~Mileena POV~
I slightly open my eyes, letting them wander around the room, and take in the surroundings. Last night was the first time in almost two weeks that I allowed myself to rest. I open my eyes completely as I notice Li Mei setting something in my wardrobe. I leap off of the bed and stretch, aiming my arms toward the sky then I proceed to touch my toes. The slight cracks from my joints relaxes me and I feel my body become less tense.
"Ah, you are awake sister. Today is all about you," Li Mei reminds me with a warm smile.
"Oh...I see..." I reply uneasily.
"What is it?" she advances closer with curiosity peaking in her eyes.
"If I am not placed against Kitana, it is a waste of my time. I only wish to end her life and be done with it all," I say with a disappointed and angry expression.
"Do not worry about her sister, she will get what is coming to her," Li Mei reassures.
"Yes, and so shall that Kung Lao peasant," I add.
No one shall ever disrespects us, especially not a pesky Earthrealmer. I shall spill the blood of any who dare, even if it means my disqualification.
"Well...he is of no concern to us now," she replies, quickly breaking eye contact.
"And why is that?" I question.
She feigns being busy in an attempt to avoid the question by folding new gear for me. I place my hands on my hips and raise an eyebrow just before clearing my throat. She realizes that such a subtle way of changing the subject shall not prove effective on me. Li Mei then turns to me with an embarrassed smile.
"Let us merely say, he has become an ally of the enemy."
"When? You were just boasting about how you did not take kindly to him after last night's encounter," I try to make sense of what she says.
She begins to scan the room with a blank face. She gives of a small grin as she now faces the ground.
"Oh, I know that look," I say with a grin. "It is the same look I give my prey before devouring them. So what happened?" I ask amused with curiosity on my voice.
She smiles then bites her lip, and steps closer.
She leans in and whispers, "Let us say, I would devour him," to me in a seductive tone, mocking me.
We both let out a small laugh.
"Now I am truly curious as to what took place with this Kung Lao," I say, persuading her to tell me.
"Alright, since I know your pursuits concerning this subject will not stop, I will just say it," she looks deep into my eyes trying to hold back a smile, leaving me in suspense. "I kissed him, there, that is all," she says as she sees my impatient expression.
"Ooh, taking a liking to mortals now are we? Maybe you can keep him as a present when we take their realm," I joke in an immature tone.
She giggles and says, "We are allies, not lovers."
"Sister, in this world, you are whatever you wish to be," we ease over to the wardrobe.
"Well I will not claim what I only had a glimpse of," she explains as we undress.
"I say you go for what pleases you, however after the tournament, how do you plan to see him again if we take their realm?" I question as I dress into my new gear and she switches into her servant clothing.
It reveals my breasts slightly as well as my belly and back, and it is magenta as always. Her gray servant clothing matches the other servants' clothing that reside here.
"I have not thought of it in so much depth. Besides, he is merely an ally, nothing more," she speaks uncertainly.
"Do not worry, things will reveal in time," I assure her as I spin my sais then place them in their new holsters.
"I appreciate this little chat we are having, thank you," she says with a smile. I nod as she then says, "I must do my duties for today, I shall meet you again whenever the opportunity arises."
"Yes, take your time. Do what you must," I reply, giving a subliminal message to her situation with Kung Lao.
Whether she noticed or not, she smiles and then exits my room. I look into the mirror and remove my veil, replacing it with a different magenta mask.
"Mileena," a deep and familiar voice says.
I turn quickly to the door to spot Rain. His kombat gear is made of the same material as mine, as well as his violet mask. Thin shoulder and knee pads accompany his elegant violet getup as well.
"Rain!" I exclaim.
I walk to the door, coming face to face with him.
"I see you are the final kombatant to compete today for Outworld," he states.
"Oh, yes..." I say hesitantly.
"Do not worry. I made it to the semi-finals, I know you can," he says.
Rain made it, so I shall be seeing more of him in the future if I do as well.
"I have no worries," I say.
"Well my reason for this intrusion is to ask you something," he says as he walks out of my room.
I step out as well, closing the door behind me and advance down the corridor alongside him.
"Yes," I say as we walk.
"Would you care to accompany me?" he inquires.
"In what exactly?" I reply as we get to the staircase, going down and passing other warriors.
"I am headed to an old market down the road. They sell goods that I enjoy," he says as we proceed down a flight of stairs.
"That sounds fine, lead the way."
I wonder why he did not ask Kitana, he does seem to enjoy her company more than mine as I recall. However, I do appreciate a distraction from all this commotion and a chance to escape from the presence of these Earthrealmers.
"You will be back at sundown in time for your battle," he promises.
We reach the first floor.
"Not that I am worried about that," I admit.
The only thing that I am concerned of is how to catch my sister in her treacherous tracks and murder her with my own hands. We proceed down the corridor and pass a flock of Earthrealm warriors who stare at us blankly. I ignore their presence as we continue.
"Good. Also so you know, we are not exactly supposed to leave," he says uneasily as we stop at the front door and he turns to me.
