Listen to your Heart

Bobby could hardly sleep that night. He kept having awful nightmares of all the dead he's seen. Sub-Zero, Stryker, Jax. He remembered his father back when he was fighting Kobra, bloodied and beaten with no way to defend himself. He shook and moaned until finally he woke up. And when he did he came eye to eye with two green emerald eyes in the dark.

"Ah!" He exclaimed as he jumped back.

"It's alright." Said a female voice and a hand stretched out to him." I won't hurt you."

"Who are you?" Bobby asked sharply. A woman stepped into the moonlight, she wore revealing green cloths and in her hand was a staff. He recognized her.

"I am Jade. And you are the warrior from Earthrealm. The warrior who would not kill." Evidently that was Bobby's claim to fame around here.

"Yes." He said feeling he should say something." My name is Bobby."

"I am Jade. Please follow me." She said as she stepped back into the darkness. Bobby watched her go but wasn't in a hurry to follow her." Follow me." He heard her voice whisper in the dark. Feeling he should just out of the possible violent reaction Bobby rose from his sleeping spot and followed after her." This way." Her voice and figure led him down the dark halls of the palace.

Until at last they came before two great doors the hall filled with torches. Jade appeared to him fully now. He walked over and stood next to her as she stood before the doors.

"I cannot go any further." She said turning to him." But you must." She motioned to the door. Bobby was hesitant.

"What's on the other side?" He asked cautiously. Jade heard the fear in his voice.

"Do not be frightened. No one will hurt you." That was what he wanted to hear but still Bobby had a hard time believing her. But still he felt as if he should go. Slowly and cautiously he grabbed the knob to the door then opened it the same way. Jade's attention was called to voices at the end of the hall." Be quick." She warned him. And for sudden fear of his life Bobby walked into the room shutting the door behind him. Jade waited and stood guard outside.

The room was completely dark. So dark that he could hardly see the hand in front of his face. So with nowhere else to go Bobby simply went forward. Forward until he found something or rather someone.

A soft light appeared to him at the end of the room. He went towards it and as he did an image became clearer to him. There was a large bed covered in blue silk curtains, large fluffy pillows. And on the bed was a woman who looked similar to Jade but wore blue. Bobby was sure this was a mirage due to his longing for a soft bed to sleep in. But that was put out of his mind when the woman sat up and spoke.

"Come closer." She called to him in a soft siren like voice. Bobby held his breath in his throat and stepped forward, into the light. She rose up from the bed and stretched a hand out to him. Cautiously Bobby reached out and took it. Her skin was soft like velvet. He put his hand in her's and she slowly pulled him towards her, until he stood right before her. Her eyes shined like sapphires and were as blue as the sea. " Do you know why you are here?" Bobby could not find his voice and simply shook his head. Just then a shadow moved behind her. Bobby looked past her and saw as a man stepped out from the shadows and hovered over them.

"Sub-Zero!" He shouted, his body shaking in fear." Y-You're supposed to be dead!" He pointed to him. If he had looked harder he would have noticed Sub-Zero was slightly smaller than the last time he saw him.

"Calm yourself." Said Sub-Zero with his hands up. "I will not hurt you." But Bobby did not believe him.

"What are you doing here?"

"We have fought before." Said Sub-Zero taking a step closer, causing Bobby to take a step back. He never had nor ever would ever want to fight Sub-Zero." Twice. Twice we have fought. Both times you had the right to kill me, and yet you did not." Bobby was going from scared to confused until it finally dawned on him." Why?"

"Tundra?" Bobby finally said.

"I was once." Sub-Zero answered." But after my brother's passing I took up his armor in honor of him." Bobby breathed easier knowing Sub-Zero was truly dead but he was still on edge about being here with Tundra, who twice had tried to kill him." But you have not answered my question. You have sparred my life twice, why?" Bobby took in a breath for a second.

"I never wanted to kill anyone." He finally replied." Not here, not anywhere."

"Thank you." Said Sub-Zero with his arm across his chest." I owe you my life."

"And I owe you as well." Said Kitana stepping up and speaking once more.

"You owe me nothing!" Bobby quickly said." Nobody owes me anything!"

"But I do." Kitana answered." Where it not for you my beloved would not be here." Bobby looked at her confused. Then he turned from her and looked at Sub-Zero.

"You two?" he asked." You two are together?" Kitana turned to Bobby and stood before Sub-Zero. She put her hand on his chest and he covered it with his own, then rested his forehead against her's.

"We are." She answered. And even here in this death infested hell-hole Bobby found the lighter side of things, when he saw these two young lovers.

"Well I'm very happy for you." He said. The two turned and looked at him. "I'm glad you two are together."

"And it was all because of you." Said Kitana as she walked towards him." As Princess of Outowlrd I am in your debt. Whatever you ask I will see it done." And Bobby could think of one thing right off the top of his head.

"Can you end this tournament?" he asked. Kitana's gaze softened and her eyes went to the floor.

"I'm afraid-"

"You said you'd do anything. "Bobby interrupted." End this tournament. End the fighting, end the killing and let me go home!"

"I cannot!" Kitana said." My father runs the tournament not I and he will not abandon his claim to your world." Bobby was silent and Kitana sensed the anger coming off of him. She took a step back and stood in the warm comfort of Sub-Zero. Bobby was fuming and she thought he deserved some kind of explanation." I cannot even tell my father of my own lover." She said to him. Bobby picked his head up and looked at her." Our love is a secret." She said trying to open up to Bobby.

"It doesn't have to be that way." Bobby said.

"There is no other way." She said back. "If my father found out he would execute Sub-Zero and I would be severely punished."

"That's not right."

"It is our way here." She nestled her head in Sub-Zero's neck.

"Not where I'm from." Bobby said. That seemed to grab the couples interest.

"Where are you from?" she asked turning to him.

"A small town back in Texas." He answered. But Kitana still looked confused. "Texas is in the United States of America." Kitana looked to Sub-Zero. He had told her all about Earthrealm so she knew a thing or two.

"The land of the free, home of the brave." He said. And that seemed to jog her memory.

"You can do whatever you want there?"

"Yes." Bobby nodded.

"You can love whomever you want? Marry whomever you want?"

"Yes." Bobby nodded. Kitana turned back to Sub-Zero and breathed a happy breath. And when Bobby looked at the two he saw himself once. A younger funnier man when he wasn't held down by the grief and tragedy of war and death. He saw himself with her." It can be like that here." He said getting the attention of Sub-Zero and Kitana." You can change all of it."

"I cannot." Kitana said.

"You can. Speak to your father, if he cares about you he'll listen." Kitana turned and looked up at Sub-Zero. And looking at him gave her more confidence and strength. Even if Outworld won the tournament they could never truly be with one another, she was a Princess and he was an Assassin. Only when the fighting stops could they truly be together.

"Do we dare?" she asked.

"As long as we're together." He said." Nothing matters." He moved his hand up and removed his mask revealing his face. He had short black hair but a big red scar over his right eye. As me moved closer to Kitana their faces met and her own mask was pushed down showing her face. The two moved their heads to the side and allowed their lips to touch and they wrapped their arms around each other.

And for the first time since this all began Bobby smiled.

But little did they know that malicious eyes were watching them that night. And they saw everything.