I'm related to someone as nice and pretty as you." Harry timidly replied, trying to compliment his mother like he had seen his Aunts do earlier. Kitana's gasp was a bit louder than she intended, but she couldn't help it! That was the sweetest thing she had ever heard!

"Oh, you are just ADORABLE!" Kitana cooed, hugging her son tightly. It was a bit unbecoming to act like this - honestly, she was kinda acting like Mileena - but she didn't care. Not this time. Technically speaking, he wasn't really related to her, but she wasn't about to correct him. It was too adorable and sweet for her to even consider it. Smiling softly, she loosened the hug and regained her composure. "Thank you, precious." Kitana smiled, kissing his head once more. Harry was happy to see his mother so happy. Kitana continued on her way, explaining a few other things. After a bit more, Harry had another question.

"Mama? There was the man last night at dinner, I turned his hat pink. Who was he?"

"Well." Kitana said, deciding to be... honest. "That was Erron Black. He's from Earthrealm, like you. How he got here is a long story... he's here more because its his job, and not for any other real reason. It's a good idea to give him space, generally. He's not a very friendly man." Erron was not cruel by any means, but he was very standoffish and cold. Harry would likely be treated with bored disinterest, and that was not at all what he needed in his current emotional state. And... that was about it. She had gone over the main factions on both Earthrealm and Outworld, telling Harry who the main people he may one day meet were. Sure, there were the other realms, and the Netherrealm technically, but she figured she'd focus on this for now, let him learn at a pace fit for a small boy. But she had to admit, he truly did seem to be a fast learner.

Just from this little talk alone, she could tell he had a much greater understanding of the place he now called home. And he would learn much, much more as time went on, that she would make sure of. When she retuned to the main area of the Temple that Kitana called her home, Kitana nodded in satisfaction at the day. As she passed by the training room, she was surprised to see Jade sparring with Reptile. The later doing surprisingly well despite not having a weapon. However, Jade proved to be the superior warrior in the end, knocking the reptilian ninja down to the floor and pinning him underfoot. The green ninja struggled a bit before relenting, going still. "I admit defeat..."

"Hm." Jade nodded as Reptile rolled back up to his feet. "What is it about the lower strikes that always catches you off guard? Most other attacks you have a strong defense."

"I cannot say." Reptile shook his head. "But it is something to work on." He cracked his shoulder as he seemed to leave. To Harry's amazement, he disappeared into thin air, but he swore he saw some sort of reflection from the sunlight, as if he was still there.

He looked in the direction the lizard man had gone and tilted his head. "He's like one of those lizards that change colours... Um... Cha...Chameleons...?" He asked his mother, receiving a nod in return.

"Mmhm." Kitana nodded. "Correct." Jade looked over and smiled, giving her nephew a wave, and Harry waved back. Kitana nodded to her friend and continued on her way. She thought about what Jade had mentioned, maybe Reptile would be a good body guard for Harry. He was loyal, and took his job seriously, but she wondered how Harry would react to him. He seemed to have no issue with him at a glance, and Reptile's personality was unlikely to frighten the boy... Perhaps it could work out between the two of them... "You know, he has traits of other reptiles as well." She explained to her son.

"Cool." Harry said with a small smile. Kitana smiled in return, deciding to bring this up at a later date. As she kept walking Tanya stopped her with an amused smirk.

"Just so you know, Mileena's been looking for like, three hours for the little guy." She said, seeming far too amused by it. "If you give him to her, you may not get him back."

"I can handle my sister well enough. But... thanks." Kitana replied. Thankful for the heads-up that her most likely emotionally unstable sister was looking for her nephew. She winced at that thought. But she also felt pride for her sibling. She was developing far better control over her emotions ever since being accepted into the family. Far less prone to fits of rage and sadness... Still, Harry was her son. Mileena could deal with that.

"Hm... perhaps I should have a look at your injuries, little one." Kitana remarked, Harry looking up at her with a mixture of confusion and apprehension. "They don't appear to be bothering you, but still, I'd like to ensure they're healing properly."

