Raiden smiled back at his fellow god like a one would smile at a sibling they had not seen in a long time, "That's right, Fujin."

"You…you're back," is all that Fujin could think to say. He was so overwhelmed by seeing the thunder god back to his regular self. He thought that he may've been gone for good.

Raiden approached Fujin with open arms, "I know you've had quite the burden to carry, Fujin. Allow me to lift it off of you."

Fujin didn't answer the way Raiden expected, "I can't let you be this realm's sole guardian, Raiden. I now know how much you've had to deal with. How did you do it all those years alone?"

"You answered your own question," Raiden told him with the slightest hint of regret in his voice, "My role as Earthrealm's guardian has many tolls. It's a major responsibility, one that almost slipped out of my hands. I don't want anybody else to go through the same thing I have."

Fujin refused to step down from his role in spite of the thunder god's warnings, "I know what it can cost, but I won't just let everything go back to the way it was before. I might be more inexperienced than you still even you must admit I did a rather well in your absence."

Raiden agreed with his compatriot, "There is no doubt about that, you did better than I thought. There's something you don't understand, though…something bigger than Onaga is coming. Something you aren't prepared for. Not even I could have anticipated it."

The wind god questioned what he was unprepared for, "What could that be? Is it the imbalances? I'm well aware of those, the Elder Gods told me."

"The imbalances are only the catalyst," Raiden cautioned, "what you don't know is that Delia's predictions so many years ago are coming to fruition. Armageddon is coming."

Fujin paused for a moment. He turned back to his fellow god, "What did you just say…?"

Raiden continued the warnings, "All of the work I did 20 years ago was entirely pointless is what I'm saying! All those sacrifices were for nothing!"

The wind god didn't know how to take this. Was Raiden truly right? Could it be that the prophecies were true? Or was this just the babbling of a madman? Perhaps Raiden did not come back in the way that was intended. "Are you okay," Fujin asked him, "you seem to be talking nonsense. Perhaps you're disoriented from the regeneration process."

Raiden grabbed his friend's shoulders. It was the most desperate that Fujin had ever seen him, "Fujin please! You've got to listen to me!" Suddenly the entire Sky Temple was rattled by the Jinsei, which was stirring around violently.

"The incursions have already begun," Raiden said under his breath, "it might be too late to even stop it."

The Sky Temple's shaking was so powerful the ceiling began to collapse. Raiden only narrowly avoided becoming crushed beneath a chunk of it by diving out of the way. Fujin stroked his chin curiously, "There must be some way to fix this. Perhaps if new artifacts were forged, then maybe the realms would be balanced again."

"A wise idea," Raiden concurred, "we'll have to see the Elder Gods about it."

Fujin sighed deeply, "I doubt they'd help us like that. We'll have to find a way to do it without them. We don't know anybody that could possibly construct something like that."

"I think I do," Raiden began, "the fallen Elder God Shinnok. He created the amulet…perhaps he can create something like the Kamidogu. I was the one who put him in a catatonic state, I'm sure I could take him out of it long enough to help us."

"Just why would he help us," Fujin asked curiously. He had a point, why would Shinnok help the ones who imprisoned him? The only way he might say yes is if he was promised freedom but to give him freedom would surely cause more problems than it would solve.

Raiden hadn't considered that, "Bringing Shinnok back isn't the way to do it, no. If worse comes to worse, I'm sure we could stop him again. It's a last resort, though. There must be another way."

The only problem is that they had no idea where to start when it came to making something like the Kamidogu. They had best learn quick as the imbalances would only grow worse as time went on.

Back in Outworld, Kotal Kahn arrived in Li Mei's village. It was a sleepy little town down by the shore, not much to describe. Their accommodations were small straw and stone built huts and wooden cabins. It was certainly a step down from the Outworld fortress, but it was something Kotal could live with.

He walked into the village, seeing the peaceful civilians packing into their homes for the night. It was in the center of the small town that he saw Li Mei waiting for him. She waved, "Welcome to your temporary home, Kotal."

"It's not what I'm used to," Kotal admitted, "but it's all I've got. I must thank you for letting me stay here for the next couple nights. It's very kind of you."

She waved her hand in a dismissive fashion, "Considering what you did for my village, it's only fair. I still owe you far more for what you did."

