Chapter 2
High in the Himalaya mountains of Nepal stood an ancient temple, nestled silently within a deep valley, protected in all directions by sheer walls of rock, snow and ice. The temple appeared to be built with a mixture of different Buddhist traditional architecture.
The location of the temple gave the appearance that people had never been there, but the presence of a Stupa with an Aśokan Pillar erected in front of it and a large courtyard lined with prayer wheels and sculptures of Bodhisattvas, suggested otherwise.
Opposite the Stupa stood the main temple, a balcony was above the main gate. Currently a man, or something that looked like a man, stood at the balcony. He looked Dravidian, and if it wasn't for the long, white hair hanging loosely the length of his back, the inhumanly perfect facial features and the glowing white eyes, he could have passed for an South Indian man.
The Temple of Elements, somewhat of a misnomer, Fujin mused. Currently Fujin was watching the storm rage around the temple. Fujin looked down at the inner courtyard and watched as a white wolf appeared at the base of the Aśokan Pillar, it was the size of a polar bear and had lightening emanating off it's fur.
Looks like Raiju is getting his daily exercise, thought Fujin with amusement, hopefully he won't sleep on my navel later, I don't want Raiden waking me with a lightning bolt. Raiden had left his animal companion at the temple, to conjure up storms preventing intruders approaching the temple from the hidden path or the air as humanity had recently learnt to do.
Chuckling to himself Fujin focused his mind and willed himself from the balcony into the inner sanctum of the temple. He appeared before a large doorway with a sealed door, guarded by two large statues of Nio, manifestations of Vajrapani. Both statues were cracked, the bright paint that had once adorned them had long since faded and peeled away and the statue to the left was missing his upraised hand.
Fujin frowned at that, once this temple had been filled with the sounds of Buddhist monks chanting the sutras and clouds of incense had perfumed the air. The statues and many of the Buddhist iconography had been built upon the original temple that the Elder Gods had constructed to house Shinnok's amulet.
Then the Temple of Elements had it's own Sangha community. It had trained monks and nuns, dispatching them into China, Tibet, even as far as Alexandria in the far west, to spread Dharma into those lands and beyond. Batuo the first abbot of the Shaolin Monastery had been instructed here and had taken a map of the location of the temple with him when he left.
For many years later, monks of the Shaolin Monastery would make the pilgrimage to learn from the ancient texts still preserved in it's library. They had stopped after the death of the Great Kung Lao, four hundred years ago.
That map had almost caused the downfall of the realms when Sub-Zero had obtained it for Quan Chi. The temple still showed damage from the assault by the Lin Kuei assassin several years previously and it had not occurred to the Gods to repair the damage.
Fujin's hand drifted to a Buddhist prayer wheel besides the left statue and spun it. Prayer wheels had been added to the temple and it's courtyards by the last pilgrims from Tibet. Fujin still felt comforted to hear the sound of the wind wheels turning in the outer courtyard and on still days would direct gentle breezes at them, to keep them turning endlessly, alleviating the bad karma of those the breeze touched.
The prayer wheel stopped and the door slowly opened inwards revealing the inner sanctum. When the amulet had been returned by Sub-Zero, the Gods had increased the security of the temple using the numerous prayer wheels throughout the complex to hold powerful spells. These would prevent intruders progressing through the temple.
Now not even humans could enter it and the Elemental Gods had regretted that, but their guardianship of the amulet came first. When Sub-Zero had entered the temple the Gods had been overjoyed as they had thought he was a pilgrim, but it was not until he had challenged them in combat that they had realised their mistake.
Fujin walked through the doorway and down the corridor, even the Gods' powers did not work fully here. It opened into a large room that lacked Buddhist iconography and it had been sealed from the Sangha that had once shared the temple complex with the Gods.
At the centre of the room stood a round pedestal and the amulet floated above it. A deep, still pool of water surrounded the pedestal and it glowed unnaturally in the dim light streaming through the rafters of the room.
As Fujin approached the water began to move and collect, it formed a humanoid shape. As Fujin watched Suijin, the water guardian, took his human form and all the water in the pool disappeared. Suijin inclined his head in greeting to Fujin and stepped away from the pedestal at Fujin's approach.
Fujin inclined his head, "greetings Brother for it is my turn to keep watch" Fujin said, "I know you have grown weary of your duty and now I must carry this burden." Fujin straightened, whenever the Gods relieved one another this was the traditional greeting they gave.
Suijin smiled and stretched, "it would be good to flow with the rapids again, after the monotony of stillness". His words were awkward and stilted, spending too little time in a human form affected the God's speech and movement. He bowed and walked through the corridor and out of the door. Fujin heard the doors shut behind him and he was left alone in the room.
Fujin approached the pedestal and shed his human form. The room filled with a strong hurricane wind that condensed and formed a tornado around the pedestal, then Fujin stood sentry over the amulet. He felt the storm outside abate and the winds died down as Raiju grew tired of his game.
Fujin let go of his thoughts and embraced his elemental nature as he guarded the amulet, losing all sense of identity and time, only his duty bound him to the room.
A loud explosion rocked the temple. Fujin was suddenly aware of his surroundings and quickly he regained human form. He could hear a fierce storm raging around the temple and the sounds of snarling, screams and magic filled the temple. How much time has past? What is happening!
Fujin looked towards the doors. They are still sealed, but what is out there? He moved away from the pedestal and stood at the entrance of the corridor. He concentrated, willing his sword Devastator, made by the same sword smith who had created the Sword of Goujian, into his right hand.