"Oh. Okay Mama." Harry nodded, and Kitana smiled at the small boost of confidence and sincerity in his voice. It was coming along. Gently, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled it away so she could peek into it. "Hmm... Very good, no signs of injuries, your magic has done an excellent job helping you recover from the wounds inflicted upon you..."

"It feels kinda funny." Harry admitted. "It's a warm feeling, but it's also kinda tingly, and then it's gone."

"That's good to know, your magic appears to be rather sporadic, it never really settles on one thing." When Kitana saw Harry's reaction, she added: "It's most impressive. Some people train their entire life to hone their one attribute in magic, and yet you have more natural power than anyone I've met."

'Met who's still alive...' She thought.

The likes of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi were certainly more powerful than Harry, at least for now... But it was very reassuring that he had the potential to be a truly powerful sorcerer that was on the righteous path. Harry seemed happy with the positive reinforcement, but Kitana scowled deeply in her mind scape. She didn't know any magic users who were likely to be able to help her son... ...aside from Skarlet...

She really, REALLY didn't want to go down that path. That woman was dangerous, she was talented at getting into someone's head and turning them around. Combined with her blood magic, she could be extremely unpredictable and lethal, and Kitana did NOT want to leave her son with her. But if she couldn't find anyone else, then Harry's magic would continue to grow untamed. Sooner or later, someone would get hurt, and Harry would blame himself, and then potentially all her work would be undone. If it really came down to it... She may have no choice but to request the help of the blood sorceress... Mileena certainly wouldn't be happy about it, and she wasn't either... No telling how the rest of the family would react...

Skarlet always had a weird... fascination, with her father. For lack of a better explanation. Which caused an unbelievable amount of animosity between her and Mileena, and Kitana wasn't looking to set her sister off again. Furthermore, how would she react? Technically, Kitana was Kahn, and could order her to do it under threat, but that wasn't how she wanted to rule. How would Skarlet react to being told she had to teach a little boy? The woman was truly a mystery to her... She had no idea how her mind worked or why she did the things she did... There was something in her gut that told her the woman wasn't entirely evil. She was diabolical, but not full on evil.

Still, she didn't want to put Harry at risk for any reason. But if he didn't learn how to control his powers, then he would be at risk. This was a tricky situation, and she needed to be cautious with how this proceeded. 'I can't seriously only know those five magic users...' Kitana thought. But, unfortunately, they were all she knew. Perhaps there were others in Earthrealm she could contact... In fact, there was likely to be plenty of magic users in Outworld if she just looked for them. She would get to searching as soon as she possibly could...

But for now, she just wanted to be with her child. Today had thankfully been uneventful when compared to other days and other meetings she had been through. Sure, emotions were running high, namely, anger. But that was justified considering the circumstances. But the knowledge that their cruelty and abuse was going to catch up with them very soon was enough to calm her down, at least a little bit... But that anger wasn't likely to fully go away, at least not for quite a long time. Yet holding her son did take some of that anger down a fair amount. Partially because anger was replaced with love. But still. She wondered what else there was to show him. They had been around the temple, through the garden, what else was there?

"Aunt Jade told me she was teaching you to read." Kitana smiled down at her son, who looked up and nodded. "How about we continue that lesson?" Harry smiled and nodded his head. He liked seeing how proud his aunt was of him, so he wanted to see his mother proud as well. Kitana walked back to the library, picking a few books from the shelves and sitting down with her son on her lap. She started simply, asking him to read a few passages about the known wildlife in Outworld, and she had to admit to it, she was impressed. He stumbled, and some words he didn't know. But for someone so small, he was doing surprisingly well.