Kotal brushed it off as nothing, "Oh please, I am your leader. It's my job to make sure you're all happy. I don't ask for anything in return."

She smiled at that, "Outworld really did need a ruler like you, Kotal." She then motioned to a nearby cottage, "This is where you'll be staying. It's not much, but it's the best we've got."

Kotal didn't seem to mind anyway, "It suits me just fine. After all that has gone on in this week, I could use a good rest."

She started walking away at that, "If you need anything, feel free to ask."

Kotal advanced towards the cabin's entrance and opened the door. He walked inside, lying down on the bed. He thought to himself, "I could get used to this. This…this is nice." He yawned and stretched, quickly falling asleep.

Much like Shao Kahn's, Kotal's rest would not be a peaceful one. In his dream, he was in an empty white void. He cautiously walked around the vast emptiness, thinking he was entirely alone. He was wrong, as in the distance he saw a dark figure standing before him. He squinted, trying to make out what it was.

To his surprise, he saw the shape of the Dragon King. The shadowy apparition came closer. Its voice but a whisper when it beckoned to him, "Come to me."

Kotal rubbed his eyes for a second and when he could see again he saw not the shape of Onaga, but the form of Shao Kahn. Again the figure beckoned, "Come closer."

He refused to. The shadowy figure instead chose to come to him, this time taking the form of Shang Tsung. It called out to him for a third time with an offer, "I can give you anything you could possibly want."

Kotal hesitated, backing away slowly. The figure then started to chase after him, choosing to take the form of Shinnok. At this point, Kotal was running. He had no idea what this thing was, he had no idea where he was, and he was even a little frightened. He stopped when he saw whatever it was was no longer behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the nightmare was over.

To his dismay, the figure reappeared directly in front of him. The look it took on was Kotal himself. They copied each other's movements. It was like looking into a mirror. Kotal backed away from this mysterious lifeform, "Who are you?! What do you want from me?!"

The figure held out its hand, "Don't be so frightened, I want the same thing you do. I want to bring peace to Outworld, along with all other realms."

The Osh-Tekk doubted the honesty of whatever it was he was talking to, "Do you really think I'm that gullible? I would never believe lies so flimsy."

The shadow crept around behind Kotal. It placed one hand on his shoulder and the other on his head. It used its long winding fingers pull Kotal's eyelids open, "I'm allowing you the chance to truly see. How could you even think of rejecting such a chance?"

Kotal pushed the shadow off of him, "I stand by my words! I refuse to bow before something like you!"

"You can't escape my influence," the shadowy figure warned, "I'm what you'll be in due time! No being ever escapes my control. I am everywhere, I am everything…you'll fall, just as those before you have."

Kotal didn't have the chance to ponder those words, as he awoke when smoke creeped in through his room. He hurriedly jumped out of bed, hearing the crackling of embers just outside his one room cabin. When he saw outside, he could see that the entire village was on fire!

To see what the commotion was, Kotal ran out of the cottage. Standing in the middle of the flames was a familiar sight, Triborg. Triborg grabbed one of the running villagers by the neck, "Tell me where Kotal Kahn is!"

The lowly peasant begged for her life, "Please don't kill me! I've got two kids back at home."

The unfeeling cybernetic husk held a blade up to her neck, "I didn't ask about your children. Now tell me, where is Kotal Kahn?"

Kotal stood defiantly against the psychotic cyborg, "You have no reason to harm these people, Triborg! It's me you want."

Triborg viciously slew his hostage anyway by forcing the blade through her neck, "These people are your people. By hurting them I am hurting you."

The cybernetic ninja was right, Kotal cared for his citizens. To see one die like that hurt him, but he couldn't do anything. Triborg had the right idea by attacking at night, as it made Kotal weaker than he was in the day. He had just one question, "Why do you want me, it wasn't I alone who put an end to your master!"

"A fair point," Triborg admitted, "I could go after any of them, but I've got allies in this realm now." Out from the shadows, two Seidan guards jumped out with their weapons at their side. Triborg motioned to them, "When you knocked me out of your fortress, I landed in Lei Chen. At first, they were hostile towards a newcomer like me. However they were soon fascinated by my cybernetics. They saw great potential, what better way to have order than being able to program your citizens and your guards?"

