The story of Quinn Part 1
Disclaimer: Everything except for Quinn and Tenzin are owned by dem peoples who own Mortal Kombat. Enjoy I guess
No person, god or mortal, knew the wonders of the benevolence, and forgiveness of human nature better than the thunder god Rayden. Once protector of Earthrealm, than Elder God, Rayden had given up his higher position in order to once again save his most beloved realm from the forces of the Deadly Alliance. This, as we all know, was in the times leading up to armageddon. Whilst attempting to defeat the Dragon King, Rayden had become exposed to a darkness that spread through his body like a disease, distorting his perception on reality. He became consumed with a rage and hatred, destroying the lives of the people who loved him the most and whom he had loved as well.
Restoring the thunder god to his previous self was a far from easy task. It took many years and a great deal of help and patience from his friends; Ashrah, the ascended demon, Ermac, the liberated, the shaman Nightwolf, and the great Liu Kang who regained his mortality after being reunited with his body. And of course the monks of the Order of Light who never lost their faith that Rayden could be saved.
It was with great pride, humility, gusto, and varying other emotions that Rayden stayed in Earthrealm to watch over it's inhabitants. While he was warned by John the Herald, not again to directly interfere with the affairs of mortals as he did trying to defeat the Deadly Alliance and Onaga, that did not stop him from assuring those who could defend Earthrealm were properly trained, disciplined, ready to expect and face anything and everything. Rayden spent his days with the White Lotus Society and Wu Shi Academy helping it's members prepare for the day when they will have to test their own might and prove to those that would dare challenge Earthrealm that they will not fall so easily. The monks saw him as a great teacher, Rayden saw himself as their servant.
Generations pass. Children are born, grow, age, and die, and children are born again. Life goes on as it always has and always will. And for the moment, Earthrealm was enjoying a serene peace. Rayden walked along the dusty earth road leading away from the temple where members of the White Lotus spent their days training and nights resting. Ahead of him was a small valley, populated by large coniferous trees whose branches hid small birds unseen by the untrained eye, but whose songs could be heard echoing through the sky. Below the trees, smaller flora and fauna lived, and a small field of grass kept short by a small herd of wild sheep, who were lost to farmers generations ago and seemed to have no intention of returning to the life of livestock.
In the field below, Rayden saw three young, or young looking men. One was a monk, Tenzin, one of the more promising students and a fast learner. He was with Liu Kang, who despite being dead and resurrected, and despite his true age, still looked as he did when he was just a few years older than Tenzin and won his first Mortal Kombat tournament. They were practising what appeared from a distance to be Pao Chui, on of the many martial arts that Liu Kang had perfected over his many years. Tenzin seemed not too far behind him.
The third who caught Rayden's eye, a boy more soft and youthful in the face than his two comrades, sat beneath a budding red magnolia tree observing the sparring. Quinn Dowe. The boy who looked remarkably like his father, save the soft facial features he inherited from his mother. He was a perplexing looking character, both old and young at the same time. Gentle, as true to his pacific nature as possible, but deadly if it came down to it. Non-confrontational, passionate, emotional, and strong. Quinn was the type of boy who did not start fights, but he sure could finish them.
It was about ten years ago that Quinn first approached the thunder god, asking to join the White Lotus. Rayden, was just as surprised as anyone else by his request. Most people who knew the young Dowe boy had always believed he would be the one who stayed close to his mother. But in Quinn's mind, his father had wanted at least one of his children to follow in his footsteps of helping defend Earthrealm. And when the eldest, Riley had ran away to join the Lin Kuei, and his sister too busy in her own little world to pay attention to reality, Quinn placed the onus, of making sure Earthrealm was safe on his own shoulders.
In his years training with the White Lotus, Quinn grew a great deal, mentally and physically. Apart for his soft face, he was beginning to look more and more like his father every day. And his parents visited him quite often, more often his father due to the close relations between he and the White Lotus. So when his mother did get the time to visit, Quinn, who hardly ever left her side when he was young, savoured every moment.
Quinn was not a fighter, and he felt that much like his mother, he never would be a kombatant. He was a strategist. As he sat their watching Liu Kang and Tenzin fight, his mind was ticking, watching how their bodies moved, where they left themselves exposed, how to exploit the limitations of the physical body. This was a lesson in biology, physics, math. This was a game of chess where the human body was the entire board, where you hit it and how, would determine how soon you will get check mate. As quick as he would learn a new offence, he would think of three different defences for his very attack. Quinn was often teased, in good humour, that if he ever were to find himself in kombat, he would be too busy thinking of what to do next than the actual battle.
It worked for him though, and it worked for the rest of the monks. They would practice, he would shout 'freeze,' tell one where to hit another and how, or tell one how to block, or counter, and then they would continue on until another spark went through his head and he would repeat the process. Nobody seemed to have a better understanding of the physical body than the young Dowe boy, he had proven himself to be an immeasurable asset to the White Lotus.
While he was still young, by the standards of a God, Quinn felt like an old soul to Rayden. He had a sense of familiarity to him. Though Rayden had known Quinn since he was a born, and watched him grow, visited his family, it wasn't until the boy had come out of his shell and joined the White Lotus that the two developed a friendship. To Quinn, Rayden was a sifu, an uncle, a confidant. They would spend many hours together sitting in peace. Savouring the silent peace while they could.
It was under the very magnolia that the two had opened up to each other when Quinn had first joined the White Lotus. He was small then, a soft runt of a boy, but despite his appearance, he had great potential, and refused 'no' as an answer. Quinn confessed his fears of fighting, of kombat. But he felt this is what his father wanted, he himself had no desires to do anything in particular other than to live a neutral life and observe the people around him. He never felt a part of anything, and had no drive to. He felt completely detached from life. But, by at least helping those who would protect earthrealm, he in turn could assure himself that, while not acting directly, could ensure the protection of the people he loved.
No matter how hard he tried to attach himself to the physical world around himself, all his attempts seemed moot. This frustrated the boy to no end, but at least with the company of a God, not from earthrealm, he would not have to suffer alone. It was through Rayden that Quinn learned that earthrealm is not just rocks and plants and rivers, or buildings or continents or mountains or any of the little things that make up the physical world. It is the human condition, the good and the bad. The vain attempts to be more, get more, see more, do more. The bewildering ability to forgive, show mercy, compassion, and love to a stranger or enemy just as a friend. The burning desire for life, and to continue on living despite all the odds against them.
Quinn was the only human who truly understood that while many might feel as though the gods are looking down at us, they are really looking up in awe and wonder. For they will never know what it is like to be wholly, to live life sinful and sinless at the same time, to be physical for such a short time and then relinquish your connections to the world and move on. Rayden loved and envied the humans so much, that he would be willing to do everything in his powers to protect them, even if it meant defying the commands of the Elder Gods. Quinn in turn, loved his parents and siblings, and even his friends within the White Lotus Society and Rayden, so he felt himself impelled to spend his life serving them.
Quinn would later on in his life, learn his true purpose, his role in protecting earthrealm, and even fight alongside his father, Rayden, and his friends, but that will not happen until later on down the line. Until then, Quinn was quite content to sit underneath the magnolia tree, accompanied by his teacher, and watch life go by uninterrupted.