Chapter XVII

Punishment

The horizon became a pinkish hue as the sun rose, turning the ocean to a dark teal, like granite. It was so early the seabirds hadn't yet begun squawking. The air was cool and damp, but comfortable. Waves broke along the shore as the tide came in with a gentle, soothing rhythm. The sand was soft and powdery, looking almost like sugar.

Jade went to the beach outside the palace to practice katas with her staff, as she often did when she had trouble sleeping. Exercise helped clear her mind, but she paused to watch the coming sunrise. Memories of the old world had faded, but if there was one thing she wished to hold onto, it was how new the Edenian sunrise was to her.

There was beauty in Outworld, but even at its best, she found it paled in comparison to her home realm. She was getting accustomed to this new world, but the beauty of the sunrise still moved her to tears. She would let go of everything from her old life, but she didn't want to take the Edenian dawn for granted.

She only wished Kitana could be with her to enjoy it.

As the sky continued to brighten into early morning, she took her staff and returned to the palace. All was well, as it should be, despite tension with the Seidan Guard following the Princesses escape. Although King Jerrod was able to smooth things over with Lord Commander Hotaru, the Seidans had not taken kindly to the deaths of their comrades. Admittedly, she couldn't blame them.

If she were to guess, that was more likely Mileena than Kitana. Even in this new world, it was no secret the younger twin was the more impulsive and daring of the two. That made her fun to be around—for Jade now had fond memories of the two sisters and herself playing and laughing and enjoying their lives—but it also meant a quick temper and reckless attitude.

She didn't know what would satisfy the Seidans when they returned, but she hoped it wouldn't be too severe. How awful would it be for them to finally gain peace and happiness just for it to be thrown away in hasty suspicion?

Oh, Kitana, she thought as she entered the courtyard. Why couldn't you just let it go?

With each passing day, Jade lost more of their old life under Shao Kahn, and she was glad to be rid of it. Aside from the occasional sleepless night, she embraced this world she'd been granted and the memories that came with them. Not just her friendship with both Kitana and Mileena, but a mother and father she could at last know and love. A brother she never knew even existed. To be part of the Edenian nobility and hailed as one of the realm's most trusted generals.

And Kotal. She had her beloved Kotal back … alive and without Shang Tsung or Shao Kahn's interference in their lives. He was Kahn, as he should be, and leading Outworld in a golden age. She couldn't ask for better.

She didn't blame her friend for her distrust. She remembered enough of their old life to know Kitana had suffered too much betrayal to accept anything without suspecting an awful price. But why couldn't she stay put? Why rush out to stir trouble? What could be so terrible she risked becoming a fugitive to confront it?

Another earthquake hit. It came suddenly and was the worst one yet. The ground thrashed and jumped, causing her to nearly fall down. Marble statues in the garden toppled over and shattered. She heard the palace itself moan and shudder.

It eventually passed, leaving eerie silence in its wake. Jade thought the worst was over until she noticed the sky had darkened. Ominous clouds rolled in from the distance and settled over the land in shades of red and black like blood and ink mixed together. Thunder growled like a waking beast, and wind picked up from the sea.

All would've been unsettling enough, but what chilled her blood was how fast it happened. Within minutes, despite still being early morning, it appeared as if night had fallen on Edenia.

"What in Argus's name …?"

A bell rang somewhere in the town outside the palace. Then another one rang. And another. The ringing spread like a sickness, and soon a haunting cacophony echoed throughout the village. The bells could mean any number of things, but at that moment, their constant, almost frantic ringing made her think of a ticking clock—as if time had run out.

"You two," she said, approaching the nearest Edenian guards. "Has King Jerrod returned yet?"

"N-no, my lady," one answered. "I think he's still away with Lord Commander Hotaru."

"I figured," she said. "Find Queen Sindel. Something's wrong."

The two guards nodded and rushed into the palace as thunder continued to rumble over the constant ringing. Jade went to the front gate where a growing crowd had gathered and seemed to be trying to get in. In response, a line of guardsman formed to block the swarming people from entering.

"What's going on?"

"People are fleeing to the palace," said the Captain of the guards. "We don't know why yet, but more and more people are coming."