Kotal was baffled to see this newfound alliance take form, "You'd be taking away what little freewill they already have. I know Seido's council can be overly controlling, but this is taking it to a new level!"

Triborg laughed at his talk of freewill, "Who cares about freewill when you can program your citizens into thinking they're happy? They would swiftly crush the rebellion by doing this!"

"Well the matters of Seido aren't concerning to my realm," Kotal acknowledged, "but that still leaves the question of why you want to kill me!"

Triborg didn't really have an answer, "Why not?" The cyborg slid towards Kotal, throwing him in the air and hitting him with a missile right in the stomach. Kotal then landed into the hands of the Seidans. Li Mei snuck up from the Seidans from behind, snapping their necks in utter silence. She grabbed Kotal's hand. Before he could say a word, she shushed him. In spite of her efforts to be silent, she was noticed by Triborg, "Where do you think you're going?"

Li Mei turned her attention towards the sadistic cyborg, "I was leaving. But if you want a fight, I'll give you one."

Kotal begged for her not to do it, "Wait Li Mei, you don't know what he's capable of!" She didn't listen. Her devotion to the village overcame all sensibilities. She attempted to attack Triborg by way of a strong punch, yet it was ineffective. Triborg grabbed her fist and twisted her wrist.

He mocked her efforts, "Your people screamed in sheer agony when I burned their village. I hope you'll do the same too."

Feeling desperate, Kotal slit his chest as a blood offering. Without the sun to invigorate him, he had little choice. His power returned in an instant. Using the newfound strength, he rammed into Triborg, knocking the cybernetic psychopath onto the ground. Kotal stomped onto his chest, "I never did trust Earthrealm's technology."

Triborg grabbed Kotal by the ankle and froze it, "Perhaps if you had, I'd be on your side."

"I'd never trust someone as treacherous as you," Kotal said with disgust, "your lack of loyalty makes you a poor ally." Out of nowhere, Kotal was tossed his Macuahuitl. He caught the massive weapon with one hand.

Triborg was puzzled by this turn of events. Where he could have gotten that from? It didn't matter, as Kotal proceeded to beat the Tekunin within an inch of his life. Each hit with such an over-the-top weapon was more painful than the last. It got to the point that Triborg chose not to fight, but rather escape by slipping away via teleportation.

Kotal confidently smirked at the cyborg's defeat, "I have to thank you, Syzoth. Were it not for you, I might have been killed by that horrible machine."

Reptile dropped his invisibility, "You're welcome. I had a feeling a would-be asssasssin might ssshow up."

"Yes, but what of Li-Mei," Kotal asked, feeling concerned over her

Reptile kneeled down, feeling her wrist for a pulse, "Ssshe'll be fine her heart isss ssstill beating."

"But her village won't be," Kotal sadly remarked, knowing that there were plenty of casualties in Triborg's rampage, "have our construction crew get to work here."

"But your fortresss," Reptile reminded him, "if they ssstart working on rebuilding Li-Mei'sss village, then that means that there will be further delaysss on the fortresss."

Kotal Kahn cared little about his home at this point, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, Syzoth."

Reptile humbly bowed, "Of courssse. I will inform the construction team right away." Reptile vanished after that, leaving Kotal to contemplate the burning village. If Triborg's talks of aligning with the Seidan order were true, that'd mean that Outworld had made a new enemy this day.

Speaking of new alliances, Shao Kahn was in the middle of a meeting with Darrius.

The two of them were discussing Seido's plans on assassinating Shao. The rebellious leader had an offer for Shao, "What do you say, Kahn? We have a common enemy, we could destroy them together."

"I have more concerning issues than destroying the realm of Order," Shao replied, "They are your problem, not mine. It was considerate of you to warn me of their assassination, however."

Darrius laughed at Shao's rejection, "I hope you're joking. I didn't come here to take no for an answer. At least give me some form of compensation."

"You want compensation," Shao asked sarcastically, "your compensation is the fact that I have not killed you where you stand for asking so much of me!"

Darrius did not take kindly to Shao's lack of reward to say the least, "Listen here, I'm not afraid of you. I'm not going anywhere without something to help me take down Hotaru and his men." Just to drive the point home, Darrius' wrist blades popped out, "If you deny me again, we're gonna have problems."

