The sun displayed over the realm long ago, however, I remain sitting at the edge my bed in silence. Canaries and other assessments of birds fill the air with their chirping. The wind blows lightly, whistling through the air. Spots if sunlight shine through my cottage as I stand and stretch. I make my way over to the wooden closet and open it to find an assortment of pink battle gear. I shuffle through them and choose one at random, then strip from my current gear. I slip into a revealing top and shorts that grip my waist. I pull the black outlined pink mask over my face along with a medium sized headband of the same color. I threw the last sai I had out, so I must do without them for now. I slip on finger-less gloves and then proceed to my door. I open it, only to see Smoke standing with his arms behind his back on my door step. His mask is absent, allowing me to witness the smile that appears on his face once he lands eyes on me.
"What in the Netherrealm?" I place emphasis on his presence.
"Big day today Princess, you are still defending your spot in the finals," his smooth, white hair slightly blows in the wind.
"Indeed, what of it?" I question as he steps closer.
"Well, I thought that you may need these," he reveals a rectangular black box with a silver dragon sketched on it that was hidden behind his back.
Smoke holds it out toward me, indicating me to open. I look him in the eyes with something of a grin on my face behind my mask, and then open the box. A thick paper is wrapped over whatever it is, so I pick it up and start to unravel it swiftly until two brand new sais roll out onto my palm. They appear to be made of steel with a pink dragon on the wing base and a stripe of pink travels up the blade itself. The handle contains specs of silver that shine in the afternoon sun as the blade somewhat reflects the trees. I did not expect this, and I am impressed, truly.
"…Thank you," my eyes meet his again.
"No need for gratitude," he smiles at me as I place my new sais in their holsters on my legs.
I come closer to him and wrap my arms around his torso. He returns the favor by pulling me closer into our embrace by my hips. Smoke then moves his grip from my waist to my cheek and lower jaw. His hands caress my face as he leans in toward me slowly.
"Sister!" I hear, causing Smoke and I turn.
Li Mei is sprinting my way. She alarms me, so I exit Smoke's grasp and I begin running toward her, meeting her with Smoke at my side.
"What is wrong?" I ask quickly.
"There is something you must see!" she takes off in the direction of the forest she came as Smoke and I follow close behind.
The sound of our feet hitting the forest terrain impacts our ears as we proceed through the trees and grass.
"What is the big rush?" Smoke asks as we maintain our speed.
"No time to explain, she just has to see for herself," Li Mei replies.
We come to an elevated hill like area that overlooks a pond with a small waterfall surrounded by rocks and grass in the middle of the forest. Li Mei stops running, cautioning us to do the same. We crouch down on the grass just as Li Mei does and travel a few inches up the hill-like area. She points to the small pond below that we overlook from the hill.
"There, it is Kitana and the Thunder God," I peer downward and spot them.
"What are they doing so deep in the forest? This is all the proof I need to kick off my plan now," I think to myself.
Kitana stands with the Thunder God, conversing. Her face is revealed due to her mask that is left hanging around her neck and her hair is in a long braid that travels down her back. She is clad in a sapphire one piece outfit with her fans sheathed on the sides of her boots. Her arm bands are thin and travel up to her shoulders.
"Lord Raiden, I was uncertain in the beginning, but now I see where my true destiny lies; with Earthrealm," the treacherous one speaks and her voice echoes.
Anger seeps into me and I can feel my eyes begin to glow.
"What you are doing is very brave Kitana. Your cooperation is most appreciated to Earthrealm," the Thunder God replies.
I place my hand on the sais Smoke just gave to me. Li Mei grabs my shoulder.
"No, not now. You shall have your chance later, focus on the tournament and afterwards tell the emperor everything you know," she whispers.
As much as I would love to murder her where she stands, I know I must let father know of everything first, for it would appear as treason otherwise. I sheathe my new sais as I turn to Smoke. He is with Earthrealm, therefore he can find out more about Kitana's treachery than I will be able to. He looks back at me with an arched eyebrow.
"Smoke, do you know any of Kitana's intentions?" I whisper to him.
I can see in his eyes that he knows what I am leading up to.
"No, however I am aware that Raiden seems to be a mentor of the sorts to her," he replies.
"It is an honor, I shall see you when kombat resumes lord Raiden," Kitana says, giving a slight bow.
