Con't XI - Kulmination
Inside a nearby, though abandoned, Tarkatan kamp courtesy of Baraka, the anxious heroes rested up before what can surely be their last battle. Everyone was gearing up and preparing for their inevitable fate, as the Deadly Alliance had been honing their diabolical skills in the Netherrealm, they were surely no force to be reckoned with. Nightwolf remained near the bonfire in the epicenter of the kamp, brewing up a special herbal tea with ingredients he kept in his possession up until the final fight. Raiden and Fujin remained on guard at the shadowy perimeter, though they were certain the sorcerers shalln't strike until they march upon their territory.
Aiko remained by Kung Lao's side as he made a last attempt on training his mind with intense meditation...
His soul was back in the same placid terrain, where he and Liu's minds merged into one subconscious. It was just a quick review of all the special moves Kung Lao had learned, including his Mantis, Shaolin Fist, and Broadsword abilities, as well as his new Whirlwind Kick. The former Shaolin kept on lunging toward Liu's astral form, feet first, as he continually and rapidly kicked while his body spun like a horizontal funnel. He landed abruptly on his feet, nearly losing his balance, then as Liu lunged for him, Lao evaded with a few side jumps before getting to dice him with his lethal hat!
Liu just grinned and nodded, "Good! Looks like you're finally getting the hang of it. You must master it against Shang Tsung. But make sure you keep up the velocity so you can keep the momentum. My Bicycle Kick is just as lethal as your Whirlwind maneuver."
Lao was in doubt as he slightly hung his head, "But...you never used it when you fought Shang Tsung."
"Not in the first tournament." He clarified, then his mind flashed back to avenging Chan's death as Liu's fury unleashed a High Fire which forced Shang into the circular Pit. "Although...it was proven useful against him when all hell broke loose, and as we'd defeated him, Kintaro and Kahn. Heh, even when I defeated him again, and Shinnok."
His partner was still despondent.
"Don't worry. I can still possess your body when we face off the Deadly Alliance," Liu stated with a smile.
"Does that mean...I will be your successor?"
The monk hesitated before they heard a muffled tenor speak.
Lao almost instantly woke up; Aiko began to tend for him as they sat beside the bonfire with Nightwolf at the rear.
"Glad you came to, Kung Lao. I thought you might want to try this new broth I made." From a carved pot made of natural material, the shaman removed the lid and poured the hot liquid into a small cup. He then handed it to the former monk who sniffed the soothing aroma. "It's very similar to tea, Lao. But this was made with the finest ingredients, to help sharpen your mind so it wouldn't be swollen by the troubling chemicals of resentment. To stay focused in the midst of rage. We'll all need it against the Unholy Alliance."
Kung Lao looked at the tan broth before he drank it. Nightwolf then offered another small cup to Aiko, and she did the same.
"What is this supposed to make us feel?"
"Probably a brief headache, but it should wear off once we start fighting."
Lao nodded.
"As long as it doesn't make us feel loopy. I hated when I had to take new meds to ease my disabilities; my former guardian used to treat them as diseases than just sheer limitations. ...I hope my past self won't be raised by her, and her abusive, neglectful ways." Aiko added.
"Don't worry about it. I made this broth before. I use it on occasion, especially if any of us should be preparing ourselves in a tense situation. Why don't you offer it to our allies, Aiko."
She and Lao stood up, and while the cardiokinetic was introducing the Kombatants minus Bo' to that foreign beverage, he talked to some of them.
He found Sub-Zero sitting next to Frost and Hanzo, who were discussing the possibility the ninja would give in to his wrathful self if he were to face Quan Chi; all about the stressful triggers. He also worried for Kenshi's consumption as well since Shang blinded him, and sporadically made the spirits run amok within the ancestral blade.
He was just lounging for a while with Sonya, Johnny and Jax, discussing amongst themselves on who would be the best warriors to take on the demonic duo first instead of rushing in irrationally.
Kitana was thinking the same with Jade. "We need to take this infiltration in a strategic approach, Kung Lao. We may not make a preemptive strike, but...I doubt I'm as strong as they are. Perhaps you, with Liu Kang's soul, would be the best alternative. Yet, you still would need a partner."
Lao agreed, yet he was still filled with dread on who can be his wingman; he was fully aware he won't be capable on warring against the two powerful sorcerers by himself while also endangering the monk's essence. He had a promise to protect it, after all.
