Three Days Later...
Cherin was still chattering on the phone with a friend, like she'd been doing for most of the so called party. Rhapsody and Arilayn were at the food table for the third time, while Ashlynn, Amilee, and Jax were sitting around the dining table, various degrees of boredom on each of their faces.
"So," Jax said finally, "How's everybody doin?"
Neither of the woman answered. In fact, both of them seemed to be having difficulty staying awake.
"We'll ya'll are just a bunch of party poopers," he said.
"Well maybe if there was a party..." Amilee mumbled.
Finally, Ashlynn stood up, giving Cherin a glare for good measure, and walked toward Quan Chi, who had been standing silently in the corner. She had forced him to come, and now she felt bad for it.
"Aw come on," she said, "It's not that bad."
"Speak for yourself," he replied, staring daggers at Cherin.
Ashlynn sighed, "Yeah you're right, maybe if she would get off the phone for two seconds..."
Maria had been standing off the the side, unusually quiet. She hadn't told the others about Shang Tsung yet. Cherin was hanging up the phone, earning a sigh of relief from everyone, when there was a rumbling sound from outside.
"Was that thunder?" Amilee asked.
"No," Sub-Zero replied, already heading for the door, "The sky was clear..."
The rumbling was getting louder.
"Mommy I'm scared!" Tina screamed, clutching her mother's leg.
Suddenly, there was a strange sucking sound.
"Wha-
Cherin didn't have a change to finish her sentence before the whole side of her house was torn off, revealing the small cliff outside and the ocean below. Shang Tsung stood near the edge of the cliff, casually kicking at a rock on the ground. Standing at his side was Tanya, smiling.
"I killed you..." Ashlynn heard Quan Chi say.
"How familiar that sounds," the other sorcerer chuckled, "You thought that by sending me away into space you could get rid of me? Fool."
"I can't do this again," Ashlynn said, only loud enough for Quan Chi to hear.
"Damn man," Jax said, "How many times we gotta kill you?"
Shang Tsung smiled, "I'm afraid that won't be happening again."
Suddenly, he was struck with a blast of emerald power, but it hadn't come from Ashlynn or Quan Chi. Arilayn stood in front of her mother, hands extended.
"Ari get back!" Ashlynn demanded.
Desperately, Ashlynn pulled her daughter back, but it was too late. Shang Tsung blasted her with his own fire, sending them both to the ground. Ashlynn pushed herself to her knees, but Arilayn wasn't moving.
"Arilayn...?" Ashlynn said, shaking her.
The girl's eyes opened, but they were now a brilliant shade of green.
"Sorry Mom," she said.
Before Ashlynn could respond, she was the one being blasted by Arilayn. Rhapsody, horrified, rushed to her side.
"What are you doing Arilayn?!" she cried, trying to help her mother.
Arilayn said nothing, instead she went to stand near Shang Tsung and Tanya, who placed a hand on her shoulder. Ashlynn could not believe what she was seeing.
"Ari come back here!" she screamed.
"No Mom!" Arilayn snapped, looking at Quan Chi, "This is all your fault! If it wasn't for you, our life would be normal! It's too late Mom."
"No Ari!" Rhapsody said.
Arilayn shook her head savagely, "You don't care about me Rhapsody. You took their side!"
Rhapsody was on the verge of tears.
"Please," she said, "Please come back here Arilayn. I do care about you, Mom cares about you..."
"No," Arilayn replied.
With that, they vanished, leaving everyone in complete shock.
"Something isn't right," Sub-Zero said, shaking his head, "This is Shang Tsung's trickery."
"No," Quan Chi replied, "She chose to go. There was no spell clouding her mind, her thoughts were perfectly clear."
At this, Rhapsody began to sob, realizing that her sister had made the decision on her own. Ashlynn held her, trying to keep her own tears at bay.
"Where's Tina?!" Amilee cried suddenly.
Sure enough, the little girl was gone.
"Tina?!" Sub-Zero and Amilee shouted simultaneously.
"Oops," said a voice, seemingly coming from the air itself, "I forgot to mention that. Your daughter was so adorable that I just had to have her for myself."
"You son of a bitch!" Amilee screamed, "Bring her back!"
There was no sound save for the ocean waves and Rhapsody's soft crying.
Amilee looked to her husband, who seemed lost.
"What do we do?" she demanded.
"I...I don't know," he said, "I have no idea where he's taken her..."
"Would he have gone bak to Outworld?" Amilee asked.
"Most likely," the Lin Kuei said, "But Outworld is big, how would we find her Amilee?"
Amilee's face had taken on a look of pure rage.
"What is wrong with you?!" she screamed, "Are you just going to give up?"
Sub-Zero suddenly looked angry, which was rare.
"How dare you," he said, "She's my daughter, of course I'm not giving up!"
"I was on my way here..."
They turn, to find Raiden, a sympathetic look on his face.
"Where is Tina?" Amilee asked, trying to control herself.
"I've tracked Shang Tsung back to Outworld," the thunder god replied, "He has returned to his island in the Lost Sea."
"What does that mean?" Cherin asked.
"Shang Tsung is planning another tournament," Raiden said.
"What?" Sarah said, "Why?"
Raiden sighed, "It is different this time. The tournament is only a guise, Shang Tsung's real intention is to collect souls. If you want your daughters back, you will have to compete in the tournament...two months from now."
Raiden was prepared for the looks of horror on their faces.
"Two months," Amilee said slowly, "You expect me to wait two months to get my daughter back from that bastard?!"
"Shang Tsung's island will be inaccessible to you until the tournament begins," Raiden explained.
"Shang deliberately didn't tell us about the tournament," Maria said, "He doesn't want us there."
"Yes," Raiden agreed, "In truth, he fears you."
"He should," Ashlynn said.