Shao Kahn's guards raised their weapons at Darrius, defending their lord and master. Shao Kahn motioned for them to lower them, "I don't know whether to call it foolish or brave to raise your pitiful knives at me. Either way, I can respect such an attitude. At the same time, I don't take kindly to threats."

Darrius didn't seem to even care about Shao's anger, "That a fact?"

"You're lucky I'm feeling merciful today," Shao said, "perhaps we can work out a deal after all. Should Orderrealm actually send an assassin, I will gladly help you destroy them. Should they retreat? Then I won't, simple as that."

While it wasn't exactly what he was hoping for, Darrius still accepted Shao's proposition, "Works for me. Let me know when you're ready."

Shao sent the rebellion's leader away now that the deal was settled, "Be gone before I change my mind."

Darrius obliged, leaving right through the window. Shao got up from his throne, "I'm going to the dungeon. Keep an eye out for spies." The guards saluted silently.

Shao made his way to the dungeon to see his former servant, Ermac. Ermac was chained to the wall, hanging his head in sorrow. He looked up to see Shao approaching. He did not say a word.

"It's not too late," Shao said to him, "If you pledge undying allegiance to me, you won't have to rot down here."

The construct spat at his former master's feet, "We'd rather rot then serve you. You made us your tool, you used us. We are bound by nobody now."

Shao growled at him, "You naïve fool, can't you see Jade and Kitana are playing you! You're not as free as you might think. They only want you to believe that. If they truly wanted to help you, they'd have already broken you out of here."

"The reason they have not come is because they know you'll have them executed on sight," Ermac replied.

The king sighed in a mix of genuine sorrow and the ever present feeling of wrath, "You are aware of what the penalty of denying me is, don't you?"

"You'll send us to the arena," Ermac answered, "we're very aware. If we must die to show the world you're still a monster, so be it."

At this point Shao felt absolutely no sympathy for his creation. Whatever regret he might've felt before was replaced with even more ire, "You think the people will see you as a martyr? Do you really believe your death might kickstart a revolution?"

"We're counting on it," Ermac simply said.

Shao raised his hand as if he was about to strike Ermac, but lowered it, "Very well. I'll see you in the arena at dawn. Moloch will enjoy tearing the flesh from your bone."

He soon departed after that threat. Ermac lowered his head again. He wasn't thinking about the inevitable kombat, but rather he was thinking about what he did while serving under Shao. Was it really his fault, though? He was an unwitting pawn he was not aware of right and wrong when he was first created. However he knew that didn't excuse when he left Kotal's forces to join Shao again almost instantaneously. He felt he was compelled to, but why? Was it just because Shao created him? It didn't matter in the end, as that decision was in the past now. All he could do now was to ensure a better future and that was a future without Shao Kahn as ruler of Edenia. But yet, there was still conflict. He knew killing Shao Kahn wasn't the answer. He'd find a way back to the realm of the living just like he always does. Perhaps there could be an alternative?

If there was, he'd have to think of it quick. Seeing as how he only had the rest of that night to consider his options, he had better come up with a solution quickly. If he didn't then he would die with much regret, knowing he lived only to serve Shao. With that in mind, he knew he had to find a way. There must have been one.

While Ermac considered what could be done about his master, deep within the Netherrealm Noob returned to much fanfare. The demons, revenants, the Brotherhood, and many other of the denizens of the realm called out to him as he marched back to his temple. To him, he was their savior, the one who'd free them from this eternal Hell. Shinnok failed, Quan-Chi failed, but Noob? He wouldn't.

He marched into his temple to be met with a familiar face on her knees. When he saw her he only uttered her name with a grin, "Sareena."

Sareena looked up to him with tired eyes, "I can't believe your men found me."

"Don't be so surprised," Noob boasted, "you used to work with the Brotherhood you should know how efficient we are."

Her weary expression only grew worse when he mentioned the Brotherhood. She quickly changed the subject, "You're just like Quan-Chi, a power hungry fool. I used to respect you so much."

He turned his back on her and started to rant, "You think this is about power? This was never about power, this is about something greater! Shinnok, Quan-Chi, both of them had the same problem! They were narrow minded, but me? I'm different, I don't seek power."