The screeching of Baraka shredding his arm blades were quite distracting in the nearby tent, so Lao left the Edenians to ponder among themselves.
"I doubt Kitana has the strength to hold them off..." Liu's voice boomed from the dragon amulet. "We have bested her, Jade and Mileena back on top of the Tower."
"So, who should it be...? Raiden, Fujin?" Lao raised his arms in uncertainty.
"The Gods' powers are minimal here. There's only one who would help you. He had been training with our master extensively."
"Guys, everyone has drunk the broth Nightwolf made. I think...we all should be ready." Ako mentioned, before Lao was beginning to konnect the dots.
"Right. Let's go." He then held his swimming head. " ...How long was I out of it...?"
"A few hours, Kung Lao. You sleep like the dead." Nightwolf smirked.
"That'll explain why you're usually late for class," Liu Kang added.
Lao couldn't help but chortle at the statement. Until his mind flashed back to the time when he was actually tardy while lightning began to strike the Wu Shi Arena... "I... I should've been there sooner... You were right, I was late. If only I would've kame to your aide, you won't be..." He was too distraught to finish his sentence.
"You must never blame yourself, Kung Lao." Raiden and Fujin emerged from the opaque woods. "His fate still lies within your hands."
The cowboy lookalike pined whether or not the pyro soul would crossover if they should be victorious over the Deadly Alliance, no matter the doubts klouding his mind... He barely heard Kitana signaling him and the brother Gods everyone was set to step into volatile territory.
Quan Chi's head abruptly turned. He and Shang sensed an unusual presence. The blanch looked over the balcony one more time. With the Sun Do villagers still being enslaved and dwindling quicker, he stopped Shang on consuming Li Mei's soul. "They are here."
Shang paused his ritual, forcing Li's hapless vessel to topple, and he looked up. He began to feel the same slight magnetic pulls of the heroes' souls. "Excellent. Then let us kommence. We shall unlock the Soulnado, proceed to it."
Quan walked over to the rear of the palace. An arched brick wall awaited him, though it remained intact compared to the other unfinished portions of the Palace. He then spoke an incantation, making a neon green funnel form right next to the so-called dead end! There was also a very strong gust as if trying to suck in the hapless Sun Do victims like a vacuum! Everyone held for dear life as they screamed! The lime green energy grew and expanded evermore when it was breaching the clear, night sky above! Even the heroes witnessed this horrifying phenomenon!
Raiden and Fujin led the team, with Kung Lao, Aiko and Nightwolf taking the rear, as everyone were stunned by that sudden storm! Especially by that expansive pull of wind! Fujin immediately came at the defensive, shielding the mortals with his aerokinesis.
"Ergh, my powers kan't hold for long!"
Raiden beheld the whirlwind as it glowed, and swirls of energy descended beside the large vortex. He then screeched, "Quan Chi has unlocked the Soulnado! He is feeding himself and Shang Tsung soul after soul from the Heavens! They will become more powerful the longer they absorb the hapless spirits into that volatile vortex!"
Fujin continued to push back the severe microburst, "Agh, but it kan only be unlocked by the REAL Amulet! it's in the Temple of Elements!"
Hanzo struggled to look over at the Wind God, "I warned you the faker kan do so much! The duplicate was forged by Quan Chi himself! The Oni is merely as gifted as Shinnok, learning his arcane tactics! He must've copied it exactly! It's weaker kompared to Shinnok's but that Oni's got a lot of ingenuity with the black arts!"
The storm kontinued to expand in that emerald field, and a massive portal opened up!
"My soul isn't safe, Kung Lao!" Liu Kang's spirit echoed from beneath his vest, which was the only protection against the vortex!
"There's too many helpless souls caught in this merciless spell!" Nightwolf reiterated. "I kannot break it! It's endless and it's too harmful for Liu Kang's soul! I kan do nothing, it's futile!"
All a sudden the gusts seized, however, the plasma force remained.
"Kung Lao! You and I must dissipate the Soulnado! We must enter the epicenter and cut it from the inside!"
"How...?" Lao was flabbergasted.
"We are both aerokinetics who're strong enough to shut it down. We need to approach the storm while the rest of us would distract the Deadly Alliance! Once we enter the belly of the storm, unleash all your fury!"
"What if we won't survive...? It can tear our bodies and spirits asunder."