He even seemed to get it immediately after she explained it to him. When she got to a letter he struggled with after explaining it to him, he was able to use it almost flawlessly. Though silent letters and oddly placed ones seemed to give him trouble... Then again, she couldn't blame him. Both Outworld's and Earthrealm's alphabets had a habit of inexplicably placing letters or silent letters in odd places for no real reason. Still, he was trying his best, and she was proud of him for trying. "Oh, that flower was in the garden!" Harry said, his eyes lighting up when he saw one of the flowers in the book.

Kitana smiled and nodded. "Many of these flowers are. All but the ones that present a potential danger." She pointed to another plant that appeared to have a mouth full of sharp teeth. "Bans on these ones have been lifted. We call them piranha plants, and they seem to make surprisingly loyal pets."

"They look kinda scary." Harry remarked. "But they also look kinda cool."

"They're... odd." Kitana reasoned. "They can eat meat, and have attacked people, but they only do so when defending their home or people they care for. Don't worry love, they wouldn't think about hurting you."

"Do they have eyes?" Harry asked, curiously.

"No. Oddly." Kitana frowned. "I don't know how they know where they need to look, but they do fine. They also like music." Harry smiled at the picture of the plant. It was in a pot next to a young girl, and both seemed to be smiling and happy. He decided he liked this particular plant quite a bit and wished he could have grown some himself back at the Dursleys. Kitana continued for a time, having Harry read to her, and he was trying his best, but towards the tail-end of the lesson, he seemed to be making more and more mistakes, but he also seemed to be growing tired.

"Well, I think that's good enough for today, love." Kitana smiled closing the book. Harry nodded and let himself be carried off by his mother. Kitana rose to her feet and carried him out of the library. "Now then, first we have to get you fed..." She said softly, eliciting a nod from the child. Smiling, she made her way to the dining hall, accepting the fact that she would be meeting her sister at the meal. So she had that to look forward to...

Entering the dining hall, Kitana smiled to the others as she walked over and seated herself with Harry on her lap. Harry felt a bit more relaxed, having met everyone yesterday, but still didn't feel up to conversation. He was only really talkative when he had questions or was addressing her, so Kitana wasn't surprised. She just hoped she could help him become more outgoihg someday... She knew he was a happy, excited boy deep down. Then again, she figured it stood to reason Harry had had silence beaten into him, but probably now saw it as a sign of respect, to let the adults talk. It was sweet... but also felt wrong. But on yet another hand, Harry didn't have a lot to say. He was still learning about their world, so she gave him some lenience on that, too.

"Sorry I'm late, I couldn't-" Mileena said as she entered, seeming tired, but stopped and looked to her sister with annoyance clear on her face.

"Can I help you?" Kitana asked after a few moments, deciding to try and act as calm as she could.

"You and Jade had him the whole time, didn't you?" The half-breed asked flatly, clearly annoyed. Kitana simply shrugged her shoulders. Mileena groaned and shook her head. "You sent me on a wild goose chase."

"I don't recall ever asking you to find Harry, but go on." Kitana reasoned, which just seemed to irritate her sister more. Tough. "Regardless, he is presently here, so you don't need to continue your search."

"Kitana, I swear I'm gonna take him and keep him for my- Tanya! Stop laughing!"

"I..I'm not..." Tanya managed to get out as she struggled to contain her laughter. A struggle she was failing, but wasn't trying that hard either.

Mileena growled in annoyance and trudged over to the table, sitting down and planting her face against it. "Jade is do gonna get it... I dunno what I'm gonna do, but it's gonna be big... Big and hilarious..." She grumbled. Kitana shook her head, knowing Mileena may very well find out WHY Jade had been her bodyguard for so long. The Kahn did make a mental note to hold on a bit tighter to Harry, mostly because she didn't know how he'd react to Mileena suddenly taking him when he needed her. Yes, her sister would never do anything to hurt him, but her over zealous attitude may be a bit much for Harry during the times when he was most fragile. The boy smiled softly and nestled in closer to his mother. He loved the rest of his family, to be sure, but right now, he just wanted to stay with his mommy,.. And he could tell she intended to make that happen.