A strong smell of sulphur and charred flesh was penetrating the room. Fujin gasped, that smells like magic of the Netherealm.
Suddenly a loud grinding noise of stone upon stone could be heard outside of the door.
The statues of Nio are awakening. Beings of the Netherealm are attacking the temple! Fujin could hear the two Nio leaving their niches either side of the door and he listened to them marching away towards the battle.
For the second time in a hundred years Fujin could feel himself begin to panic. No being from the Netherealm has ever entered the temple. The Bodhisattvas, allies of the Elder Gods and friends of the elemental gods, had helped to defend the temple from the Netherealm for almost three thousand years.
The Bodhisattvas, Vajrapani and Ksitigarbha, had directed their followers through dreams and visions to construct statues of their manifestations throughout the temple complex. This had allowed them to manifest their power into the sculptures, creating powerful barriers against maleviolent magic, sourcerers and Netherealm beings.
An inhuman scream pierced the air and Fujin's heart sank. That was the voice of Suijin, if he had fallen, the others must have as well. Fujin looked down at his sword, it had began to glow and the Niao-Chong characters blazed white. He smiled grimly, thank you Guanyin, your aid is much appreciated.
Fujin felt himself calm as he tightened the grip on this sword in both hands and took a fighting stance. He listened to the sound of the battle and heard one of the Nio crash to the ground.
He looked at the door, it was beginning to glow red and hot. Something powerful was breaking the seal. The door suddenly bulged inwards and then shattered. It's remains hung on their hinges.
Fujin looked towards the smoke and dust to see a figure silloetted in light.
"Get Over Here!" Shouted the figure in Japanese. Fujin barely dodged the kunai hurled towards him. He felt it graze the right side of his face, but ignored it as he charged, sword raised, towards his enemy.
His opponent quickly drew his ninjato sword, deflected Fujin's thrust to the left and quickly followed with a thrust of his own.
Fujin parried the blow, half stepped towards his enemy and jabbed his left elbow towards his opponent's stomach. The blow never connected, his opponent had teleported away and Fujin barely had time to parry another strike delivered directly behind him.
By the Elder Gods he's quick. Fujin sidekicked with his right leg and smiled as the blow landed. He and his opponent traded several attacks and both of them lost their swords as they parried, but Fujin gained the upper hand, he outside blocked a straight punch and attacked with an right uppercut and elbow to the face.
He quickly dropped his right elbow onto the chest, locked his opponent's right arm, simultaneouly delivering a chop to the neck with his right hand.
He grabbed his opponent's face, crushed it with his palm and used the leverage from the locked arm to hurl him to the ground. Fujin smiled, he had hit the Shan Zhong point on the chest and the He Liao point on the face, his body had gone into shock.
Suddenly Fujin cried in agony as he was kicked in the back of the head. Stumbling forward he fell on top of his previous opponent and quickly rolled off as a stomp was aimed at his back.
The stomp connected with his previous opponent and Fujin heard his cry. The new enemy chuckled darkly, "There is always a silver lining in every cloud, Scorpion."
Fujin started, he knew that voice from years ago and recognised the Xingyi quan stance. " I know you! You are Sub-Zero! How dare you violate this sanctuary again! You will not leave this place alive!" Fujin scrambled to his feet and stood ready to resume combat.
"The man you once fought was called Sub-Zero. I am Noob Saibot and your death would please our master" As he spoke Scorpion stood, glowered towards Noob Saibot and took a combat stance beside him.
They both charged at Fujin and combat began again.
Minutes later Fujin was thrown to the ground and spat blood as he hit the stone surface. There's not just two opponents, more like three, that shadow of Noob Saibot's is just as powerful. Fujin rolled over and saw that Noob Saibot was standing next to the empty pedestal, the amulet was in his hand.
"I have defeated you twice Wind God, remember how you have failed Raiden and the Elder Gods as you watch the realms burn!" Noob Saibot laughed and ran towards the doors out of the chamber. Fujin looked to see Scorpion remove his mask, revealing a flaming skull. He opened his mouth and breathed fire towards Fujin enveloping him.
Fujin screamed in agony and turned his head and watched as Scorpion grinned and fled out of the room. He noticed the Devastator to his right and grabbed the sword. As the flames burnt his flesh, an energy shield emanted from the sword, healing his wounds.
Fujin offered a prayer to Guanyin and staggered to his feet, limping down the corridor in pursuit of his enemies. Limping through the temple he passed the body of Suijin, his head was missing, the two Nio guardians had been shattered and various Bodhisattva statues were smashed throughout the complex. The two other guardians had been killed at the entrance to the main temple and Raiju had been hacked to death in the courtyard.
As Fujin exited the temple and crossed the courtyard towards the stupa, two, large skeletal hands thrusted from out of the ground and grabbed him. They crushed him and he could feel his ribs crack, the hands turned him over and threw him into the Aśokan Pillar. Fujin screamed and hit the ground.
As he groggily looked up he could see the Elder God Shinnok standing in front of him. He wore the amulet on his belt and he was flanked by Noob Saibot and Scorpion.
Fujin's heart sank, he had failed, the realms were lost. He looked into the grinning face of Shinnok.
"Finish Him!" Shinnok commanded and his two servants began to manipulate their Qi energy, forming balls of fire and ice respectively.
Some say the world will end in fire, some in ice. Thought Fujin as he awaited his death. How could Shinnok have two such powerful servants?
Suddenly the Aśokan Pillar glowed and Fujin could see Aśokan's edict glowing in the stone. A light enveloped him, he could hear Shinnok's shriek of rage as Fujin lost consciousness during the teleportation.