"Risk is part of the game, Kung Lao. Do you really want the Deadly Alliance to be even more powerful than they are now?" His face fell as he heard Liu's words. "Remember when we shut down the Soul Tombs, as well as the Soul Chamber..."
Lao's mind flashed back several years ago when the Shaolin Monks destroyed the territory in Outworld with their fists of ruin alternatively hitting the cauldron. It flashed with every hit, until it finally shattered, releasing all the contained essences. Unfortunately, even though they dealt with its guardian, Baraka, Shang Tsung had already konsumed numerous souls already, knocking away the Chinese warriors seamlessly and reversing his elderly state.
Liu recalled working with Kitana, Nightwolf and Sheeva decimating the Soul Chamber, the heart of Kahn's Fortress. By the time the beastly aperture kollapsed, every spirit was fleeing freely. Although they still needed to deal with the evil emperor and his elitist general, Motaro.
Just then a series of speeches by Shang and Kahn recollected in both their minds. They were intimidating, smack dab in Kahn's Arena.
"To be myself again! It is only right to hold victory be mine, and mine alone."
"We'd destroyed your Soul Tombs. You should not be this strong." Liu Kang countered, but all their efforts were for naught.
"Is that what your Master Raiden told you to do!?" He laughed in a sinister matter, driving the Monks into battle.
Then, after the fateful fight, Kahn explained his true motive...
"As I'd said, all within this realm serve my will. Even those who seek to betray me."
"I do not understand." Liu processed Kahn's words more than Lao, as he had more stamina after the first crucial battle.
"Shang Tsung impersonated your master, Raiden. And led you on a quest for power. The more you killed, the more powerful he became. He meant to use this power against me. To become the supreme ruler of Outworld."
"...We have destroyed the Soul Tombs, and yet...Shang Tsung stated it was for nothing." Lao reiterated.
"He already had his fill. You must dissipate the Soulnado with Lord Fujin." Raiden ordered as he would with his apprentice. "Only a minute amount shall suffice than an endless supply of them." He faced his brother who touched his disciple's shoulder.
"Hurry, with me. Let our other komrades get the sorcerers' attention. You kan do this!" Fujin said in an authorative manner. Aiko then lent a hand and gave Lao her own power source, a heart-shaped jewel embedded with crimson.
"How did you...?"
"Raiden theorized I kan do the opposite of the kursed Gem of Tetsurri, as a krystallized heart. It should give you strength when you need it. Occasionally, my energy would be channeled to form this jewel; even our love."
With a smile and thanks, he took it before he and Fujin stormed to the violent maelstrom!
"Those meddling mortals are here! We shall smite them with these precious souls in our bosoms. Victory is absolute!" Shang Tsung declared. He then raised his arms again, pulling the trapped spirits into himself. "With this unstoppable force, our power is infinite, and we will konquer all realms!"
Shang's celebration was kut short as he and Quan noticed the eerie lime hue gradually churn to a more blue and white shade... The new whirls of energy made the Soulnado slow down and change its course by rotating it clockwise.
The sudden force made Shang back away. "By the goddamn Elder Gods! The Soulnado's being seized!"
Hand in hand, both Kung Lao and Fujin breached the volatile vortex. Together, the two elementals konjured their strength as their own whirlwinds altered the storm!
Shang kontinued his fits of rage, until he and Quan were disturbed by a sharp bite. It was none other than the end of a spear which in turn dragged the blanch off his feet and down the small stairway! "Come 'ere!" A familiar, sinister tone boomed from a distance. Quan used a broadsword which sliced the rope, but not before he beheld his old assailant, "Scorpion!"
The vengeful wraith stood before him amongst the shadows, his fiery irises glaring at him. "Vengeance will be mine!" He roared. The once humanized ninja was now konsumed by his vengeful form, brewing from the Netherrealm as soon as he laid eyes on the diabolical Oni! With broad blade against blades, the duo clanged each other!
Noticing the feud from atop the stairs, Shang screamed for the remaining Tarkatans to run out and klobber the approaching heroes and make them be klaimed by their master!
Fujin and Lao began to struggle, as if they were entangled by ropes of energy! The growing roots made the two aerokinetics pause and swipe them away, yet they were persistent! Kausing the kountering funnel to lose power.