The food was really good, and Harry found he could eat a little more than he had yesterday, which made him happy. He really liked this food, but knew if he ate too much, he'd get sick. But he could learn to eat more and more, so he wouldn't get sick! But still, he had his fill, and it was amazing. It was a mixture of flavours he had never experienced before. Kitana watched him eat with a warm smile. His table manners were impeccable. He was such a good boy, so polite, so well mannered and kind hearted... Everything this child did absolutely warmed her heart. He clearly had these manners forced onto him, lest he face punishment but Harry genuinely seemed to care about being polite, and it was just... adorable. Kitana nodded to him, then blinked, thinking about something. It was at a time like this when Harry's magic acted up. Did it respond to his emotions?

Thankfully, no such event occurred right then and there, but it was something to think about. Something else to consider was the looks Mileena was shooting at her. She would give her her own looks of amusement to further mess with her as she focused on her child. Mileena could have her time later, he was hers for the time being. And for the night, most likely... Once dinner was finished, everyone began to disperse (Tanya literally dragging an irritated Mileena off to 'talk') Kitana once more questioned what to do. It felt like it was too late in the day to continue Harry's lessons, but that didn't mean she couldn't tell him more about his home. She resolved to answer his questions, and help him feel safe, however that needed to be done.

So she picked him up and carried him back to the bedroom they shared. Sitting down on her bed, she sat him in her lap and looked down at him with a smile. "Do you have anything else you want to ask me, Harry?"

"Uh... can I stay with you?" He asked timidly. Kitana laughed and kissed his head, letting him know the answer.

"Yes, precious. You can stay with me as long as you like." She spoke in a soothing tone. Harry cooed and leaned in, then Kitana felt weird... it felt like something was quietly vibrating. She looked around, then blinked when she saw several books floating off of the shelf. 'Okay, how do I adress this without terrifying him?' She heard a metallic rattle, and quickly grabbed her fan-blades, shoving them down the back of her bed. She did NOT need Harry moving those with magic he didn't understand. "Careful, dear... Your magic is acting up again... No, no, don't be frightened, I'm not angry with you, it's all right, just focus and try to put back what's floating, that's it, there you go..." She spoke to him gently and soothingly.

The books fell to the floor, and she felt Harry tense. She let out a long exhale and kissed his head, lifting his head up to look her in the eyes. "It's okay, love." She said reassuringly. "We're going to find someone to teach you, then you'll be able to control it, and do wonderful things with it."

"Really?" Harry asked, hopefully. "I...I'm scared Mama... the freaky stuff always got me hurt, wh..why would I want to control it? If I do it more, I'll just get hurt more... right?"

"No... No, not at all, my little one..." She cooed softly, stroking his back as she cuddled him close. "It is not your magic that hurt you... It was your despicable relatives that are no longer a part of your life... Always remember that..."

"M'kay." Harry mumbled. Kitana sighed, relaxing somewhat, this was a nice moment, just her and her son. Yes, just her, her son and her sister- what.

"Mileena..." Kitana groaned, knowing her sister had most likely teleported into her room... oh great, that was something she'd have to watch out for now, wasn't it?

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Mileena asked, concern clear in her voice as she rubbed Harry's back. "You were very quiet at dinner..."

Kitana had to let the annoyance slide this time around, as it was clear her little sister was just concerned for the child's well being. Harry looked over at his aunt with a small smile. "Hi, auntie Mileena... I just didn't wanna interrupt..."

"Aww! That's so sweet." Mileena cooed, her eyes shining somewhat. "And 'Auntie Mileena'... heh. I love hearing that, almost as much as I love hearing your cute widdle voice!" The clone poked Harry's nose, and he giggled slightly in Kitana's arms.

"M..my...my voice isn't that cute..." He stammered, sounding very cute.