She hesitated, unsure of what to do. Though it seemed nonviolent for the moment, she sensed the fear and panic festering. If the people came looking for safety, her instinct was to let them in. But she didn't want to risk a mob forming. She couldn't guess what the people were afraid of but suspected it wouldn't take much for the situation to turn ugly.

"I … I just sent word to the Queen," she said. "She'll know what to do. I hope. In the meantime, try to keep everyone calm. See if you can find out what's wrong."

Now the palace bells joined the maelstrom. The desperate ringing did nothing to ease the people and began making her head throb. She almost wished she could order them to stop. What was happening, and where was Queen Sindel?

"We're under attack!"

The rider on horseback cut through the crowd and reached the palace gate. Jade rushed to him as he came to a stop and found frightened eyes and pale skin like a man who'd seen a ghost. "What do you mean?"

"We're under attack!" he repeated, out of breath. "I don't know where they came from … it's like they just appeared! They're sieging the city walls right now!"

The people in the crowd gasped and whimpered in fear. Soldiers looked to their Captains and each other, hoping for direction. Questions of who was attacking and why were answered only with confusion. The bells continued ringing, warning all who heard of the danger, while thunder above seemed to hint at worse to come.

Eventually, all eyes were on Jade. In turn, she ordered the Captain, "Let the people in."

"My lady?"

"Do it!" she said before turning to the other men. "To arms! Alert all soldiers! Prepare for battle!"

It was chaos at the palace gate. People filtered in—most grateful for the refuge, all in terror. Guards ran about alerting their fellow soldiers to spread word. Joining the bells, horns blared and gongs rang to signal the coming battle, though against who or what, no one know.

Jade backed against the palace wall and grasped her staff. She slowed her breathing but felt her heart pound. She had allowed the memories of her old life to fade, and remained a formidable fighter in this new one, but in a cruel turn, she needed the Outworld warrior of Shao Kahn now.

She looked up to the sky, which appeared even darker and more menacing. Thunder rumbled, and amidst the swirling black and red shapes, for the briefest of moments, she thought she saw a shape: a winged beast with angry eyes looking down on her.

"Lady Jade!" one of the guards shouted as he ran to her. "The Queen is gone!"

"What?!"

"We can't find her," he said. "We've searched the palace, and no one has seen her. Queen Sindel is missing!"

Fear grasped Jade's spine with icy fingers. For some reason, an image of the Sea of Blood popped into her mind. She looked toward the sinister sky again and felt in her gut something was terribly wrong.


As Sareena had before him, Scorpion navigated the pyramid corridors quickly but cautiously. He kept his sword in hand, ready for battle if it found him, and moved up and down the stone halls careful not to get lost. He didn't turn a corner or enter a passageway unless he felt certain he could find his way back if needed.

He managed to find stairs and went up a level or two, when the hieroglyphics lining the walls began to glow. They lit up like candles, first a dark orange that shifted to blood red, and soon everything shook like an earthquake. A hush came over the pyramid, and suddenly a wave of red light surged through the walls with a thunderous shriek.

Scorpion ducked and braced himself, thinking it was some kind of attack or trap. Once the pulse passed, however, the hieroglyphics faded and all was still again. The noise faded like a passing banshee. He looked around, perplexed as to what that was, and gripped his sword expecting some new danger to appear. But there was only silence.

He resumed his trek but couldn't shake the feeling of dread in his gut. Whatever that pulse was, he doubted it was some incidental feature of the pyramid. Something happened, and though he couldn't guess what, he was sure he'd encounter at least part of the result before finding the apex.

He reached a dead-end and then heard the rumbling of passageways. The path behind him blocked as the stone wall slid closed, sealing him in. He had a moment to wonder what he'd do next, when another passage opened to his right, revealing a shadowy chamber. A deathly draft brushed against him, and the sound of footsteps echoed in the darkness.

"Damn it," he grumbled.

Sword raised, he entered, ready for whatever new horror Onaga had in store for him. The chamber slowly lit with dim green light. One by one, torches lining the wall popped into flame. Looking around, he realized he'd seen structures like this before. It was the kind of temple one would find in the Netherealm. An ancient place where evil energies surged and dark beings would gather to worship and gather their strength.

