Chapter Sixty-Six
Palace Grounds
All was quiet with the exception of the blowing winds as Yoshimitsu glanced around at his surroundings. He stood still where he was while holding his infamous katana in his left hand. A few minutes ago, the once-purple sky turned a crimson red. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of what sounded like a stampede.
Soon enough, Yoshimitsu thought. The war shall begin…
Yoshimitsu turned his head. Behind him stood many of the fighters who had participated in the tournament, all who were staying in the main palace.
When he realized what was about to come, Yoshimitsu made it his mission to gather and warn all of the fighters of the incoming invasion from Shao Kahn's forces. Over half of them didn't believe him at first (at least until the sky changed color). The others believed him for one reason… to try to find answers to what happened to their allies, who, during the tournament, went missing without a trace. Yoshimitsu had believed that everyone's lives were at stake and everyone was more than willing to fight back.
Now they all stood together as they awaited for the incoming stampede of warriors to attack.
Soon enough, the first line of their opponents arrived. They ran a few more feet before stopping completely after seeing their 'victims' well prepared and ready. Now only about two hundred yards of space stood between the two groups.
In Shao Kahn's group, all stared at each other briefly with a bit of confusion. They had all expected for the tournament participants to be completely unprepared. Obviously, someone had given them a tip ahead of time.
"How did they know of this?!" exclaimed Reptile as he drew out his Kirehashi sword.
"It doesn't matter," replied Mileena. "Whether they are prepared or not, we'll kill every last one of them!"
Meanwhile, Yoshimitsu raised his sword in the air with confidence. "Attack!" he shouted before he began running. The group immediately let out their battle cries and began running towards the Emperor's forces.
Baraka, with his blades long ready, immediately turned to his group. "Leave no one alive!" he demanded. Soon, he and his group began sprinting forward as well.
Battles cries were heard all around as both group ran towards each other. Time seemed to go slow as the large space between them grew smaller and smaller. Dust began to collect in the air from the ground as the two groups continued sprinting towards each other.
Soon, the space closed in and the two groups clashed, immediately beginning the bloodshed. The battle for superiority and survival began.
As the fight came to a start, no one was aware of the blue-armored figure on top of one of the hills, watching down on them. His eyes glowed the same color as the sky underneath his helmet aa his long tattered red cape swayed in the wind behind him. In his right hand was a very large sword which consisted of vein-like features and a single, realistic-looking eye which seemed to look down at the battle as well.
This was none other than the azure knight Nightmare.
For a while, he stayed silent as he continued to look down at the battle just down the hill he was standing on. For a moment, he thought that he should join in. With such power, it was practically a guarantee that he would dominate both sides, feasting upon their souls as they laid dying at his feet.
However, Nightmare had a more important agenda to attend to… an agenda that had brought him here in the first place.
Now, he thought. To bring madness to the one who holds the window of Soul Edge…
With that, Nightmare, slowly turned his back on the battle and began heading North…
Cave
It was within minutes that the chosen ones still remaining gathered within the cave after the Outworld sky changed it's color, knowing that a bad omen was coming. Some weren't aware of what was going on right away while others knew that something was about to happen long before.
Raiden and Rose stood side by side as they looked at their chosen ones. A frown appeared on both of their faces as they knew that they had multiple problems on their hands. It wasn't just about what was going down right now… it was also the fact that there were good reasons that not all of their chosen ones were here at this time…
Once all of their remaining chosen ones gathered, Raiden finally spoke. "I'm sure that many of your are trying to figure out what is going on at this moment. To be quite honest… I'm not sure. However, it would seem that a battle is taking place as we speak. We had tried our best to form our plan to take on any threat such as this… unfortunately, Shao Kahn has stayed many steps ahead of us."
Rose continued for him. "I wish I could have predicted this sooner… however, my psychic abilities seemed to have a block, possibly because of the environment here… I don't know how else to explain it better…"
"What about Nightwolf's visions?" asked Ken. "Wouldn't that have told us something from the beginning?"