"Aww, you couldn't be more wrong! I love hearing you talk, you should do it more often!" Kitana smiled beneath her veil. Mileena was trying to subtly goad Harry into talking more often, using positive reinforcement at that. Harry blushed and tired to hide his embarrassment (and face) in Kitana's chest, not wanting to look at either woman. Kitana laughed softly, and patted his back reassuringly.

"I..I was always told I'd get hurt if I talked. Or even if I was seen." Harry finally whimpered. "I know you won't hurt me... at least, I don't think you will. But I dunno what to say." When he was done, Kitana let out a soft sigh. Well, that explained a few more things, and it WAS nice to hear him say he believed she wouldn't harm him. Tragically, there was a bit of hesitation to it, but still. She'd take what she could get.

"As I waa telling you, my dear... The only reason you were hurt is because you were put with evil people... All they did to you is unforgivable and absolutely will not go unpunished..." Kitana reassured her son gently.

"Thank you, mommy..." Harry said softly, leaning into her embrace. Kitana smiled, kissing his head, before deciding to give her sister a few minutes with her nephew.

"Here, I think if you don't hold him, you might go berserk." Kitana smirked, and Mileena huffed in irritation, not enjoying the implication.

"Well, it's not my fault you have something that makes everyone happy, yet you're being greedy and keeping it all to yourself!" She argued, wrapping Harry up in a hug.

Kitana facepalmed and shook her head. "He isn't an object, sister, he's a child that wishes to be with his mother. As adorable as he is, he is my son at the end of the day." She chided sternly only to find Mileena was casually ignoring her.

"Oooh... you're my sweet widdle prince. I'll take good care of you..." Mileena cooed softly, resting her cheek on the top of Harry's head. "You're safe and snug now. Auntie Mileena's gonna take good care of you." She kissed the top of his head. "You're so adorabllleeee~" Harry giggled, looking up at his Aunt, who proceeded to smother his face in kisses. Now that he was in her arms, Mileena had no intentions of giving him back. She wanted to hold her nephew close, to make sure those who hurt him would beg for death when she was through with them... She hadn't had such thoughts in a very long time, not since she had promised her sister to improve herself and become a better person, but she just couldn't help it. These people repulsed her and they needed to suffer horribly like he did at their hands...

Harry was so sweet and innocent, he was literally perfect in every regard! And she wasn't just saying that because she loved him (although that was part of it) but he was compassionate, polite, friendly, timid, respectful, everything anyone could ever want out of a child, and he was an expert at all of them. That and he was adorable, and she loved the feeling of the little boy squished against her in a warm hug. Judging by the look on Harry's face, he was enjoying it too. Harry loved the care and affection his family showed him. The hugs were so warm and comfortable, the words of love and reassurance helped boost his self esteem, and they just made him feel safe.

"Mileena-"

"Go away."

"This is my room!"

"My baby." Mileena said childishly, turning her back on her sister.

"...yet you wonder why Tanya doesn't-" Kitana began but muttered something under her breath. Harry didn't hear it, but Mileena did, and glared anger and scorn at her sister. Kitana just gave her a flat look in response.

Mileena turned away with a huff. "You're a big mean bully and I'm gonna get you back." She said with an audible sulk in her tone. Kitana sighed and shook her head. Looks like she was getting buried in the garden in the near future...

"M'sorry..." Harry mumbled, trying to hug Millena's neck. "I didn't mean to upset you..."

"Awwww! No, don't you worry my little cutie. I'm not upset with you." Mileena said, playfully nuzzling the top of his head again. "It's just... well, your mother's being mean and selfish, and she won't admit to it because her ego won't allow it."

"Huh?"

"Mileena." Kitana said wit a warning edge in her voice.

Mileena frowned and hugged Harry tighter. "You're hogging Harry and his cuteness all to yourself! Only a real bad guy would do something so awful to her own family! You're just a big mean... um... meanie! Yeah, that's it."

"...How are you a clone of me when you're this childish...?" Kitana whispered, her expression one of absolute, total confusion. Sure, she was childish as well as a child, but she grew out of it. As far as everyone around her was concerned.