During the scuffle, Bo' Rai Cho snuck in and spotted the unconscious student; her amethyst clothing made her stand out amongst the opaque floors. He stayed low as possible as he trekked toward her inactive body. It lumped over his bulky shoulders, even as he hunched over like a beggar with a massive load. Bo' Rai Cho saved the last sacrifice, Li Mei; upon her soul being imprisoned in the last remaining mummified statue of Onaga's army, Bo averted her eternal fate.
Before Shang laid his eyes upon the escapees, his hair was licked by electricity. Raiden intervened, buying his prodigy some time. Bo' wobbled away before he took a leap of faith off the balcony after he bashed thru the rails! The impact made his mammoth-like legs sting, yet Li Mei never stirred. He then gazed onto the spectacle of the Soulnado as the green and light blue hues intermixing caught his peripheral vision...
After what almost seemed like an eternity, the reckless wraith kontinued to breath fire and rely on his swift hand-to-hand tactics, although the Oni seemed to have the upper hand, having more stamina and kunning thanks to his replenished energy! As a desperate attempt, Hanzo rose the Hand of Hell, although despite its ferocious grip, it easily krumbled while Quan burst out! The same brute strength overpowered the konsuming wraith with little to no strategy. His limbs began to give way, yet his anger fueled him until he was officially powerless! Thanks to the many souls in his system, Quan overmatched his old nemesis. "You are not in Hell anymore..."
He grabbed Hanzo's weak body, spun him horizontally several times, before he made the coordinated toss into the heart of the Soulnado! Kung Lao and Fujin's eyes barely made out the slaughter as the endless horde of souls tore Hanzo's poor body! This stunt startled the duo, making their cooperative efforts become useless...
The souls became tauter around the two wind benders!
Noticing the near komplete dissipation, Bo' became irritable! He knew one of his promising students was in peril, and for once... He ran straight for the base of the Soulnado! He never kared how lethal it was as he leapt into the menacing storm!
Lao and Fujin were beginning to feel their limbs being mercilessly crushed and pulled from their bodies, until a massive push released them! The wrathful spirits let them loose as they became hyperfixated on the new intruder! That was a lard body and upon straining their eyes thru the neon limelight, it was none other than Lao and Liu's fallen mentor, Bo' Rai Cho! He kontinually latched on and pulled the phantoms away as Fujin hollered for Lao to decimate the inner funnel.
"Ah-Master!" Kung Lao screamed and began to reach for him, but Fujin held him back and shouted to destroy the rapidly swirling heart! Being they had little choice; the duo utilized their stamina for one more merged astral tornado! Kombined, they formed klose to an F4, with their particles finally overlapping the Soulnado!
Both Shang and Raiden temporarily halted their battle. "Fools! They're overriding the Soulnado!"
Sure enough, the lime streak began to constrict rapidly, until the wider blue funnel dissipated along with the massive swirling portal being klosed off within the clouds!
With their kombined strength, it was just enough might as the width of the Soulnado kollapsed, moments before it dispersed, kausing both aerokinetics to fall sharply!
With his advanced elemental skills, Fujin managed to katch his promising disciple and his body made a sudden lurch. They gradually descended to earth, although the unlikely antihero's heffer body of Bo' may had been torn maliciously as Hanzo had...
Never letting their emotions manifest, Fujin encouraged Kung Lao to finally avenge Liu Kang and put an end to his lifelong nemesis!
Quan Chi was stunned, as he barely uttered the Soulnado had been decimated. Enraged, Shang strangled the sorcerer, demanding to reactivate it with the Amulet!
Raiden growled, "Your dominant plans had been thwarted, Shang Tsung!"
The sorcerer wasn't backing down; he actually became irater. "Not quite yet. Thunder God!" He shot out a volley of electricity and green souls straight to him, stunning the benevolent protector. The victim felt as if Shang was draining his vitality upon impact. Shang knew all too well he was powerless in Outworld, thus the demon warlock having the homefield advantage, magnifying his own strength...
Kung Lao just got invigorated as his upper chest glowed in a crimson light. He took out Aiko's heart jewel and smiled as he felt the energy channeling thru him! By the time the spot dissipated, Fujin cried out for his brother, who was being mangled by Shang's prowess! Lao looked up and saw the struggle! As did Aiko who was immersed with the Tarkatan army and her komrades. She screeched for Raiden and Liu saw it too! "Aiko, face my amulet to Kung Lao! The Soulnado is down! Let me use my soul within him!"
