"Well that could have gone better".
Sonya paced back and forth with her hands cupping her mouth, attempting in vain to hide her frustration. She exhaled heavily as her arms dropped to her sides, "To be fair, she started to cooperate with you… I can't say I expected that".
Kitana was simply standing before the general with her arms folded, her eyes following the latter as she paced. "I was definitely expecting her to be… well… difficult" the Edenian admitted, "But that breakdown… her tears… I could never have been prepared for that".
Kitana finally stopped and stood quietly. Kitana could practically see the human woman's mind calculating her next intent. Kitana felt uncomfortable with standing aside and allowing what would otherwise be an inferior level of leadership make these decisions for a matter that should mainly concern the Edenian monarchy.
Intendant to remind Sonya of her role for her people, Kitana declared "I believe I should see her again, but at a later time". Sonya turned to the princess and informed "Kitana, we've seen the footage, and we know how you made your conversation personal with her".
"As I said before, personal relationships will be the only thing that my si… Mileena will open up to" Kitana reminded the general, and once again, Sonya could find no rebuttal or reason against this proposal.
"Alright then, Kitana" Sonya began, "I'm giving you a week to convince Mileena to spill her secrets". Kitana bowed respectfully to the general. "But we have little time to spare for uncooperative prisoners" Sonya sternly explained.
"What do you intend for her if I can't?" Kitana's asked as her eyes narrowed inquisitively. Sonya sighed, her disappointment evident from her voice. "If you can't get any information from her by the end of the week" Sonya began.
"We will have to execute her".
This was an outrage. Kitana was appalled by this, the fact that a decision like this were to be made on her behalf. Mileena was of Edenian blood, and her fate should be decided by none except her kin. Kitana felt fit to argue her point, but then pondered her options with more consideration.
"I'm sorry, Kitana. But there is no other way around this…" Sonya huffed, "But until then, you can access her chamber whenever you want". Without anything further to discuss, Sonya made her way passed the princess and took her leave through the main entrance.
As the automated door sealed shut behind her, Kitana found herself enveloped in the loving embrace of solitude, and she was free to slam her fist against the table and relieve her welling frustration.
Kitana breathed as her rage was finally expended, allowing her to finally decide her next course of action without influence. As she did, she soon began to question herself above all else.
Why was she becoming so concerned for Mileena's life?
The walls in this cell were so white and pure, Mileena actually felt her eyes strain whenever she viewed them. She had little to do while she was bound within this strange outfit, not that she was in a fit state of mind to have done anything anyway.
She was resting in her bed and faced away from the window pain. All she could do with her time was sleep, her dreams providing the only amount of freedom she would find.
Suddenly, startling the captive slightly, the door opened as an unexpected guest entered into the opposite room. The moment she saw her, her still and lifeless form found itself regaining a level of vigour. She cat up from the bed and turned to face her fully.
Her sister stepped towards the glass pane and folded her arms, her eyes peering into her own in a peculiar way. Something about the way Kitana looked at her at this moment made Kitana feel somewhat uncomfortable, as if she was staring directly into her soul and finding the overwhelming blackness in it.
"Hello, Mileena… We have many things to discuss" Kitana explained.
Mileena immediately noticed a difference in her sister's voice since their previous meeting. Previously, Kitana had been extremely cold and emotionless, speaking to her with a regal tone befitting of a ruler. But now, she seemed so much tenderer and vulnerable, somewhat like a genuine family member.
"These soldiers plan to kill you if you don't cooperate with them. You're running out of options" Kitana warned her, "If there is any information that you can offer us about their enemies, now is the time to-".
"Please… I don't know anything" Mileena choked, "I promise". Mileena then stood up from her bed and face fully away from the princess. "Daddy always made sure I didn't know about his plans, and his friends left me in the dark as well" she explained, her voice growing evermore hoarse as she held back her sorrow.
"The military won't accept that… they will kill you" Kitana informed.
"Why is that a problem?" Mileena hung her head slightly, "It's worse for them to just keep me in here alive".
Mileena's words reminded Kitana of her breakdown, how it cut their conversation short. She narrowed her eyes curiously and stated "You never answered my question".
Mileena heard her and immediately knew what she meant. There was no escape from it and she knew it, so she sighed with disappointment and gave an answer.
"Daddy made me to be better than you… to do all of the things that he wanted to you to do… I was supposed to be the perfect one" Mileena began. Kitana had no intention of interrupting, hoping to finally learn as much about the worst of herself as she can.
"But you… you have so many friends… lots of people who like you and prefer you as a leader over me" the captive continued, "Nobody wants to work with me… or to help me. They don't like me".
Kitana raised an eyebrow as she heard these words spill from her sister's grotesque mouth.
"But I know why… it's the way you look… you have the face and the eyes like the rest of them" Mileena declared, her back remaining turned from her sister.
Kitana's memory was suddenly sent back to their battle in the abandoned building. The face mask that she wore, made from human skin.
Mileena was pretending to be normal.
She was pretending to be Kitana.
From this sudden realisation, Kitana felt her heart drop, no matter how she wished she had no concern. She was crumbling in the face of her enemy, finally discovering the side of her sister that she was never able to see.
"When… daddy died" Mileena croaked, finally spilling a pair of tears from her eyes as she spoke these words, "I was stuck here... in Earthrealm… And I could find a way back". Mileena was visible twitching by this point, and sat back down on the edge of her bed.
"You shouldn't come here anymore, sister. They should kill me" she huffed, her will having finally broken right before her superior. Kitana was thankful for her facemask as it hid her expression of concern and pity very well.
Kitana wanted to speak, but couldn't decide what would be best for her to say. Any choice she could make could end up with the same outcome. In the end, Kitana found herself turning away from the pane and leaving through the entrance.
But then stopped and looked back to the captive, who hadn't moved from per position. "Hey… Mileena" Kitana muttered nervously. Mileena's head rose slightly to indicate her attention.
"I'll try and convince them to remove that mirror".
Finally, we're getting somewhere. At least this chapter has had the chance to continue the story better than the last one.
I might be ending the story in the next few chapters.