"Maybe because I was made to make people happy! I want to do what I can to ensure those around me are... uh, happy. Yeah. That's why." Mileena retorted. "Also... I'm, uh... I'm not so caught up in ruling a Realm that I can't make time for my family!"

"That... that makes absolutely no sense." Kitana replied, and Mileena's eyes darted around, clearly trying to think of an excuse.

"Uh... Idontcarebye!" And then she was gone. With Harry. Having teleported away.

"Of all the attributes she could've been given, a hyperactive toddler shouldn't have been an option." Kitana groaned to herself. With an exasperated sigh, she rose to her feet and began to calmly walk out of the room. Mileena surely didn't expect to be able to get away with it? She knew all of the places her sister would try to hide in by heart at this point. After about five minutes, Kitana was growing somewhat agitated with her sister. Yes, she knew Mileena loved Harry, and Harry loved her. She knew there would be days when she'd let Aunt Mileena take care of her son all day. But it hadn't been a a quarter of a WEEK since he got here! This wasn't the time for this. However, she couldn't find her sister in the usual spots, and exhaled deeply in irritation.

"Empresss, is something wrong?" Kitana blinked, looking over her shoulder to see Reptile, who had been in the middle of training.

"No, well- Sort of. I mean- ugh. It's Mileena, she's being..."

"Mileena?"

"Yes!"

Reptile nodded his head. "Am I to assume that this involves the child, then?" Kitana sighed in exasperation and nodded her head. "I see. Well then... I will retrieve him for you." Before Kitana could reply, he vanished.

"...hm." She blinked. Well, she did want Harry to get to know Reptile, or at least be introduced to him, if he was going to be his retainer. Still, she hoped this didn't end in violence, or Harry getting the wrong idea of who Reptile was. Sure, he was smart enough to know hurting Mileena beyond a small amount would not end well for him, but her sister was... well, her sister. She just prayed Reptile would still have both of his eyes after all was said and done, her sister was very brutal when she wanted to be, a trait of hers that never really went away after she defected from Shao Kahn... That was a memory that still, well, for lack of a better term, mystified her. Mileena genuinely did love her father, and there was an actual bond between them. One built on blood, murder and torture, but still. Yet Kitana reasoned that after most of Shao's forces took a hard hit (especially Sindel being freed) the possibility of a bond built on genuine love, and not built on expectations was something Mileena never seemed to have considered. Then again, she was made to be a weapon, and a living weapon most likely didn't have the ideals of love built into them like a human.

'Ugh.' Kitana frowned. Even when she hated her, calling Mileena a weapon felt... wrong. Like it marked her as something lower than a life form, as if she wasn't real. And that certainly wasn't even remotely close to being the case. Mileena was very much a real woman despite her unusual conception. She had complex feelings, emotions and personality traits that no weapon could ever display.

"Here he is." Kitana was ripped from her thoughts when Reptile appeared and handed her Harry, who seemed no worse for ware. Neither did Reptile, thankfully.

"Thank you, was Mileena any trouble?" Kitana asked.

"No. They were playing sssome Earthrealm game when one hides and the other ssearches for them." Reptile shrugged. "I'd give it an hour or two before she begins to really start looking for him."

Kitana stared blankly at the reptilian ninja. "She stole him from me and then sent him off to hide somewhere? Honestly... It's nearly his bedtime too..." She said, shaking her head in disapproval at her sister's antics.

"Mileena is..." Reptile began, trying to think of the right word. "Over zealous, at times."

"Hm. True." Kitana nodded. "Thank you, Reptile."

"Th..thank you." Harry got out nervously. Kitana didn't know if it was because he was taken quickly or something else, but Reptile didn't pay it any mind, nodding respectfully.

"I'll be going now, and I recommend you do the same." The reptilian warrior commented. "Mileena is probably searching for him now." And with that, he turned invisible once more, disappearing for the night. Harry blinked as the reptilian man disappeared once again. He found himself growing more and more curious about him... What was he? How did he do that cool invisible trick? What other lizard things could he do? Kitana smiled, noting his curiosity.