"My visions state possible events that could occur," replied Nightwolf. "But they do not tell me when or where the event will take place. Unfortunately, the event is taking place now…"
"Let's not worry about what we could've done to prevent this," said Raiden. "It's out of our hands now to avoid this… now we have the responsibility to try to cease the actions of our enemies."
"And as you know," continued Rose. "We have some allies who are currently not with us… it is with deep sadness to tell you all that we've lost both Sonya Blade and George Ginzu this morning…"
All fell silent upon hearing this news. Raiden looked over at Rose for a moment and saw that she too was upset by the news as her eyes began to fill with tears. He decided to proceed for her…
"As soldiers who had put their lives on the line, they would want to move on and take care of our duty." The Thunder God took another deep breath before continuing. "Li Mei and Alex have gone missing as well and both Guile and Kenshi are searching for them as we speak. Guy has also gone missing and both Cody and Maki are searching for him as well."
In the group, Yang frowned upon hearing this. He had hoped that Maki would return soon after she departed with Cody earlier, but now with all the chaos, he wasn't sure when the two would unite again…
You better be okay right now… he thought.
"Ryu is also missing," mentioned Ken.
"And Jin too!" called out Cammy.
Rose looked over at Raiden with deep concern. The situation was much worse than she thought…
Raiden was silent for a moment before speaking. "With everything happening so suddenly… there is one option I can give to you all."
Everyone kept silent as they awaited for what the option was.
"…there is a shrine-like structure up on the first hill behind the main palace. It is hidden within the trees and they contain circled structures… each one of them are actually portals that will lead one to a certain realm… including your home worlds. This is a type of portal that can be activated by myself and the other Gods. I will go over there and activate it for you. This gives you all a choice… you could either make your escape back home, or fight Shao Kahn's forces."
"I'm definitely fighting," said Kilik.
"Same here," said Asuka.
The rest of the chosen ones nodded in agreement.
Rose managed to smirk. "We're very proud… but if you feel that you can't go on with the battle…get out of here. Your lives are worth more and we will need you for the fight we're sure will continue after today. Live today, fight tomorrow."
Raiden nodded. "Rose and I will be heading off now to open the portal. Good luck mortals… and may your hearts guide you."
With that, Raiden used his powers to transport himself and Rose to the portals to activate them. With a bolt of lightning, the two of them vanished, leaving their chosen ones on their own.
Forest, Near The Palace Grounds
Within the safety of the trees, Cody and Maki were able to see the large battle that was taking place not too far from them. For the past hour, they had been walking around the tournament grounds in hopes of finding their friend Guy, who hasn't been seen since last night.
A few minutes ago, the two were discussing whether or not to begin their search beyond the tournament grounds… however, at that moment, the sky had changed colors. The two were heading back to the cave grounds when they heard the sounds of fighting. They had gone to check it out and were now viewing the multiple fights that were taking place near the palace.
"Um… we're in trouble," said Cody.
"This is just what we needed!" cried out Maki in frustration. "What do you think we should do?"
Cody thought about this for a moment. As he tried to make a decision, he shifted his eyes between the battle nearby and the pathway that would lead them back to the cave.
"Thinking about it… at one point in the path back to the cave, we'll be in open space," Cody said as he began pacing a bit. "There could be a chance that someone from the opposing side would find us…"
"What if we take the opposite way back?" Maki suggested. "It is a longer way, but-"
"I think we should fight," Cody quickly cut in.
Maki's eyes widened in shock. "You're not going back to your old roots are you?"
Cody began to crack his knuckles, which were already covered with white tape. "I can feel that part of me boiling, no doubt… but there's two reasons we should fight. One, our allies are mostly likely in the fray right now. Second… there could be a chance that Guy will be there."
After thinking about this, Maki began to slowly nod as she drew out her two batons from her belt. "I'm not really into jumping into a fight without knowing what's going on… but if there is a chance that Guy is in the group, then I'm more than willing to join up."
"Good," Cody said with a smirk. "And don't worry, I'll cover your back. Let's head out."
With that, the two began running towards the battle. Just before she exited the forest, Maki briefly looked back behind her as thoughts of Yang came to her. She wondered whether he was still in the cave or whether he was now within the battle at this very minute. She frowned at this thought.