A frigid cold filled the room, and he realized it had been a place like this he was first turned into a spectre. He knew what was waiting for him.

He appeared from the shadows ahead like they birthed him. His wore familiar black leather with razor spikes lining his shoulders. His pallid white face stuck out in the darkness, almost as if he was glowing. The sorcerer had his hands behind his back and a warm smile on his face. He looked upon Scorpion as if reuniting with an old friend.

"Ah," said Quan Chi. "We meet again."

The mere sight of him made Scorpion's blood boil. "Very well," he growled. "If the only way forward if cutting through you, then Onaga has paid me a kindness."

"Onaga, you say? Sounds familiar."

The sorcerer scratched his chin in curiosity and seemed to have no knowledge of the situation. Somehow that made Scorpion angrier. Had Onaga really brought Quan Chi back into existence just to torment him? For all his talk about creating a perfect world, he would allow the bastard to live again out of petty revenge?

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage, Scorpion. I have no memory of this place or how I came to be here."

"Don't concern yourself. I'll make this quick."

"Oh," he replied with a sigh. "We're still on this, are we? Honestly, it's beyond tiresome at this point."

"I agree," he said, striding toward him with murder on his mind. "Now I can finally be rid of you."

Quan Chi chuckled as he backed away. His eyes were cold and steady, which gave Scorpion pause. He could be bluffing, but usually when Quan Chi had that look in his eyes, it meant he had a trick up his sleeve.

"You know, Scorpion, we've been playing this game long enough. I certainly have tried to rid myself of you, but then it was your tenacity that appealed to me in the first place. Thus, I've decided to take a different approach. Rather than fight, I thought I'd give you what you've always wanted for a change."

He stepped aside, revealing someone kneeling on the floor behind him. It was a woman clad in what appeared to be a white kimono stained in blood and dirt. Her breathing was ragged and harsh like broken glass. Her head down, long black hair hung as if soaking wet. And in her hair, to Scorpion's horror, was a dying rose.

"… no …"

She looked up at him. Despite the hair hanging in front of her face, he saw her skin was white as a ghost. Her eyes were like milk, and dark make-up smeared down her cheeks from her eyes, as if she'd been crying. Her lips were purple, and her throat was marked with stitches across a thick scar.

She gazed upon Scorpion, and an ugly croak emerged from her. "Hanzo," she said with a raspy voice. "You shouldn't have left us."

"Harumi …" he said. "… no, no … not you …"

"You let us die, Hanzo," she said, standing. "Look what you let happen."

"What have you done?" he said to Quan Chi. "What did you do to her, you bastard?!"

"I've given you what you wanted, Hanzo," he replied. "I've revived your wife. Now the two of you can be spectres together." He grinned with malevolent glee in his eyes. "Romantic, is it not?"

Scorpion charged at him, roaring like a beast, but staggered back when Harumi slashed at him with a hiss. Four bleeding cuts marked his chest, and he saw she wore gloves with razor-sharp claws for fingers.

"Beware, Scorpion," Quan Chi said. "Your bride, like any rose, has thorns."


Kitana was half in a daze as her father pulled her to her feet and stuck her fans in her hands. She almost tripped over her own feet when he began leading her down the corridor, leaving the unconscious Hotaru behind.

"There's a portal open further down," Jerrod said. "It'll take you back home."

She slowed to a stop and stood blinking at him, unable to find the words. Yes, she saw him turn on Hotaru, but she'd been through too much already. Her mother, Liu, now her father … it was like whiplash. She stared at him and tried to muster some sense out of it, but it just left her feeling drained.

"I …" she stammered. "I don't … you can't …"

"I realize none of this has been easy for you, 'Tana, and I am sorry for that," he said. "But please believe me: I am on your side."

"You …" she said, still struggling. "But you … you can't just …"

"I've made my choice. Onaga may have brought me back, he may have given us our home again …" He sighed and hung his head. When he looked at her, she saw the regret and shame in his eyes. "But I saw the life in you die. I can't bear to see you like that. I choose you."

As if she awoke from a numbing drug, Kitana's senses slowly returned to her. It was true: her father was turning against the Dragon King. For her.