"Do I look like the type to follow futile rules?" I ask in a clever voice.
He looks at me with surprising amusement.
"That is the Mileena I know so well," he replies in cheer as he pushes the door open quietly.
He holds the door ajar by placing his foot at the bottom of it and holds his hand out, signaling me to go first. I slip by, entering the outdoors. Rain slowly closes the door to create less noise, and walks slightly ahead of me, leading the way. I follow next to him as we enter a more social area of the city. The people of Outworld stare at us in awe as we make our way through the busy and crowded area. I gaze around at all the surroundings. The gray, stone buildings and little tent markets that sell rations and or clothing engulf most of the city. Bandits wait at every corner and peasants do as well. To think there was once a time when this realm was completely different and had no corruption is quite alarming.
"Something bothering you?" he peers down at me as we continue walking.
Civilians make way for us, not wanting to test our abilities.
"Just thinking, it is nothing," I reply. "So what is it you enjoy here?" I ask as we make our way through the now parting crowd.
"You shall see," he says with joyful eyes.
"By the Elder Gods! Look yonder! It's the fighter, Rain!" we hear a female voice shout as we walk.
We stop and turn to see a group of young women, gawking at Rain as if he is a sex symbol. I have a building desire to toss my sais their way, but I remain calm.
"You're right it is!" another one shouts with too much excitement.
This makes me frown slightly. These Outworld harlots need to calm themselves or I shall end their lives. Wait...why do I even take their excitement into consideration? Rain means nothing to me. The only who ever meant something to me was...Tanya...until she disappeared. Rain merely gives a casual wave and then we proceed walking again.
"Famous here?" I joke, yet still being the slightest bit serious.
"I have no idea," he replies with laughter on his voice.
I look around at all the Outworld people as we proceed through the market. Racket from conversations fill the air. The sound of blacksmiths forging weapons is also heard. We come across a marketing stand where a man is grilling a food. The smell of burning wood and pepper fills the air as a man in black clothing and bushy-like gray tinted hair behind the grill flips the meat.
"This is it," he announces as we come to a stop.
"Ah! Rain!" the man welcomes.
"Hiroto!" Rain greets as the man twirls his butcher knives and flips the food on the grill.
"I see you have returned! You have good taste, huh!" the man laughs then chops a slab of meat in half, throwing it on the grill with a loud sizzle.
"Indeed, Hiroto," Rain replies joyfully.
He must visit here quite often. I never would have guessed any of his hobbies were so...light hearted.
"And you have a pretty lady with you this time!" he chuckles loudly. "You usually come here alone!" Hiroto says so loud almost all of Outworld probably hears.
He usually comes here alone? I wonder why; he has become an ally of practically all of the Outworld forces a long time ago, he could go with anyone. Is this what he does when he disappears from the fortress? How...surprising.
"True," Rain turns to me with a smile hidden by his purple mask. "I want the usual," he says directing his attention to Hiroto.
"As you wish!" he says just before throwing another slab of meat upward and cutting it into three parts in mid-air.
Hiroto's handles with his cooking gear reminds me of how I handle my sais in kombat, he must be a warrior behind this job of his. After a moment of the food grilling, Hiroto uses a butcher knife to flip it upward, making the sliced meat fall back onto the grill with a medium sizzle. I am not too fond of regular foods. I eat them yes, but not as much as I eat live flesh. That is the best meal to me. However, I did say I would accompany Rain, so I suppose I shall eat whatever it is he plans on getting along with him. I guess I was staring off into space, for I look over at Rain to discovering him staring at me. His gray eyes are analyzing every inch of me. He meets my eyes then peers forward, pretending to concentrate on the food Hiroto is preparing. I know he is not really watching him, but I do the same.
"Here you go!" Hiroto shouts with too much joy, handing Rain his meal.
It is well done meat on a stick, smoking from the heat it was just embracing on the grill.
"Much thanks, Hiroto," Rain replies a lot more calm.
Hiroto then hands me mine, and I take it. I do not even bother asking what it is. Odds are if Rain will feast upon it regularly, it must be delicious. I take it without hesitation, nodding my head in a thankful gesture. I do not bother saying it, for Hiroto will just shout again, attracting the attention of the towns people who walk by.
"Come again, eh?!" Hiroto exclaims.
"Indeed we will," Rain replies.
I stand by Rain's side without a word as he says goodbye to Hiroto. We turn back to the road and continue to walk as he leads the way.
"There is somewhere else I would like to take you," he says as he grabs my free hand with his, leading me through town.
People stare as we travel through, it is as if they fear us, and in all honesty they should. I would be devouring one of them now if I was not with Rain. I am sure he would not mind either way, but since we are not supposed to leave the tournament building I do not wish to draw attention. We arrive at the front of a house that has a somewhat large wall around it, and has a door that keeps others out. He opens it, leading me into the front yard of the house.
"This way," he says as we go around to the back.