Please be okay…
On One of the Hills…
It was the sky's transformation and the sounds of fighting that finally drew the Cleric of Chaos Havik out of hiding. He had made his way up one of the many hills surrounding the tournament grounds and was able to get a glimpse of the two side clashing with one another.
Havik's eyes gleamed with delight upon seeing this sight.
"So this was Shao Kahn's plan all along," he said out loud to himself. "This is indeed utter chaos… I LOVE IT!"
For a little while longer, he continued to watch, feeling the happiest he's been ever since he was forced (something he hated more than anything) to go into hiding after Kira's betrayal… well, technically, he wasn't actually in hiding… he had spent the remainder of the tournament wandering the wastelands of Outworld, trying to make plans as to how to get the medallion in his hands.
However, the medallion didn't mean anything to him… the battle below was more worthwhile to him.
"Perhaps this will be a sort of a field day for me," he said.
But before he would join, he needed to return to the wastelands first… because he didn't have his mourning star weapon with him.
And there was one other thing he needed as well…
Portals
A bolt of lightning landed in front of a large group of circled structures. A moment later, two figures appeared, immediately turning their attention to the structures.
"These are the portals?" Rose asked.
Raiden nodded to the soul psychic. "Yes, these are the ones that will lead our chosen ones back to their home worlds."
Rose stared at the Thunder God after his statement. She had expected to immediately activate the portals, but he only stood there. "So what are you waiting for?" she asked after a few seconds.
The God of Thunder sighed to himself a little. "There's… a bit of a problem."
"Oh great, now you tell me!" Rose exclaimed.
Raiden exhaled a bit. "Once these portals are activated, a yellow beam will shoot up into the sky. Thousands of years ago, this beam would guide deities such as myself."
"As though it's pointing you in the right direction," Rose finished.
"Exactly," Raiden replied. "This is a good thing for our chosen ones…because the beam will serve as their guide home… however, it will be at the cost of Shao Kahn's forces noticing."
"I see," Rose said now understanding the 'problem.'
Another moment passed before Raiden raised his hands in front of him. Electricity surrounded his body before they shot out from his hands. Countless bolts shot out from different directions, each one hitting one of the circle structures, activating the different portals. Once they were all operating, a yellow beam shot out from a column located in the middle of the structure and made it's way into the blood red sky.
"Our chosen ones come from Earth, Keisei, and Edenia," Raiden proceeded. "Luckily for us, each realm is color coordinated… Earth is green, Edenia is light blue, and Keisei is silver."
"Good to know," Rose said. She briefly looked down the grounds near the palace. A frown appeared on her face upon seeing the bloodshed below.
Then a thought came to her… and with that thought, she turned to face Raiden, leaned forward, and kissed him. The kiss caught Raiden by surprise for a moment. He was just beginning to return the kiss when Rose slowly pulled away and looked up at him with her purple eyes.
"What was that for?" Raiden asked her.
Rose found herself smiling a little. "Just in case something happens to one of us."
Raiden smiled as well. "Good enough. Now, let's get to work… we have lives to save."
"Right," Rose agreed.
The two looked down the hill they stood on as they awaited for a mortal to run up a hill, whether ally or foe…
Forest, Outside the Tournament Grounds
This is getting worse by the minute, Colonel Guile thought as he walked through a small pathway in the forest. A while ago, he noticed that the area he was in seemed darker than normal. For a moment, he thought that clouds took over the sky. However, upon looking up at it, he noticed that a crimson color replaced the previous purple color.
Guile sighed to himself. I just hope the others are doing all right…
It has only been a half hour since he and Kenshi began their journey to Shao Kahn's fortress after the sorcerer Shang Tsung had kidnapped both Li Mei and Alex for reasons unknown to them. Since they began walking, Kenshi had only told them that the walk would be about two hours… afterward, neither one of them spoke a word.
Some time passed when Kenshi suddenly stopped in his tracks. Guile had followed the swordsman just a couple of feet behind and he quickly halted as well. He watched as Kenshi slowly turned his head a bit as though he was trying to sense something.