She did just as he instructed and signaled him to go! Liu's lime and translucent spirit stormed to his retainer. Lao braced himself of the sudden intrusion with his arms. "Kalm yourself, Kung Lao! It's only me!" He kould hear his Shaolin brother inside his mind.
"Liu Kang!"
"Yes. We must help Master Raiden! ...And put an end to Shang Tsung, once and for all! With the Soulnado down, there's no way he can steal my soul within you! This time, we fight as one!" he declared.
Lao nodded his assent and permitted him to take over his vessel. He knew if anyone was skilled enough to annihilate Shang...! His spirit then engulfed Lao in a green hue. The vengeful warrior's body was lump until he shot open his orange igniting pupils. He then Teleported beneath the floor and emerged next to the scuffle. He tossed his hat which made a mark on Shang's neck! His enemy couldn't believe the desired spirit was in Lao all along!
In a merged voice, they declared, "You'll never murder me, Shang!"
"So...it is you, Liu Kang! Your soul escaped to inhabit Kung Lao's body. Admirable, but a foolish endeavor!" The monk put his dukes up!
Quan Chi wound up for a green sphere as if he was a pitcher. "Not so fast, sorcerer!" In kame Nightwolf with his soul-empowered weapons igniting also in green. "Remember me, the one who broke your precious gem and resisted your dark influence!?"
The blanch just chuckled, "A shaman has no chance against me." Quan sicced onto the Matokan, and he kountered with the same momentum. Each Kombatant switched between freehand kombat with the evildoer's longsword against Nightwolf's dagger and tomahawk. They seemed to be evenly matched excepting when Quan konjured a holding spell, possessing his body and driving him forward. Fortunately, being the shaman was talented on manipulating souls, it was a ploy to kounterstrike with his weapons! He was also lucky Quan had a bare chest, but he knew it won't be that easy.
Meanwhile, Liu Kang possessed Kung Lao's body, enabling him with aerosol abilities kombining his pyro with Lao's aero. Each onslaught seemed to have twice the impact, even resistant to Shang's fiery skulls with Liu's own fire streaks and deflecting them with Lao's Tornado Kick! Although Shang's agility was overwhelming Lao's vessel, but where he forced in speed, he was stunned by the powerful blows from Liu's Flying and Bicycle Kicks. Eventually, Liu memorized Lao's own Whirlwind Kick, which was proven to be just as fatal. With a leg caught, Liu and Lao kountered with the free one. Before they switched over to Quan.
They took over Nightwolf's brawl as he went to Shang. Liu approached with a High Fire, though Quan blocked it in a moment's notice. Liu gained more momentum and Lao's body became flexible. He noticed Quan had the same Teleportation as Lao did, which didn't faze the monk at all. He instead kountered with his own and performed aerial kicks onto him till he blocked. He noticed Nightwolf having a detrimental struggle, so Liu and Lao kame to him.
Nightwolf bounced back another green sphere from the energy field on his chest and were sort of in a game of Deadman's Volley! When the Matokan became more offensive, the sphere was forced back more rapidly onto the enemy! He lunged toward Quan, but he eventually retaliated with another clenching blow. He blocked and kountered with a dagger, until he began draining a bit of Quan's vitality; he took Bo's advice on making his tools have similar properties to Jack the Ripper! Quan quickly fought back, and Nightwolf evaded another kounter till he was kaught off guard by a Teleport. That was until the shaman implanted his dagger onto Quan's upper chest!
Lao and Liu recovered from a blow by Shang, although they weren't so lucky as Lao felt himself having an out-of-body experience. "Kung Lao! Shang's trying to take my soul!" It escaped into the amulet, kausing Lao to feel dazed. With another hit, it struck him back into reality, and kountered with his buzzsaw! Lao then lunged at him with the Whirlwind Kick, diving in feet first and rotating his body and driving Shang's back into the grinding hat! "That's it, Kung Lao!" Liu cheered.
The volatile maneuver certainly was a powerful move! So, Lao went in again, only this time Shang grabbed his leg and threw him aside! The impact stunned Lao. "Dodge him!" He Teleported away and recalled Bo's advice on evading after Shang declared him as a koward..
"Do not assume that offensiveness is always the correct path to victory. A hasty retreat can give you the space you need to plan for your next attack. Do not be dismayed."
