Chapter V

Awake

This is a terrible idea.

Kitana stood before the entrance to Mileena's chamber. Behind her, the two Seidan Guards were unconscious on the floor. She did ask to speak with her sister, but the guards insisted there were to be no visitors. The fight was brief.

After the episode with her mother, she had spent the next hour wandering the palace. She didn't even bother attending dinner with her parents. She roamed the halls, her skin crawling at the sight of every Seidan she passed, certain some terrible secret lurked just around the corner or expecting another earthquake to split the land open.

Her heart leapt into her throat at the sight of Shao Kahn in the shadows, only to realize it was merely another statue of some ancient Edenian warrior or King. She heard the ocean outside, and it only made her think of the Sea of Blood. Nothing felt real, and with every step, she expected to wake up and find herself reaching for Liu Kang's hand again.

This couldn't go on. She needed to do something but didn't know where to turn. She didn't even know how to explain the awful dread that haunted her. Her father would try to placate her. She didn't trust her mother. She barely saw Jade anymore, and when she did, Jade seemed content and reassuring. Liu was on Earthrealm.

That left only one person.

She took a breath and worked up the nerve to enter. Had it really come to this? In her desperation, she was going to Mileena of all people? Maybe this was a dream or an illusion, or maybe she truly had gone mad, but to her Mileena was still her psychotic clone first and foremost. They spent centuries …

(… or had she only been created during the Outworld tournament? Oddly, Kitana seemed to remember it both ways …)

… as mortal enemies with Mileena obsessed with killing her.

But she needed answers and felt in her heart her sister was the key. She remembered the haunted look in her eyes the night of the ball. She thought of Mileena drifting away at times with a lost expression. It had to mean something. Somehow, if there was something to discover, it had to start with her—just like when she first learned the truth about Shao Kahn.

Or I truly have lost my mind. Either way

"Mileena?" she asked, knocking. "It's me: Kitana. I'm coming in."

She opened the door and crept in, as one would if someone was sleeping. The chamber was similar to her own, though arranged differently. The balcony overlooked the sea, and a fat yellow moon was visible just over the horizon. The night sky turned to a deep shade of violet and filled the room with a purple glow.

The bed was empty, and fresh incense burned on the nightstand, but Mileena was nowhere to be seen. Looking around, Kitana found by the mirror drawings of varying quality—some cartoonish and child-like, others detailed and realistic. Flipping through them, she was surprised to discover her sister was quite the artist.

"Mileena? Are you here? I need to—"

A shape lunged from the shadows and tackled her. They rolled along the floor, struggling for a dominant position, but Kitana was caught off guard. She wound up on her back with her attacker sitting atop her.

Mileena's eyes burned and looked almost yellow in the evening light. "Oh," she said, blinking. "Hello, sister. You startled me."

She stood and helped her to her feet. She then smiled and sat on the bed, twirling a sai between her fingers. Kitana stared at her, feeling as tense as she did around her mother. For a moment there, she saw Mileena as she knew her best. And just as quickly as it came, she was the benign sister again.

"Were you expecting an attack?"

"Hm?" Mileena replied. "Who would attack me?"

"You're armed."

She looked at the sai, like she only just realized it was in her hand, and dropped it. "I wasn't," she said, turning pale. "I didn't even realize I had it! Gods, I could've hurt you!"

She looked genuinely upset and confused, and it only increased the dread in Kitana's gut. Was this just an act? If not, what then? Was this even really Mileena?

Or are we both mad?

"I'm really sorry," Mileena added. "I don't know what's been wrong with me lately. I feel so … so … I don't know."

"Mileena," she said. "Are you … have you been …" She trailed off, uncertain what to say. "I don't really know where to start."

"Start what?"

She took a breath and tried to organize her thoughts. "Have you … been having strange dreams recently?"

Mileena looked at her cock-eyed and with a wry smirk. "I guess," she said, shrugging. "But I've always had bizarre dreams." She scratched at her jaw. "You're still troubled by your coma, huh? Your memories aren't back yet?"

"Something like that. I guess I'm just hoping if I talk to you … it'll make sense."

"I wish I could help," she said with a sympathetic smile. "But I don't know what to tell you. Like I said, I've been out of sorts myself lately."

Kitana sighed and looked through the drawings by the mirror. The first few were sketches of their parents and Edenian landscapes. Next were pictures of black towers against orange and purple skies. Hooded figures hovering before a circular void and people fighting on a bridge overlooking a pit of spikes.

Finally, a doodle of Mileena hugging a grinning man with sharp teeth and blades coming from his arms.

"Mileena, does the name Baraka mean anything to you?"

"Yeah. He was my dog."