"F-father … what if …?"

"Listen to me," he said, taking her by the shoulders. "I want you to return to Edenia. You'll be safe there. I will deal with the Dragon King."

"No," she said, grabbing his arms. "No, you can't face him alone! You'll be …!"

A sad smile came to her father's face. It was a look that revealed he knew he likely would not survive. As tears came to her eyes, he held her and gently pressed his forehead against hers. "I wish we had more time, 'Tana," he whispered. "I would love to have known the real you."

"Father, please," she said. "Let me come with you. I could help …"

"You've fought enough." He caressed her hair and looked at her as if he was taking a picture with his mind. "Just know … whatever happens, however things turn out … I am proud of you. I know you served Shao Kahn. I know you think your past will always haunt you. But you are making things right. That is who you are. Not what Shao Kahn made you. For that, I will always be proud."

They embraced. She held him tight, as if she could keep him from leaving her. This was how she wanted to remember her father. This was the father she always wanted—not some false dream or idealized myth, but a man, flaws and all, who knew her for who she really was and loved her and understood her.

That was worth more to her than anything Onaga could offer.

As they hugged, the hieroglyphics lining the walls began to glow. As it had been with Scorpion elsewhere in the pyramid, they turned a hellish shade of orange before a red pulse surged through the stone hall with the screech of an inhuman beast.

When it passed and the light in the runes faded, Kitana and her father were left standing in the dim corridor with nothing but an expectant hush and unsettling chill in the air. Jerrod looked around, perplexed and concerned, but an awful feeling formed in her gut.

"That was strange," he said. "Listen, Kitana, I must—"

He convulsed, and his grip on her turned painfully tight. His eyes widened as the color left his flesh, and a sick gurgling could be heard coming from his stomach. Kitana held her father and looked into his eyes, already knowing what was coming.

No, she thought as blood leaked from his mouth. No, no, no, noplease, it's not fair!

Jerrod's body arched, and his head snapped back as a strange white material erupted from his mouth with a spray of blood. It wrapped around his face and spread all over his body, holding his arms out in an almost crucifix pose.

Kitana held onto her father as blood seeped from his armor. The white material hadn't just burst through his mouth but out his chest and was engulfing his body. It tightened like a coiled snake, and she could only watch in horror as her father was crushed and broken before her eyes.

The material retracted, dropping Jerrod's lifeless body to the floor, and it was then she saw what it was: hair. White hair. It snapped back like the crack of a whip and settled on the purple clad woman further down the hall.

Sindel greeted her daughter with a cruel grin, revealing it was not the loving mother she'd left in Edenia or even the haunted woman she saved from Shao Kahn in another timeline. It was the Sindel she last saw on the Sea of Blood, and she had come back to finish what she started.

"There you are. My Kitana … I missed you …"


Mileena didn't know what to make of the strange pulse any more than her companions. As it had through the rest of the pyramid, it bathed the recreation of Shang Tsung's Flesh Pit with red light in a brief flash before leaving uneasy silence in its wake.

Putting her mask back on and retrieving her sai, she chose not to dwell on it. She took one last look at the malformed clone she'd killed and felt a newfound desire to peel the skin off Onaga for making her confront such a thing. She'd accepted the Dragon King as the enemy who needed to be killed, but now she truly wanted him dead.

As she searched for the way out, she heard a noise from around the corner. On reflex, she drew her sai and expected another clone waiting for her. She thought to ignore it, but finding there were no other exits, she was left with no choice by to head in the direction of the noise she heard.

Her heart pounded as she turned the corner, not sure what to expect. She found another series of tubes filled with a translucent green fluid and more incomplete clones strewn about. Dead like the others, but at least these didn't seem to have been murdered by a demented sister.

Up ahead, a tall figure entered the Flesh Pit that made her stomach drop. He was a massive, hulking man wearing minimal armor to showcase his physique. His face was obscured by a skull-shaped helmet with blades attached to the front, almost like a crown, but there was no doubt who's burning eyes those were.

"Father?"