With enough time to regain his komposure, Kung Lao Teleported to perform an unsuspecting aerial kick. Onto Quan Chi!
"Keep going, Lao!" Liu exasperated. "There's no need to fight honorably here!"
In a desperate fit, he drew out a pair of longswords, and Lao took out his own broadsword. They clanked against each other, never minding the ear-screeching hits. While the Oni wielded two blades, Liu conjured onto Lao's blade giving it a fiery effect. Eventually he diced him as Quan growled in agony, till he saw the green gash. Stunned, Lao aimed and impaled the wound with the broadsword, but was blocked! Luckily, the flesh wound was still injurious.
A fireball was shot and hit Lao from behind! Before Shang kommenced to drain Lao's vitality! Nightwolf struck him with an arrow, before he impaled him with his own dagger. Quan made the Drilling Kicks, stunning Lao's partner. Shang immediately took out the dart, before he lunged toward the stunned Lao. To save his spirit, Liu intervened with his own! A fiery serpent emerged as he attacked Shang directly and burning the stab wound! But the sting hardly pained him as Shang clutched it as if konstricting his prey! Seeing this stunt, Kung Lao konjured more energy from Aiko's heart jewel, while it did the same with Nightwolf's.
Having a flashback of seeing Liu's body lifeless on the le tei of the Wu Shi arena, it fueled Kung Lao with a rage he never had! His heart began to palpitate, then race as he curled his arms while he screamed! Lao lunged toward Shang with blinding speed as he rapidly kicked as much as his burning legs kould! Lao kept on his pent-up, brutal assault, socking his assailant with every kick and punch! By the time Shang hunched over, Lao Teleported and made rapid chops on his neck!
The effects of both stab wounds finally took their desired effects, weakening the Unholy Alliance! Yet, a longsword was pierced around Quan's neck! His body fell and Nightwolf barely made out Kenshi! They both observed Lao's deep and terrible rage, much to the duo's astonishment!
Lao made a warcry, powering up his strength, before his body spun like a F3 twister, attempting to draw in the remaining sorcerer! Shang was desperate to replenish himself with souls as he noticed the tortured ghosts leave him! He stuck out an arm, drawing from the lively Nightwolf and Kenshi, and the swordsman tried his damndest to draw Shang klose enough to the vortex! Their krippled bodies were giving into Shang's mercy, until Liu's spirit nudged his assailant and himself toward the funnel! Shang was blinded by the violent current, and helpless against it! He wasn't being tossed around like a boat caught in a whirlpool. In fact, the gravity made him paralyzed, and his body open for assault! It was if his own souls were caught in the updraft mimicking a smaller Soulnado! Not much was seen from the outer layers except it spun faster, brighter and harder, until...
"HIT THE DIRT!" Fujin hollered over the kalamity! Everyone obeyed and hid their heads! Especially as Lao finally exploded Shang's doomed body! A deafening krash that kould've belonged to a detonator rang in the spectators' ears, even as they rose slowly. What's left was the dissipating, blinding light. In its place stood Kung Lao who kollapsed. Kenshi kaught him in his telekinetic field as he and Nightwolf walked toward their fallen friend. They soon picked him up arm in arm and greeted Lao a job well done.
The other Kombatants emerged, without the bloodthirsty Tarkatans, aside from Baraka. Everyone was just in stunned silence. "Is...is it over...?" Aiko spoke in disquietude.
Even Raiden was just as proud. "Yes. It truly is my warriors." They all quietly sighed with relief, even shown their reassurance.
"Well done...Champion." Lao startled, then Kenshi took out the dragon amulet, still intact. He and Lao kould've sworn Liu grinned in admiration. "It is done. You truly have proven yourself as my equal, Kung Lao. And I am eternally grateful for that."
"Ok, so, how do you expect to get our tired asses back home?" Jax intervened.
"Well, I sure as hell don't want to go thru that kreepy portal again...!" Sonya added, sharing her partner's irritation.
"Bon voyage, anyone?" Johnny pointed. Following his digit, they all beheld the opaque, massive, dragon-shaped rowboat!
The group went agog at the familiar sight! "Of course..." Fujin was the most coherent amongst the mixed tongues.
Moments later, everybody was aboard, and the two elemental Gods sent it airborne, courtesy of Raiden's muscle and Fujin's aerokinesis powering it up, with Kenshi piloting it toward the agents' own portal to Earthrealm by a gizmo opening the way! They figured it was best for the heroes to never go thru the same mishaps as before in the Celestial Portal.