"What?"

"Remember? He was that stray that wandered into the garden when we were kids. Everyone was afraid of him, but he liked me. I named him Baraka." Her smile was soft and warm, but there was sadness in it. It melted into a bitter frown as she continued, "Father made me give him up when he bit you. He said they'd give him away to someone who'd take care of him, but I know the truth. They put him down."

She looked at her, and for a moment, Kitana saw the true Mileena again.

"Now that you mention it," she said. "I did actually have a dream about you last night."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. We were fighting. I don't know what it was about but … I was so angry with you. I just … I just wanted to …"

Her breathing deepened, as if simply thinking of it angered her. Her lip trembled, and her eyes burned. She looked like there was something on the tip of her tongue. Some wronged fury she wanted to scream out but couldn't speak it.

It passed. Blinking and shaking her head, she continued, "I-I don't remember. But I did want to talk to you about it. And that's when I got caught by those damn Seidans over curfew. Can you believe that? A curfew?!"

"Mileena," she said, her voice dry and reluctant. "Do you know who Shao Kahn is?"

Her face went blank. As if her mind left her body, leaving her with nothing but an empty stare. She came back with a shiver. "I … no. No, I don't think so." She rubbed her jaw like it ached. "Kitana, what's this about? I don't see how this is helping."

A chill went through Kitana's blood. Watching and listening to her, she felt certain. The real Mileena was there, but this was no act. She almost seemed entranced, but at times on the verge of waking—torn between whatever this was and the real her.

She put the drawings aside and braced herself. If she was right, and her sister needed to be woken up, then she knew what had to be done. "Which of us do our parents love more?"

Mileena hesitated, looking dumbstruck. "What? Are you serious?"

"Which one of us does our father love more?"

"How can you ask me that? Father loves us both!"

Kitana stepped toward her. She hated this but wouldn't waver. "We both know that's not true. We both know I was the one he preferred. I was his prize. I was his best."

Mileena stood up, looking wounded. But a flicker of anger kindled in her eyes. "No, you weren't."

"You are not my sister. You were born of Shang Tsung's sorcery."

"Stop it …"

"You are evil and have no place in this world!"

"Shut your mouth."

"You were never worthy of being Shao Kahn's daughter."

Mileena roared and tackled her. She wrapped her hands around Kitana's throat and squeezed while screaming, "You're nothing! I'm the daughter he always wanted! I'm the only one worthy of his name! I am perfection!"

They wrestled around the floor before Kitana managed to shove her off. They stared at one another, breathing heavy, and slow realization came to Mileena. She blinked and looked around, as if she had woken up from a long and deep sleep.

"There you are," Kitana said. "Welcome back, sister."


Time was a blur to Shang Tsung.

He awoke in brief, hazy patches long enough only to get a sense of his surroundings before blacking out again. He was being moved, but judging from the caves, anonymous forests, and abandoned huts, also kept hidden. His dreams were haunted by fragmented images of Raiden, Liu Kang, the Great Kung Lao and Shao Kahn—all taunting him and reminding him of his unworthiness.

He was still in his decrepit aged form. His arm remained broken, and he likely suffered other internal injuries from Sektor's self-destruct. In his long life, he couldn't recall ever being so weak. He truly felt as old and frail as he looked, and it sickened him.

Ermac was always near. He sensed the collective being—the many souls that formed him—and like a man dying of thirst who sees someone drinking, he craved.

Another was often with the ninja. A hooded figure Tsung couldn't get a good look at. They spoke only in whispers, leaving him ignorant of their plans, but he cared little. Though he loathed to be at the mercy of others, for now they kept him alive. When the time was right, he would take their souls. All of them—all of Ermac …

He regained consciousness again to the sound of muffled growling. Through his blurred vision, he saw they were hidden in another cave. The nearby campfire was a blinding glare, rendering it impossible to make out the shapes around him, but he guessed Ermac was speaking with his hooded companion again.

There was a third shape this time. Something large and wriggling in between them.

"This is unwise," Ermac said. "He's too dangerous."

"Perhaps," said the hooded one with a strange, raspy voice. "But we've reached the portal. We leave tomorrow, and we may need him to fight."

Ermac sighed and approached Tsung. He lifted his hand, which glowed an eerie shade of green, and behind him, the third figure levitated closer. It dropped in front of him, and Tsung saw it was a Zaterran. Neither Reptile, nor Khameleon, but a healthy, muscular youth who struggled and growled against Ermac's telekinetic bind.

"Take him, sorcerer," Ermac said, not without disgust. "Recover your strength."

He stared at the red ninja, thinking this might be a trick. He then looked at the reptilian creature and sensed his soul. It wouldn't restore him completely, but it would undo much of the damage caused by Sektor.