A strange mix of confusion, relief and fear clashed in Mileena's heart as she rushed to Shao Kahn. She couldn't guess how or why he'd been brought back, but at the moment, she didn't care. If her father was alive again, all would be well. He would take care of the Dragon King and set things right.

"Father!" she called. "I-I can't believe it!"

He turned his gaze to her, which made her slow to a stop and stand at attention. "Ah, daughter," he said. "You're here, too."

"How …?" she stammered. "How did you get here? I thought … I thought you were …?"

"I'm wondering that myself," he said, looking around. "This would certainly appear to be the Flesh Pit, yet it's unfamiliar."

"It's the Dragon King. Onaga. He's the one doing this. We have to … to …" She trailed off upon seeing the woman appear from behind her father. Long black hair and ivory skin, clad in familiar bluish-purple ninja attire. She'd know that face anywhere. "Kitana?"

Kitana stood up straight with a proud smile when Kahn took her by the chin, as if inspecting her. "Shang Tsung has outdone himself this time," he said. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Just as I always wanted."

"Kitana," Mileena said, feeling uneasy. "What … what are you doing here? Father … wh-why is she …?"

She looked at her with raised her eyebrows. "Kitana?" she repeated. "Yes, Kitana. Shall that be my name, Father?"

"No. That name is tainted to me now." He caressed her hair with a longing look in his eyes. "Perhaps you should be Mileena?"

Mileena's stomach dropped. This couldn't be, she told herself. She was the daughter he always wanted. She was the most loyal. Even if he created another clone—one that looked exactly like Kitana no less—he wouldn't just cast her aside, would he?

"N-no!" she shouted. "I'm Mileena! Mileena is my name!"

They looked at her. Their father seemed ambivalent, but the clone frowned in disdain. "Oh, yes," Kahn said with a sigh. "What am I to do with you? Which one shall be Mileena from now on?"

"Let us decide, Father," said the clone. "Let my sister and I see who is most worthy to be your true daughter."

"Excellent idea! Let's see who the real Mileena should be!"

"No! I'm the real Mileena!"

"And this will be your chance to prove it, won't it?"

The clone drew two curved daggers from her belt and began approaching. Her yellow eyes burned, and she grinned, revealing fangs. Mileena backed away, her knees weak and hands shaking. She looked to her father, desperately hoping he would intervene or do something.

But he only said one more word:

"FIGHT!"


Sareena kept her eyes shut as the world around her was engulfed in light. The Kamidogu flared with a terrifying roar, and she braced herself. For what, she wasn't sure. Her first thought was she might disintegrate into dust. Or maybe be burned alive.

When silence returned, she opened her eyes not knowing what to expect. To her surprise, she was still on the apex of Onaga's pyramid. The Dragon King loomed over her, his face stern and cold. The only sound was the droning wind of the Nexus. He had activated the Kamidogu, but nothing had changed that she could see.

"What," she said. "What did you do?"

"I SEE NOW THE REALMS ARE NOT READY FOR MY PERFECT WORLD," he replied. "IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE MY BENEVOLENCE, THEY MUST SEE HOW BAD THINGS CAN BE."

A chill went through her blood—made worse by how familiar his words struck her. A memory of Shinnok flashed into her mind. I've allowed you to exist, he once said. Are you not grateful?

"Onaga," she said, her skin crawling. "What have you done?"

He snarled as Havik leapt onto his back, digging into his neck with the naginata blades. They still couldn't pierce his hide, but the Cleric desperately ground the weapons into his scales as hard as he could.

Sareena pounced onto the Dragon King and clawed at his face, hoping to damage his eyes. She knew her efforts were fruitless but didn't know what else to do. Ermac's body lay on the other side of the apex in a pool of blood. If he was somehow still alive, he was no help to them now. She could try grabbing the Amulet, but even if it didn't kill her, she didn't know what state the realms would be left in.

Onaga roared. He gripped her by the neck and slammed her into the floor with enough power to crack the stone. The wind was knocked out of her in an instant, and her vision turned into a dizzying spiral of colors. She almost didn't feel the follow-up kick that sent her tumbling across the floor like a ragdoll.

She tried to stand, more on instinct than conscious effort, and collapsed back down. Her vision cleared just enough to see Onaga snatch Havik off his back and slam him into the floor twice.