"I'll tell you some more about him when we're back in my room." The Kahn promised, and Harry nodded.

"Uh, do you think Auntie Mileena will be upset with me? I was supposed to find her..." Harry asked, and Kitana snorted, trying to withhold a sudden laugh.

"Oh, no, no no. My child, don't think I'm laughing at you." Kitana quickly reassured her son. "It's... never mind. Your Aunt Mileena will be fine."

'And hopefully will remain hiding for a few hours.' Kitana smirked. No wonder Reptile had such an easy time retrieving him! And knowing Tanya, she was probably thinking this was just as hilarious as Kitana did. She couldn't help but wonder where Mileena was hiding. Hopefully not somewhere too uncomfortable, as she was going to be there for quite a while, considering Harry needed to go to bed soon. "Come along, precious." Kitana said kindly, resting Harry against her shoulder. Harry yawned and nuzzled down, clearly happy to be with his mother again. "When Aunt Mileena disappeared with you, did it hurt?"

"No, it kinda tickled." Harry answered, honestly. "I've done stuff like that before, but that was only when I was in a lot of pain, and I'd end up back in my cupboard." Kitana stopped walking and blinked owlishly. They... they made him live... in a cupboard!? Tightening her hold she gave Harry a quick kiss before readjusting him so his head was resting against her chest.

"Well... You no longer have to concern yourselves with such things... You have a proper home with a proper room and a proper bed... Well... Technically my bed, but either way, such things are far, far behind you." She assured her child. Harry let out a happy coo and hugged her neck. Kitana couldn't help but smile at his little action, he really did care for her. When she returned to her room, she switched shirts once more fo Harry, noting she really needed to get him proper clothing soon, as she didn't want to make him wear her baby clothes all the time, no matter how cute it may look, and Kitana left to get changed herself. Emerging a few minutes later, Kitana let out a small sigh of relief when she saw Harry sitting on her bed, tucked under the blanket where she had left him.

She looked around the room suspiciously, expecting someone to emerge at any moment, and when no one did, she let out a sigh and climbed into bed next to her son, hugging him close to her bosom. She might have held him a little bit tighter than she should've, but Harry let out a happy yawn, so Kitana decided there was no issue. She wasn't letting Mileena take him. "So, you met Reptile, earlier, love." Kitana said, deciding to soothe her son to sleep by explaining some things to him. "He does have the abilities of what you would know as a chameleon. He can turn invisible and can move faster than most people realize."

Harry nodded, remembering hearing about this earlier. "He is a very complicated person... Very few truly know what goes through his head... Yet his loyalty to the Kahn is unparalleled, no matter who it may be."

"Wow." Harry yawned sleepily. Kitana smiled and rubbed is back.

"Hm. He is also a skilled warrior, his talents lie in stealth, remaining unseen and striking before he can be seen. Then, he disappears and repeats that. His skill in that regard is unmatched by anyone in all of Outworld." Kitana continued with her explanation as she lulled her son to sleep.

"He sounds cool... Can he talk to snakes? I talked to snakes in the garden all the time back at my aunt and uncle's house... They were really nice, I don't know why people are so scared of them, they don't wanna hurt anyone..." Kitana blinked, suddenly feeling much more awake than a few minutes ago. She looked down at Harry before finally finding her voice.

"Sorry, could you please repeat that, precious?" Kitana asked softly.

"Uhh... I talked to snakes in the garden all the time back at my aunt and uncle's house?" Harry said. "Is... is that bad?"

Kitana shook her head. "No, my dear, not at all, it's just... very few people are able to do this... It's a very rare power, and I'm quite surprised you have this ability." She explained softly. Harry tilted his head to the side.

"Oh, okay." He finally said, seeming too tired to fully grasp what she was saying, or just accepted it because his mother said so.