Three large trees make the walls that stand tall around the premises seem shorter than what they are. The grass is rather tall as well, and the house appears to be abandoned. We arrive in the back, and my eyes widen as they land on a small blue stream with magenta flowers surrounding it.
"What is this?" I ask.
I have never seen something this natural still maintained in Outworld accept the fountain in the back of our palace. Rain releases my hand and turns to me.
"This is something I discovered while wandering the city," he presents.
I gaze around the little garden-like backyard, studying the surroundings. Rain watches my reactions as I do this. It appears to be...much like Smoke described Earthrealm to be. My eyes maintain their position on the stream, surprised at the discovery.
He lets out a small laugh before saying, "Come, let us eat," as leads me towards the stream.
We remain hand in hand as we come mere inches away from the bright blue waters. Rain places his feet into the stream and sits on the edge of the tall grassy terrain. I join him and do the same, sitting in rather close proximity to him. I remove my mask slightly, and place the entire stick into the clutches of my sharp teeth. My tongue wraps around the pieces of food, sliding each from the tiny stick. I then begin to chew them, and when I retract the tiny stick, no food is left on it. I begin to chew more rapidly, taking in the flavor. It is almost as good as live flesh, though I would much rather prefer chewing into the blood vessels of those who oppose me.
"A neat eat trick," Rain teases my ability to eat rapidly as he finishes his meal.
"Whatever," I say with a grin as I place my mask back on.
This is my first time in a long while seeing his full face, for we barely show our faces. Though, he knows of my Tarkatan appearances already and does not seem to mind it, unlike others. His brown and black hair that flows into a long ponytail goes great with his gentle features. Though he looks like a man that is always sympathetic, he is among the most cold blooded and will murder an innocent civilian in a heartbeat if it means enjoyment. However, I enjoy that side of him. It causes me to feel that maybe my sadistic ways are not so inhumane, as others would describe it. I analyze him for a moment, then throw my stick into the stream and watch it float. I feel the water sooth my feet through my gear, and peer downward at my rippling reflection. This seems all too familiar.
"You know Mileena," he says after finishing his meal.
He throws his stick into the stream and watches it travel through it just as I did. He turns to me and places his hand atop of my hand that rests on my thigh.
"I have been meaning to inform you of something for a while now..." he says unsurely.
The concerned look in his eye says enough, but I want to know exactly what it is.
"What is it?" I question curiously.
He faces the stream for a moment, then back to me.
"I am beginning...to fall in love with you," Rain says.
My eyes widen as his words echo in my head over and over again. I sit there a moment, just watching him as he watches me. What in the Orderrealm? I was unaware that he would ever feel such feelings for me.
"What?" I say in shock, making sure I heard him correctly.
"I am...falling in love with you," he repeats with all seriousness written on his face.
I cannot believe what I am hearing, for I always thought he felt something for my treacherous sister.
"But, you love Kitana," I counter with slight confusion.
"I did temporarily yes, until I realized you were everything she could never be," he replies in a calm voice.
He moves closer to me, planting his lips on my forehead. My eyes widen a bit more as he does this. He places his hand on my shoulder, peering directly into my eyes.
"Rain..." I mutter, not sure of what else I should say.
"I just want to be honest with you," his words come out so sincere it is as if we are in our own world.
But why tell me now of all times? Does he think I may die later when I fight? Knowing Rain he particularly does not admit his inner secrets to anyone. For all I know he could have been meaning to inform me of this since childhood.
"Why are you telling me this now?" I ask, maintaining calm.
"I am not sure..." he says in a low voice.
His expression tells me he is going into deep thought. Rain then stands and ventures into the stream completely, standing straight with his back turned. I enter the water, following him.
"You can tell me Rain," I say attempting to reassure him.
He faces me, getting closer. The space left between us almost ceases to exist. Rain grabs both of my hands and peers down into my eyes. He conjures up the water from the stream, making it float around us as if it is air, creating our own atmosphere of the sort.
"I am telling you now because I do not know who you are up against tonight. If you fail, I will murder them..." the water particles continue to float around us in a circular motion.
"Do not concern yourself, no matter who it is, I shall prevail. This is something I must do."
Though, he does not know the thing I must do is not win the tournament, but murder Kitana. He does not even know I befriended Earthrealmers and one of father's slaves is my sworn sister. Should he find out these things, he would not feel such a way toward me. I may even begin to look like a traitor in his eyes. Though the sensation is not mutual, to know he sees me as superior when compared to Kitana brings me joy. I could use this to my advantage eventually. I glance down at the water in which we stand, not knowing how else to respond verbally. He lifts my chin with his hand.
"I have faith in you Mileena."
Rain wraps his arms around me and plants his lips onto my forehead once more. I return the favor by holding onto him, resting my head against his chest.
"Just promise me Kitana will never come before me again..." I say in a low voice.
"Don't you see...when it comes to me, she never did," and with that, I close my eyes, feeling relief for the first time in years.
I hold him tighter. How pleasant to hear such words for the first time in thousands of years. All I ever wished was to be recognized as my own person. That...is all I needed to hear...