His eyes burning, he then picked the Cleric up by the waist and barked, "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!"

Havik had time to groan, "Aw, this is gonna suck …" before he was ripped in half with a sickening crunch. His insides sprayed onto the floor at Onaga's feet, and his legs were thrown in one direction while his torso in the opposite.

Too dazed to scream, Sareena could only watch in horror. Her eyes met Havik's, and he seemed more bemused than anything else. A final spray of blood vomited from his mouth, and the Cleric of Chaos went silent and still.

She looked up at the Dragon King, and he seemed even taller. Paralyzing fear came to her as he strode toward her and an awful realization hit: she was alone. Ermac and Havik were dead, and her remaining allies were trapped in the pyramid. Somehow, in a foul turn, the fate of the realms was left to her.

"YOU DISGUSTING WRETCHES!" Onaga shouted. "ALL OF YOU: INGRATES! UNWORTHY! NONE OF YOU DESERVE MY GENEROSITY! NONE OF YOU DESERVE MY MERCY! NOW YOU WILL LEARN! ALL OF YOU! I'VE UNLEASHED EVERY HORROR, EVERY FEAR YOU HAVE! NONE WILL BE SPARED!"

"Wait," she said. "You don't mean …?"

"OH, YES! NOT JUST YOU INFIDELS THAT CAME HERE! ALL WILL KNOW MY WRATH! I'VE BROUGHT THEM ALL BACK! THE TARKATANS! THE BLACK DRAGON! THE RED DRAGON! THE TEKUNIN! QUAN CHI! EVEN SHAO KAHN! I WILL LET THEM ROAM FREE AND PILLAGE THE REALMS!"

"No! No, you can't do that!"

"IT'S ALREADY DONE! SHAO KAHN'S EXTERMINATION SQUADS INVADE THE EARTH AS WE SPEAK! YOUR PRECIOUS SUB-ZERO HAS A LEGION OF CYBORGS BEARING DOWN ON HIM NOW! MY UNDEFEATABLE ARMY MARCHES ON EDENIA, AND THEY WILL BURN IT TO THE GROUND!"

"But they didn't do anything!" she shrieked. "They did nothing wrong!"

"NOW THEY WILL LEARN," he hissed. "WHEN THE FORCES OF EVIL HAVE HAD THEIR WAY, ONLY THEN WILL I INTERVENE! ONLY THEN WILL I STEP IN AS THEIR SAVIOR, AND PERHAPS THEN YOU PEOPLE WILL FINALLY SEE WHAT I OFFER! MAYBE THEN WILL YOU APPRECIATE MY BENEVOLENCE!"

Sareena stared at him, stunned and at last understanding the depth of his depravity. He would plunge all the realms into darkness because he wasn't sufficiently worshipped. For all his talk of peace and perfect worlds—for all his speeches about apathetic gods and cruel Titans—he truly was no different than Shinnok or Kronika.

"You're insane!" she shouted, getting to her feet. "There are innocent people out there! I won't let you—"

He slapped her aside with a disdainful sneer. "I WILL NOT BE LECTURED ABOUT MORALITY BY A DEMON OF ALL THINGS," he said. "YOU'VE BEEN A THORN IN MY SIDE LONG ENOUGH, SAREENA OF THE NETHEREALM. HAD I KNOWN WHAT TROUBLE YOU WOULD BE, I WOULD'VE SENT MORE THAN JUST ASHRAH TO DEAL WITH YOU."

She spit blood from her mouth and backed away as Onaga strode toward her. She tried to think. She wanted to fight. She wanted to save everyone, but she was no match for the Dragon King.

"NOW TO END TH—"

He grunted and stumbled when a fireball struck the back of his head. He turned, and Sareena looked to the other side of the apex where she saw a spiral of green light. The souls that comprised Ermac left his body and gathered around a figure she couldn't make out.

"Dragon King!" a voice bellowed. "You face me now!"

The light faded as the souls were absorbed, revealing who had come. Sareena couldn't believe her eyes. There … on Onaga's pyramid at the center of existence … at long last, Shang Tsung stood as a defender of the realms.

End of Chapter VXII