"What's going on?" Guile asked him.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Kenshi replied quietly. "I thought I heard footsteps about a few yards away."
Guile kept silent as he tried to listen for footsteps as well. However, he wasn't able to hear anything. He decided to at least look around their surroundings. As he did, he suddenly noticed a yellow beam in the distance shooting up into the sky.
What in the world is that? the Colonel asked himself.
Then, to his surprise, Kenshi quickly drew out his sword from his scabbard and sliced something above him. Guile was confused by the gesture for a split second before he heard what sounded like cutting flesh. Guile was soon able to get a better look as a tarkatan, now split vertically in two, fell to the ground with it's own blood spewing all around.
"What the hell?!" Guile called out.
"He came from one of the trees," Kenshi told him as he held his bloody sword in front of him, ready for more attacks. "…there are more of them around us… including some behind you."
Guile quickly turned in the direction behind him, heeding the swordsman's words. His blue eyes widened as two tarkatans came hurling after him, their blades out of their arms and ready to taste blood.
"Sonic Boom!" the Colonel yelled out as he briefly pulled his strong arms back before bringing them forward. A yellow, boomerang-like projectile shot out and flew towards the Tarkatans before hitting them, knocking the two creatures back.
By then, more tarkatans surrounded the two men.
"Let's get this over with," Guile said under his breath.
Soon, the tarkatans closed in on them and began their onslaught. Guile found himself mostly dodging the sharp blades that seemed to attempt to attack him from every direction. During that time, he managed to get a few hits in, mainly with some low punches and sweep kicks, knocking the tarkatans either to the ground or away from him to give himself enough room to fight more. Soon, he was able to perform a somersault shell, flipping backwards into the air and kicking a tarkatan just under the chin, sending it flying in the air before crashing into the dirt.
Meanwhile, metal clashed with metal as Kenshi fought the tarkatans with his sword. For a while, the combined strength of three tarkatans nearly caught him off guard. Eventually, he was able to decapitate one tarkatan before performing a back kick to knock away another one of the mutants. He then used his telekinetic powers to send the other crashing into a tree with enough force to render him unconscious.
At that point, another tarkatan jumped in the air, his blades out and ready to slice from behind the swordsman. Kenshi was just beginning to sense his opponent's approach when an energy force suddenly surrounded the tarkatan, stopping it in midair. The mutant was confused for a moment before he began to scream in agony as he body was crushed into a bloody pulp, his own blood spray all over before his crushed form was released from the energy and fell to the ground.
For a moment, Kenshi was confused and wondered where the energy came from. That was, until he sensed a being he had not heard from since the fourth round of the tournament.
"It's been a while," the swordsman said to the figure as they appeared from behind the trees.
Meanwhile, Guile managed to punch a tarkatan out cold when he began to notice the others running off. Confusion fell over his face for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on. That was until he heard one of the tarkatans yell out, "It's the Enigma! Retreat!"
"What the…" Guile mumbled. What are they talking about?
He soon found his answer as he turned his head back to Kenshi. Near him, a figure dressed in a black and red-orange floated himself to the ground, surrounded by a green aura. Guile slowly approached the group, now completely rendered with confusion.
"Yes, it has been quite sometime," the mysterious man said to Kenshi. "We assume much has happened since our last meeting."
Guile looked over at the swordsman. "Who is this?" he asked.
The figure turned his head to Guile. "We are not an enemy if that is what you think."
"Not at all," Guile said. "But I'd like to know who you are and how you and Kenshi know each other."
The stranger nodded. "We are Ermac. Only a few weeks ago, we were associated with Shao Kahn…" From there, Ermac told the Colonel of his enigmatic form, his reasons for changing sides, and his alliance with Kenshi. It was a lot to digest for Guile, but it had at least erased the confusion he had moments ago.
"Do you what's going on right now?" the Colonel asked.