Kung Lao rested within the dim lit cabin, as Aiko sat beside him; the candlelight was just enough shade for them to relax without any fluorescent interference. He put aside his razor-rimmed hat and the dragon amulet. And Liu promised not to disturb his slumber, as he may hang out with Kitana for a while. Lao just laid his head komfortably on a nearby pillow on top of a small desk. "Get some rest, Kung Lao..." Aiko chirped before she kissed him gently on the forehead.
"You've fought well, Champion." Liu reassured. "And you had surpassed the strength of our ancestor."
Still as Lao drifted off to sleep, he was uncertain if whether or not he would ever see his Shaolin brother again...
"Rage fueled Kung Lao's thirst for revenge. The memory of holding his fellow monk's broken body on the lei tai of the Wu Shi Academy grounds konsumed him as he rained blow after blow down upon Shang Tsung. Kung Lao had finally mastered the attack Bo' Rai Cho had taught him. The sorcerer kould not withstand his whirlwind assault. Shang Tsung begged for mercy. Kung Lao granted him none.
"Once again, the threat to Earthrealm has been vanquished. The Deadly Alliance is no more. What dangers lie in the future, I kan no longer foresee. Perhaps the Dragon King will in fact return. Perhaps the depths of the Netherrealm will spew forth a legion of Oni. Even the Vampire people pose a threat to peace now that Outworld is in khaos. But one thing is certain... Earthrealm must be protected.
"I have abandoned my status as an Elder God to aid these mortals...an act defiant of the Heavens. I will instead remain here on Earth...as God of Thunder."
A/N: Ok, yeah, technically Kung Lao did face the Deadly Alliance by himself in the reboot; however, I felt it was all meaningless after he was slain by Shao Kahn, twisting his neck behind hm! As said by Underdawg, Lao's comeuppance was demonstrated in Deadly Alliance, and goddammit he has earned it, especially as Liu's replacement as Champion! I don't think he'd be eternally kursed, as it wasn't necessarily revolved around an official Mortal Kombat tournament, plus there was no honor, then again when is one is...
Moreso, it's no wonder the Deadly Alliance won in the end, and at the start of Deception; because they obviously still had the Soulnado active, and they'd grown too powerful by absorbing so many souls! So, if those petty developers would've let the heroes shut down the source of energy, wouldn't the Kombatants stand a better chance!? This was definitely a middle finger, and although I know it's obvious, they played the asinine excuse that game victories aren't the same as plot victories, it just pisses me off every time! And y'know, it's always best to think outside the box, always!
Oh, and the idea I had of Aiko's heart jewel? I had this in my head for quite a while when I began roleplaying; before the massive fallout... I kinda figured if there's the krystallized evil heart from Tetsurri, then there should be an opposite with the positive effects. I mean, if the Fayelons kan channel their energy onto a single gem, so kan she! And the more energy she has, the more she can harness to make the gem grow and increase the impact! And the small line when the merged voices declared Shang won't murder them was actually from the rare trailer of the 95 MK film!
The Options and Extra Menu theme from Sonic Mega Collection would sound as the Kombatants prepare for their fateful battle; kourtesy of the Great Clement for highlighting this kalming tune in the finale of his Sonic retrospective. It Has Begun from the first MK movie would play as the Deadly Alliance prepares the Soulnado. Fire from The Land Before Time III would play as the heroes reach Shang Tsung's Palace and when the Deadly Alliance konjures it. Battling Doom, Pt. 2 from the 2005 Fantastic 4 OST would play as Hanzo konfronts Quan, when Raiden distracts Shan, and when Lao and Fujin shut down the Soulnado with Bo's sacrifice. The Mission Impossible remix by FC7 shall definitely play during the final battle! I always loved that song to death ever since I first heard it when I was around 10 years old, by hearing a party mix tape; it took me ages to find that song! The Final Fight from Star Trek: Generations may finish off the fierce war against the diabolical duo. Of course, Halycon On + On by Orbital, like the song in the og MK film, will play after the gruesome fight as Lao is kongratulated as the new promising Champion!
I am so ecstatic I was able to pull the finale off before Christmas! :D As promised, I shall finish it off! And also, Kung Lao's ending is definitely the best out of all of them!