Raiden bows back and then disappears in a flash of lightning. Kitana then ventures to the edge of the pond and sits. She places her feet into the water. I take this as a chance to quickly unsheathe my sais, hearing the sleek sound of blades being released into the atmosphere. If treason shall be my only punishment, it is worth it. I stand and raise a sai in the air, ready to pounce to her. But before I can jump, Smoke grabs my arm and before I know it we are all back on the beach with a misty cloud surrounding us. I turn to him with confusion and annoyance in my eyes.
"Why did you stop me? I could have ended her!" I shout to him while stepping closer.
"I know what you want to ask of me Mileena, and I will tell you anything you want to know. But only under one condition," Smoke answers my unspoken question.
"What condition is that?" I ask.
"I will give you the information you so desire. In exchange, I want you to join the Earthrealm forces once you decide on what action you want to take with your Kitana situation," he gazes down at me with serious eyes that almost make me consider it.
"I cannot join your forces, I have a throne to claim," I say, staring right back at him.
I can feel Li Mei watching us intensely as I keep my attention on Smoke. If only he knew the conflict that boils inside of me. If claiming the throne later on means I have to put up with hardships now, then I shall stand by Outworld. It is my destiny, I know it is.
"Is that the only reason you stay by his side; to claim the throne? The throne will rightfully be yours regardless if you are fighting for him or not. You can join us and we could defeat Shao Kahn together," Smoke suggests.
I stand a moment and consider this. He is right, but the idea is wrong. Father is anything but easy to kill, and he brought me life. Without him I would not be here. Though, he favors Kitana, which makes my blood boil. The offer is very tempting, but will take some private consideration. However, I cannot let Smoke notice this.
"I cannot betray my father," I reply with a straight face.
"Cannot? Or will not?" he questions.
"Both."
I eye him as he eyes me.
"We should start walking to the kombat building; it is bound to start soon. Do not forget you are fighting today sister," Li Mei cuts in, putting the strange tension at ease.
Smoke places his mask back onto his face. He and I silently agree and begin to walk alongside Li Mei as it mostly remains silent.
~Kitana POV~
I hear a distant sound of metal hit the air as I look upward in the direction from which it came, only to find no one. It must have been warriors training in the distance. I feel my feet glide through the light waters of this beautiful realm and listen to the wind hit my ears gently. To think that Outworld will no longer be my home after this last tournament brings me so much joy.
Long ago I have questioned the ways of Shao Kahn, the man I used to call father, and his greed to conquer every realm. Mileena never has however, she blindly follows his orders, and even shuns me for reasons I do not quite know. However, regardless of what happens, I will do everything in my power to assist Earthrealm. The Thunder God also promised to uncover a revelation about Shao Kahn I lend him my strength in this tournament. What he meant by that I will not know until later, but judging by how important he made it out to be, I am patient. I have waited this long to choose my own path, so I can wait longer. Jade also plans to join me, for she has questioned Shao Kahn's authority even longer than I have.
"Kitana!" I turn at my name being called from behind.
It is Liu Kang. He proceeds towards me as I take to my feet.
"Liu, I am pleased to see you. Are you ready for kombat today?" I greet him.
Liu was the first ally I came across from the Earthrealm forces. He along with Sonya, Jax and Johnny Cage have my trust. I have also made acquaintance with Nightwolf, Kung Lao, Smoke, and Kuai Liang otherwise known as Sub-Zero.
"Yes, as always. We should get going; master Raiden will be expecting us."
"Yes, let us be on our way," I reply.
I walk alongside him as we begin advancing back to the beach. His shoulder length black hair is held back by a thick red head band and his black pants have red dragons sketched on the sides. He is shirtless, which reveals his toned torso. Birds chirp and other forms of life stumble through the forest as we make our way back to the beach. The bright sky makes the sand shine even brighter than usual as well. The life within this realm reminds me of the few remains of Edenia in Outworld.
"Liu," I say, catching his attention.
"Yes Kitana?"
"Do you ever feel as if the weight of the realms lies on your shoulders?" I question.
He gives this question some thought for a moment as we arrive on the beach's sandy surface.
"Well, when it comes to being the champion of Mortal Kombat, yes; knowing that if I fail my realm, it could fall into the hands of Shao Kahn. It makes me feel as though all I have is the pressure of the tournament to worry about. But, that is life in this realm," he answers.
"I see…"
"Sometimes you have to do what is right for others before you can do what is right for you," we hear and look behind us to find Nightwolf catching up.