He weakly reached out with his good hand and green flames slithered into the Zaterran's chest. Still weak, it took more effort than normal. But slowly, the reptile's soul drained from his body, and Shang Tsung felt life return to him. He remained in his elderly form, and his arm still hurt, but he was no longer near death.

With a wave of his hand, Ermac threw what was left of the Zaterran into the darkness of the cave. Tsung sat up and rubbed his arm, but watched the ninja from the corner of his eye. Though he knew it would be folly, the temptation to strike was there. How many souls had Shao Kahn used creating him? Dozens? Hundreds?

Unfortunately, though Ermac was no mind-reader, he anticipated his intentions. In a flash, Tsung was rendered immobile as a green glow engulfed his body.

"You truly can't help yourself, can you?"

"You wound me, Ermac. You think I should be so foolish? I wouldn't dare."

"Yet," he said. "You still live by our good grace, sorcerer. Don't think you're indispensable." With another wave of his hands, like a conductor over his orchestra, Ermac held him in place and bound him in chains. With that done, he muttered, "Such a waste," and hovered to the entrance of the cave to stand guard.

Tsung chose to ignore that final comment and writhed and chafed. His arm, though mended, wasn't fully healed, causing constant pain to throb against his binds. "So, what's the meaning of this?" he asked. "Where are you taking me?"

"Earthrealm, Shang Tsung," said the hooded man, coming forward. "We intend to cross the portal come sunrise."

He removed the hood, revealing a ghoulish face with blank white eyes. The flesh below his nose and entire jaw was gone—as if torn off—revealing bare bone and teeth. He regarded Tsung with a friendly nod, his ruined face locked in what appeared to be a demented grin.

"I am Havik. Perhaps you heard of me?"

"Lunatic of the Chaos Realm," he replied. "Obsessed with creating disorder wherever he goes. Shao Kahn tolerated you because your machinations benefited him."

"You flatter me."

"No, actually I don't," he said. "I also could've sworn you were dead."

"Conceivable. Perhaps I was. Or am. Who can say anymore, in this topsy-turvy world we live in?" He laughed—an ugly sound that made Tsung imagine cockroaches crawling in the dark. "But then, I could say the same of you, Shang Tsung."

"Touché, Cleric. But shall we forego the pleasantries and get to the point?"

Havik chuckled again and glanced at Ermac, who remained impassive at his post. He jabbed at the crackling fire with a stick and spread the flames on the burning logs. His sunken eyes, though blank and bloodshot, were feverish and deep in thought.

"I suppose you haven't given much thought as to how you're still alive?" he asked. "Or why Reptile attacked you … with Sektor, no less."

"Not as yet. I assume it relates to Liu Kang manipulating Kronika's Hourglass."

"Ah. So, you believe we are merely in a new timeline?"

"What other explanation is there? Liu Kang bested me and took control of the Hourglass. He's clearly created a timeline where Shao Kahn and Quan Chi and the like don't exist." He scoffed and spat on the ground. "A practical utopia."

"Then explain how you're here," Ermac said. "Explain how we still exist. Or how Reptile and his people knew to hunt you down."

"This is not Liu Kang's work," said Havik. He then snatched an insect from the ground and popped it in his mouth with a crunch. "What we are seeing is more ambitious than tinkering with time. Reality itself has been rewritten."

Tsung stared at him, expressionless. "Bold theory," he said. "But pardon me if I'm hesitant to take the word of a madman missing half his face and whatever the hell Ermac considers himself."

"Do not speak of us as if you are any better, sorcerer," Ermac barked. "What are you but a walking prison of souls with not one to call his own?"

"Gentlemen, please," Havik said. "Lord Tsung, you've been near death for the past few days. I can't expect you to fully grasp the extent at which the realms and everyone in them have been altered. But I assure you, sir, though this may seem a glorious paradise free of evil, the cracks are already showing. Some have fallen through those cracks, and our enemy sees us as a threat. Reptile was merely the beginning. That Zaterran you fed on … he was tracking us for days."

"There will be more," Ermac added. "Our enemy has other allies, and they're moving fast."

He looked from Havik to Ermac and Havik again. It certainly sounded mad, but Reptile did mention serving a new master. "Suppose I believe you. How is this even possible? What could override Kronika's Hourglass?"

"That's what we hope to find out in Earthrealm," Havik replied. "I have suspicions, but I don't know for certain." He sighed and sat back with his hands behind his head. "Alas, for the time being, we must tolerate one another … we poor few who have no place in the new world."