"Shao Kahn has launched an onslaught against the surviving tournament participants," Ermac explained. "He had a plan since the beginning and only today did he reveal exactly what it was… we had spoken with one of the guards in secret and, after some 'convincing,' he revealed that the Emperor planned to recruit the remaining fighters into his army by force… either physically, or by taking their souls. We believe that his reasons for doing this is because he plans to invade all the realms in the universe once again…"
"So this was the purpose of the tournament all along," said Kenshi. "And Chishio No Me's powers seem to boost their purpose."
"Exactly," Ermac replied. "Shao Kahn had wanted the best fighters that exist for his own purpose. Chishio No Me served as not only the key to their plan, but also a ploy to lure the fighters into the tournament. As a matter of fact, the real medallion was never meant to be given away to the winner… but lucky for them, one of their own managed to win the tournament…"
"So Ivy was associated with Shao Kahn after all..." asked Guile.
Ermac nodded. "Now a battle is taking place at the palace grounds. The yellow beam in the distance is the signal of multiple operating portals that will lead you back home."
"That's not what we plan to do at the moment," Guile said. "As a matter of fact, we may actually need your help."
Kenshi continued for him. "Shang Tsung took Alex and Li Mei. We're heading to Shao Kahn's fortress and we're not leaving Outworld until they're safe."
"You will definitely need our help," Ermac said. "Did Shang Tsung act alone?"
"We believe so," replied Guile. "It happened about a half hour ago."
"Then Alex and Li Mei will not be at the Emperor's fortress. Shang Tsung has his own palace about a half hour to the Northeast of the fortress. They'll most likely be there…" From there, Ermac began walking and both Kenshi and Guile followed.
"So what happened to you?" Kenshi asked after a few minutes of silence.
"We've been in hiding after our last meeting," Ermac began. "Shao Kahn had discovered our betrayal. For a while, we were hiding out with a former prisoner named Paul Phoenix… at least until we were attacked by the Fighting God Ogre. We don't know what happened to Paul-"
"He was found by one of our allies," Guile said. "We took him in and he stayed with us since."
"We are glad to hear that," Ermac nodded. "During the fight, Ogre had knocked us off a cliff. We used our own telekinesis to slow our fall. We believe that the Emperor and his forces presumed us dead…at least until now, but it no longer matters. During our time in hiding, we spent a majority of time meditating. We were preparing to return to the grounds after the tournament ended. During that time, about a mile away from Shang Tsung's palace, we found a portal that seemed to be abandoned for quite some time… it's still in activation…and judging by it's green color, it leads to Earth."
"That's reassuring," Guile said with a nod.
"What do you think Shang Tsung plans to do with Alex and Li Mei?" Kenshi asked suddenly.
Ermac was silent for a moment before answering. "We're not sure," he replied.
It was a lie. The truth was, if Ermac's hunch was correct, the sorcerer had planned to add the two women to his harem. Why else would the sorcerer kidnap them and bring them to his palace? His reason for not saying anything was because he needed the two of them to focus on their rescue mission rather than worry about what could happen if they were too late…
They still had time to rescue the two women… Ermac just hoped that nothing else gets in their way…
Near the Battle
Slowly, the chosen ones left the cave grounds as they walked towards the battle nearby. Some of them looked back at the cave grounds as fond memories of their days there passed their minds. Some believed that this was possibly the last time they would ever see the sight.
Eventually, they were yards away from the battle. Nightwolf stood in front of everyone, his two tomahawks ready in each of his hands. He looked around for a while as he began to realize the familiarity of this event…
This was the exact thing he had envisioned for the past few weeks…
The time has come for this battle, he thought to himself.
Nightwolf turned to the chosen ones. All of them had determination on their faces as they were all ready to fight against whatever plans Shao Kahn was planning.
"Fight for as long as you can!" Nightwolf called out to them. "And if you feel that you can no longer go on… make your escape. Do not feel guilty of that decision. Live today, fight tomorrow!"
The shaman's words gave confidence to the chosen ones. He then turned his head towards the bloodshed and pointed one of his tomahawks forward. "It's time!"
Nightwolf then began to head towards the battle with the chosen ones following him. Now there was no going back…they would fight with all they had until they could no longer fight.
Now, the combat has truly begun…