Nightwolf is a very spiritual mortal with wisdom that even challenges lord Raiden's. He has rather dark tan skin with red facial markings. His hair is worn down naturally with a feather that suspends from it. A vest graces his chest and jeans with rather sturdy boots grace his legs and feet.
"I know what you may be thinking. Going against the emperor is a challenging thing, especially being his heir," Nightwolf adds.
"Yes, but I shall not falter, Earthrealm does not deserve Shao Kahn's tyranny, and neither did the other realms he has merged with Outworld," I reply.
We come to the front of the kombat building when the horn sounds. It seems like we have arrived just in time. We enter together to find other warriors surrounding the ring. Lord Raiden, Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn all stand in the front of the ring.
"I must depart; father may suspect our joined presence."
"Do not worry Kitana, the spirits shall guide you," Nightwolf concludes as I walk away and blend in with the crowd.
My attention turns to the door as my sister enters, accompanied with a woman in purple. However, she seems to be talking to Smoke. I wonder what their connection is? He somehow keeps her unstable mind intact. Yesterday, I witnessed my sister show mercy to him; someone who surrendered to her. I never thought I would see her do anything of the sort in my lifespan. I doubt she finally questioning Shao Kahn's authority after all this time, she undoubtedly has a scheme going on within the Earthrealm forces. Mileena steps into the arena, ending her conversation quickly. I peer over at father and Shang Tsung who both face Mileena. Shang Tsung has a grin that displays his evil intentions; however the tension is evident in Shao Kahn's expression. If she does not succeed, there is no telling what could occur. More and more warriors begin to fill the building and crowd around the arena.
"Kitana, there you are," I hear.
I turn to meet Jade. Her eyes are a pure green and she is clad in gear similar to my own, but her gear is a deep shade of olive and gold chain suspenders fall past her hips. Her hair is tied into a bun with a gold hair stick in the center and her smooth ebony skin almost glows. Jade's staff is mounted on her back and her glaives are sheathed on both sides of her hips.
"Jade, have you spoken to Raiden as of late?" I inquire.
"Indeed I have, we make our move after the tournament. Shao Kahn's terror will be stopped," she replies.
"Yes, time to make a change."
"What of Mileena?" she questions.
"What about her?"
"Well she seems particularly…drawn to a certain Earthrealm warrior," Jade points, revealing Smoke in the crowd who watches Mileena with calm eyes.
"I have noticed…however I know my sister; she is not one to revolt against the emperor. I am almost certain that she is in this for herself now. Though, the reason why eludes me," I say.
"It must be a rather important reason; she did disobey Shao Kahn. I do not recall her ever doing so in the past. She also spared the mortal," Jade states.
"Yes...that was particularly strange. However, she is not to be trusted, the emperor has corrupted her mind."
Jade nods in agreement.
"Silence!" Raiden commands, ending all conversations. "Kombat continues with Mileena," he pronounces.
"Yes it shall," Shang Tsung intercepts. "And she shall fight Kung Lao!"
I turn my attention to Kung Lao who stands near Smoke as well as the woman in purple. The woman's expression seems to show a bit of concern, but he whispers something to her which places her mind at ease. Mileena's expression remains blank as Kung Lao steps onto the arena. A look of determination sparks in his eyes as he comes face to face with Mileena.
"Fight!" father shouts.
Mileena advances to Kung Lao, using her open palms to strike him. She manages to land a hit, but he catches her right hand. He proceeds to knee her in the stomach and flips her onto her back. While on the ground, she quickly trips Kung Lao, and back flips into her fighting stance as he hits the floor. As Kung Lao takes to his feet, he places a hand on his hat, causing it to slightly shimmer as he removes it, holding it in his hand. Seeing this, Mileena draws her sais and aims them at him. He advances in an attempt to cut her vertically. The thick razor on his hat meets her sais, which sends sparks flying in every direction. He slightly falls back, sending another vertical hat strike Mileena's way that she dodges. She responds with a kick to his lower abdomen.
Kung Lao aims for her feet with a horizontal swing of his hat as Mileena jumps, sending another kick to his lower jaw, making him hit the ground. Mileena dashes to him with her sais, aiming to make impact and to close the distance. However, Kung Lao vanishes. She comes to a halt, keeping her sais at the ready. He reappears behind her just as she turns around to meet him. He delivers a brutal kick to her upper jaw and she is sent to the ground on her back again, peering up at Kung Lao momentarily before standing. She then advances to him, swinging her sais very fiercely from the left to the right. Kung Lao skillfully deflects each attack as sparks evaporate into the air around the both of them.