Tsung frowned, his thoughts conflicted. On the one hand, a part of him saw opportunity. If he played along, perhaps he could find a chance to take control of whatever power caused this. On the other, he wondered if this might be a battle to avoid. Playing arrogant Titans and manipulating time was one thing. He had no idea what he was dealing with here.

"Have you any idea who is responsible for this?" he asked. "Who could wield this power, whatever it is?"

"That, I do know. Tell me, Shang Tsung … have you ever heard of the Dragon King?"


"None of this makes sense."

Mileena stared at her reflection in the mirror, stretching her jaw and checking her teeth, as if convinced something would happen or appear. Kitana stood at the other end of the room by the balcony and rubbed her neck.

"Do you remember anything?" she asked.

"It's coming back," Mileena said. "But it's … it's jumbled. It's like … it is like a dream. In a dream, you don't question where you are or where you've been. In the moment, everything makes sense. But the more I think about it …" She cringed like her head hurt. "My real memories are coming back, but it's … how did this happen? Where are we really?"

"I'm not sure," she said. "To tell the truth, I wasn't even certain if any of this was real."

Mileena looked around, taking in her surroundings, and no doubt asked herself the same questions that had been plaguing Kitana since she awoke. "You said something about a Titan that could alter time. Could that be it?"

"Maybe. But that doesn't explain how I remember the old timeline. You wouldn't either."

She turned to the mirror again, and her own reflection seemed to make her uncomfortable. "I probably shouldn't even exist."

"What's the last thing you do remember?"

She was quiet a moment. "Dying," she said. "D'Vorah killed me." She shivered, as if she felt something crawling on her. "You were dead, too. A revenant of the Netherealm last I heard."

"I know. I was told. But I'm not that Kitana. Kronika manipulated time so I could fight in … well, my future—your present."

"So which Kitana are you? When are you from?"

She was about to speak, when another tremor rumbled through the land. It was slight and quick, only rocking the palace slightly, but she was struck then by an image in her mind. She remembered killing Mileena during the Outworld tournament. But she also remembered only just meeting her for the first time then.

"Mileena … how old are you?"

She almost answered right away, as if it was obvious, but hesitated. That distant, haunted look returned to her eyes, and Kitana knew she was thinking the same thing. They remembered the events of their lives in different ways.

"No," Mileena said, shaking her head. "No, I remember … years … we served our father for centuries. And you … during the Outworld tournament … you …" She stared at Kitana with a look of confusion and horror. "You couldn't have, because then I … I wouldn't have become Kahnum …"

"I didn't kill you before Kronika pulled me into the future. But … I remember …"

"None of this makes sense!" Mileena shouted, punching in her mirror. "Time travel and dreams and … and … who did this to us?! Why?!"

"I don't know. Until now, I thought I was just going insane."

"Maybe we both are." She picked her pair of sai and started pacing around the chamber like a caged animal. "What happens now?"

"I have no idea," she said. "Assuming we're not both trapped in an illusion, there must be somewhere or someone that can give us answers."

Suddenly, there was knocking at the door. From the other side, a voice yelled, "Princess Mileena! This is Hotaru, Lord Commander of the Seidan Guard! Open this door immediately!"

Mileena sneered, and Kitana remembered she left the two guards unconscious outside. She had hoped they just begun their shift and would be left alone for most of the night, but it seemed someone noticed.

"We need to get out of here."

"Fine," said Mileena, twirling her sai and striding to the door. "The mood I'm in, I could use some venting."

"Wait!" she said, blocking her path. "We shouldn't kill anyone."

Again, Mileena's face went blank. Though this time it wasn't the haunted, empty look of realizing her memories were false. It was the stupefied expression of someone who'd just heard something profoundly stupid.

"Are you taking the piss?"

"We shouldn't engage. Not until we know what we're dealing with."

More pounding on the door, and it was clear Hotaru wasn't alone. Mileena's face darkened, and she seemed eager to let them in.

"Mileena, listen to me for once! Look around—we're dealing with something that's rearranged reality itself and altered our memories! Our only hope of getting through this is if we move as quietly as possible!"

The noise at the door upgraded to slams. The Seidans were willing to break it down. "Open this door!"

"I think it's a little late for 'quiet' now," Mileena said.

"No, it isn't. As far as anyone knows, we're just being disobedient. But if we start killing everyone in sight, we might draw the attention of whoever or whatever is behind this."

She scowled in response, unmoved.

"This thing brought you back to life, Mileena! Who's to say it can't make you disappear with a snap of its finger? We need to be smart! Now is not the time for fighting!"

She cringed and ground her teeth, but Kitana saw her words were getting through. "Fine," she said. "We'll do it your way. For now."

End of Chapter V