"Then what do you seek? Is it me?"

He silently chuckled, "You? Oh Sareena, while at first I thought you and I could have been something great, you rejected my offer. I see you as nothing but an asset now. It's almost a shame." He seemed vulnerable at this moment. Using this opening, Sareena stabbed him in the back.

She gloated, "Gotcha." However, Noob turned his head 180 degrees, looking back at her with his eyes widened into a psychotic glare.

"Surprise" he crazily exclaimed as he yanked the knife out from his spine. Sareena was taken aback, "But…but how? What are you?!"

He grabbed her by the wrists, "Why don't you stick around and find out?" The hole in his back sealed itself up, healing instantaneously. Sareena nearly screamed, but she held her fear within. Noob clearly delighted in her fear. He put her in a chokehold, keeping a good grip to make sure she wouldn't escape. He started dragging her across the temple.

"Where are you taking me," she demanded to know.

"I'm taking you to the place where I was reborn."

The two of them went into a secret chamber within the temple that was hidden beneath the stairwell that led to the sacrificial altar. Within this chamber was a pool of black ooze, bubbling constantly. Sareena took a look at the pool of goop and nearly gagged, "What is that stuff?!"

"It's what I'm made of," Noob answered, "this liquid you see before you is what I was reborn from. It is perhaps Quan-Chi's greatest creation, aside from myself of course. While other corruption methods only taint the outside of a person, such as what the Netherrealm Kamidogu did, this is different. This liquid corrupts not only the person's body, but it also corrupts their very essence."

The demoness derided this supposed all powerful liquid, "Then how come Quan-Chi didn't use it to corrupt the other revenants?"

Noob answered, "Even he was not blind to how dangerous this liquid could be. He feared that whatever was created from here could supersede him. As you can see, he was right."

"What's it even made out of?"

"The liquid is the personification of evil itself," Noob explained, "it is made from the darkest desires of a person. It could bring out the worst of even the purest being. As long as there is evil in the world, the ooze will flow and I will be able to use its resources to regenerate myself. I am functionally immortal, it's how I survived the Soulnado and it's why Quan-Chi had me removed from the Brotherhood. He didn't want me to take his place."

He pushed her ever so closely to the pool of black ooze, but stopped when she was just at the edge, "Of course, I'm not going to waste such a precious resource on you. Not like this." Instead he had other things in mind for her. He chose to instead shackle her above the bubbling liquid, dangling ever so close to it.

She begged for him to let her down, "Bi-Han please! Just let me down, I know you're better than this. You guided me out of the darkness let me do the same for you."

He growled at the mention of that name, "Don't call me that! That man died years ago! And I'm better for it. Where I was once a mere pawn for the Lin Kuei, I am now the chess master. "

"That's not true," she said to him while she teared up, "you were always more to me, and you were more to your brother. He loved you…and I loved you too."

He paused when she said that. Almost as if there was a hint of the man he once was in him. She almost broke through to him but he still refused, "That's too bad. Enjoy your eternal imprisonment."

He shut the chamber door behind him, uncaring of Sareena's plight. He returned to the main corridor of the temple, seeing a familiar face, "Ahhh Daegon, what brings you to me this day?"

"Enough with the pleasantries," Daegon said to him, "the Kamidogu have been destroyed."

Noob sighed, "As I've heard."

Daegon rubbed his temples in frustration, "With those gone, it's only a matter of time before my brother is reawakened. You were supposed to retrieve them for me before this happened!"

Noob seemingly agreed, "I can understand your frustration. But maybe you're looking at this the wrong way, don't you think?"

Daegon scratched his head, "I don't see what you mean."

"Blaze," Noob began to explain, "If we can find him before Armageddon and kill him at the Pyramid of Argus, then you could take the power he holds."

Daegon considered this plan. He went along with it, "You're right, but finding Blaze will be easier said than done. He could be within any of the realms."

"That's where the Brotherhood and Red Dragon come in. We both have amassable armies, so we might as well put them to good use right? With our numbers, there's no place Blaze could be hiding that we won't find him."

Daegon smirked deviously, "You're right, perhaps the Kamidogu being destroyed is just what we needed. I've been waiting so many eons to see my last remaining family…"

If you think things are getting crazy now, wait until you see the next chapter!