Kung Lao deflects most of her attacks with his hat. However, Mileena strikes his leg with her sai, impaling through his layers of skin, leaving her weapon in his flesh. This causes him to drop his hat and kneel with a painful groan escaping his lips. Mileena takes this as an opportunity to bring her knee to his chin, making him fall and land on his back. When Kung Lao cannot seem to stand or continue to fight back it is over. My sister seems to be growing in the art of kombat. This match was unusually quick.
"Finish him!" Shao Kahn announces.
Mileena walks up to Kung Lao and removes her sai from his leg. His blood is left stained on it. He grunts in pain as she grabs his collar and drags him over to the Earthrealm forces near Raiden, and then throws him out of the arena. She turns to where Shang Tsung and father are, twisting her sais with her fingers, and then wipes the blood from her weapons onto her gear. Shao Kahn seems slightly more content with Mileena's performance today. Though she did not quell him, which seems to irritate Shao Kahn. I have never seen Mileena advance this far without taking a life. How...strange. However, her fight is not yet over.
"Well done Mileena," Shang Tsung compliments.
"She beat Kung Lao with great speed, she is improving," Jade takes note.
"Indeed, but she is a threat to Earthrealm, and Outworld as well," I add.
"Your next opponent is Liu Kang, the Mortal Kombat champion!" Shang Tsung shouts.
"Hm…" I mutter, seeing my ally enter the arena with my sister.
She takes a few steps back, keeping her sais elevated in ready position. He clenches his fists and bows to her respectively. Seeing Liu Kang in kombat always has inspired me to assist Earthrealm. He has never performed a fatality against any of his enemies and he always shows respect. The spirit of Earthrealm is truly astounding.
"Show me what you can do," he smiles at her.
She does not say a word, but tightens her grip on her sais, staring at him with tense eyes.
"Fight!" Shao Kahn shouts.
Mileena is the first to attack, striking straight outward with one of her sais. Liu Kang dodges it, sending jabs to her abdomen slightly injuring her. She takes it, and then strikes Liu Kang with her elbow, making him stumble back. Mileena points her sais outward as two magenta energy blasts advance from them, injuring Liu Kang's torso. He takes a step back, delivering a low fireball that hits Mileena's leg. He then gives her a strong kick to the chest, making her hit the ground. She looks upward at him for a moment and then stands. Mileena runs to him, aiming a sai at his head. He evades it and grabs her hand, twisting her arm and causing her to drop her sai. He gives her straight and quick fists to her cranium, followed by an uppercut that sends her back down to the ground.
I hear a groan or two escape her lips as she takes to her feet again with only one sai in her hand. As if in a split second she vanishes, reappearing in front of Liu Kang. She delivers a double-kick to both the front and side of his cranium, causing him to stumble. Mileena wastes no time. She goes to attack once more, but Liu Kang uses his signature bicycle kick move, knocking her onto the arena floor to stay, making her drop the other sai she yields. I peer over to Shao Kahn, who is obviously furious with my sister's pending failure. She comes to a halt on her hands and knees with a groan.
"Finish her!" Shao Kahn's voice holds more anger than usual.
Mileena who is still on the ground looks upward at Liu Kang as he advances to her.
"I will not."
As soon as he got the words out, the woman in purple rushes up to Mileena, helping her get to her feet.
"Sister, are you alright?" I hear the woman in purple say in a low voice.
Sister? I have not seen that woman until this tournament. Is Mileena making allies with both forces? What could she be planning? And more importantly, who is the woman she is always with? I turn to Jade to see if she took note of this. She turns back to me, indicating she also took note of what just occurred. Should Mileena be planning something drastic, she must be stopped. As the woman assists Mileena up, she grabs her sais and they exit the arena, leaving the kombat building. Shao Kahn is definitely up to give her a tongue lashing after the fighting is done. The look on his face is almost unbearable.
"Liu Kang, you will now battle with Kitana!"
I turn to Jade who turns to me with the same expression. I must battle him as if I do not know him, and I must also allow him to claim victory without any suspicion to assist Earthrealm. I will even lay my life on the line for this realm, as long as Shao Kahn never has it under his control and as long as he no longer has me under control.