'Perhaps Reptile would be a good guard for the little prince.' Kitana thought. 'Still, one so young to have that power, most impressive...' After a few moments, she smiled as she saw Harry snuggling close. 'He also has the power to steal hearts...' She ran her fingers through his hair and closed her eyes. "Now let's go to sleep, my child... Close your eyes... Empty your mind... And enjoy a good night's rest..." She whispered softly into her adopted child's ear. Harry yawned and nestled down. Kitana smiled, thinking about the day and what tomorrow would bring. Most likely she'd need to avoid her sister as long as she could, she'd continue trying to help Jade, and maybe she'd start looking for someone to train Harry.

Content with this, she closed her eyes with a smile and let sleep take her... And elsewhere, Jade was settling down for bed... Yet she found herselr unable to sleep. The reason? She was thinking about her earlier interaction with Kitana. Namely, the kiss they had unintentionally shared.

'She's your friend. She has been for years.' She muttered. 'You've always respected her, even admired her in some regards! But this? What is this?' She frowned slightly, thinking about how it almost seemed cruel that Kitana never had plans of marrying or having children (okay, maybe she did at one point, but since Liu was now the Time Keeper, that wasn't an option), but not only was Jade married, but she WANTED children. But for some reason, the adorable little sleeping angel wound up in her arms instead of her friends. And she felt slight envy, but she was certainly happy for her friend, seeing as how she had the chance to understand the joys of children and being a mother... But why wouldn't these butterflies leave her stomach, ever since they had briefly locked lips?

Perhaps... perhaps there was more to this than she realized, or more likely, wanted to admit. Kitana was a close friend, and she did care for her, they were like sisters! And she had been married, she had loved Kotal! But... he was gone, did that make it wrong to want to have someone in your life who you loved, who loved you, who cared for you? Was it wrong to want that after losing someone you loved so dearly? Kitana was... beautiful. That she would readily admit. Her fair skin, her long dark hair, and all the things she would be too embarrassed to say out loud regarding her body... But could she truly pursue this interest in her longtime friend? What would Kitana think of such a notion!? What would anyone else?! What did she think of such a notion?!

She felt... alone. Really and truly, alone. Her life was one of service, strength and sometimes solitude, but Kotal had been a reprieve from that, and now... now she felt lost, lost, and alone. She hated herself for thinking like this but when she was holding such a sweet little angel like Harry in her arms, hearing his soft giggles and the way he looked up to her, it felt right. And when Kitana's lips made contact with hers, she felt... a spark. A familiar spark that she had only felt when Kotal had kissed her... And she found herself imagining herself helping Kitana raise Harry as... as her wife... "Gah!" Jade bolted upright, feeling like she had been shocked. She looked around in confusion, then sighed, settling back down in her bed and sighing deeply. It was a nice thought, Harry was such a sweet little boy, she'd love to be his mother... And Kitana? Well... yeah, Jade did like her...

She wasn't just beautiful to look at, she was a highly respectable woman. She was wise, she was a strong warrior, she was a caring and loving person, she was a strong leader, she had so many amazing qualities that drove her wild. She didn't know if it was right to have these thoughts, not only was this her best friend, but she was the Kahn as well! Jade felt conflicted, and she felt exasperated, and she felt... she felt tired. She didn't want to keep going back and forth like this, she wanted to put this behind her and move on. But she didn't know how. This was more than a little bit frustrating if she were to be completely honest. It seemed no matter what she did, she could never feel fully happy. Something, mainly her own emotions, always had to drag her down... Jade groaned, deciding it was time to give up on this train of thought for now, she'd sleep it off, then tomorrow, she'd figure something out. Hopefully she'd get a chance to spend more time with Harry, that seemed to make her feel better. Then again, anyone seemed happier when they were with Harry.

Smiling to herself in amusement, she curled up under the covers and closed her eyes. As sleep overtook her, her final thoughts were that she wanted so badly to have a family... Any family... And then, sleep took her.