Love & War 4
Chapter 35: Rage of the Pyromancer
While the scuffle is taking place on Shang Tsung's island, Tanya slowly woke up. She finds hersoelf in Shinnok's throne room in the Netherrealm.
"Sleeping late as usual, eh, Tanya?"
"What? Where re we?"
"This is the throne room of Shinnok, in the Netherrealm."
Tanya looked around. She remembered this place all too well. It was when she worshipped the fallen Elder God. She failed to notice, however, that her clothes are off, replaced by a black and yellow bikini and loincloth, similar to Jade's in MK Deception, just like her, but she kept her yellow boots on.
"Where are my clothes?"
"They are nearby."
"What is the meaning of this?"
"So many questions, yet you know now your man is worrying about your well-being."
"How is it you are alive after 20 long years?"
"You may have sentenced me to death in Edenia, but I will not die, as long as you still live."
"I see. Too bad. If I had another choice, I would have killed you."
"Just because you gave me a death sentence doesn't mean I'm done fighting."
"What are you really after besides me?"
"A world where warriors like us were honored, as we once were, as we should be."
"That was Shao Kahn's fantasy."
"It was his dying wish! Since he was defeated twice by that Earthrealm imbecile, war isn't what it used to be. We are losing our place in a world that no longer needs us. A world that now spurns our very existence. You should know that as well as I do. You wish to know of my purpose? It is this: Since the Kamidogu daggers were successfully collected, I planned on fusing myself with them, along with Havik's chaotic power. Upon doing so, I would finally be able to destroy the one woman who stole everything from me."
"..."
"That woman, after 20 long years, is the one I brought here to this place. The one woman who sent me away on death row. I escaped from the prisons and remained in Outworld, plotting and scheming. That night while you were sleeping, I exited your body. That's right. You were me 20 years ago, a vector for the Forces of Darkness. Once we met, I knew right then that you would be the chosen one."
"..."
"Your adventures with that Earthrealm fool and his wife made you a broken shell of your former self. You wanted ultimate power. You wanted to maybe conquer the realms yourself! You would have used that power to bring chaos and honor back into the world gone soft! Conflict would breed conflict, new hatreds will arise. Then, we warriors would expand our sphere of influence."
"But as long there are people, there'll always be war."
"That's true, but the problem is balance. Shao Kahn and Shinnok knew type of balance was best."
"And the Dragon King?"
"He would've finished what they could not, if it wasn't for that Earthrealmer."
"So it's Chris' fault that their plans were foiled?"
"How is it that someone like him could save the realms singlehandedly? Perhaps there is a power that made him a savior."
"To him, love pulled him through."
"WHAT DOES HE KNOW ABOUT LOVE? Before you, he fell in love with me. But he had no knowledge of my plans to rid the realms of you."
"But I defeated you long ago..."
"A FLUKE, TANYA! Ultimate power would be mine, but it would have been much more enlightening if you were already dead."
"Is that really the only reason?"
"Is it reason enough for warriors such as us?"
"I don't want that kind of world!"
"HA! You lie! So why are you here then?"
"You brought me here!"
"Our encounter after 20 years was inevitable, but why did you continue following that self-proclaimed harlot Mileena, knowing she would betray you? Why did you come here, besides me bringing you here?"
"..."
"I'll tell you then. As me, you enjoy all the killing, that's why."
"WHAT?"
"Are you denying it? You wanted to kill Jade for stealing Chris from you!"
"That's not..."
"(Laughs) I watched your face when he chose Jade over you. You were jealous. You knew she'd be better in bed than you anyway."
This angered Tanya at these words...
"Yes, Tanya. Show me that anger. You want to kill her, don't you?"
"She's my best friend. You're just spewing lies!"
"For once, I do not blame Jade. Chris hit the jackpot indeed. He wouldn't waste his time with a nobody who has nothing, but yet he made you into something, a weak reflection of your former self. That's right, Tanya. Love made you weak. You were consumed by it."
"Coming from someone who broke Chris' heart years ago..."
"Indeed, he was a fool to believe that I loved him. I made him feel worthless. Hopefully it was enough to shatter his confidence, but somehow, someway, he managed to defeat Onaga. It was Jade who motivated him. This is why I brought you here, Tanya. Not only will I kill you, but Jade as well, and maybe, just maybe, I will have Chris again, and after I give him his final night of passion, I will kill him when he least expects it."
"You wouldn't dare..."
"Oh, I would, Tanya. You stole everything from me. Only your death could satisfy me. Only your death can return to me what's rightfully mine. I will take my body back, and bring Havik the glory of chaos... but first, I will kill you!"
"You say that so much, it has lost all meaning."
"You offend me with every breath. I am just as skilled in kombat as you, but like I said, love made you weak. I'm afraid your time is up, Tanya."
They each stood a few feet away. They stared each other down for a few moments until finally...
"HAVE AT YOU, TANYA!"
After 20 years, the battle between them has finally begun. They are equal in skill and speed. Everything Tanya's twin revealed to her was slowly building up in her, along with the fire that burned inside her. Since her twin arrived, Tanya made it her personal task to eliminate her, but when she brought up the fact that Jade stole Chris from her long ago, she soon contemplated on fighting her as well, but she shook that thought from her head and focused on this battle. Tanya wanted to face her twin and rid herself of her. She knew it was time to fight her, and the fact that she planned to kill not only her, but Chris and Jade as well. If Tanya would die at her hands, then everything she had been through with them would be lost forever, and her twin would decimate the realms. Tanya cannot allow it. During the fight, neither one were able to gain the advantage.
"I am your equal, Tanya!"
"Hardly!"
They clashed with each other, sending a shockwave throughout the throne room. A portal opened. They plunged through, sending them both to Earthrealm. They are now on top of a skyscraper in Los Angeles. The battle continued. Still, no advantages were made until Tanya kicked her twin into a helicopter that lost control and crashed into the building. The twin recovered. Tanya teleported inside what appears to be the MK3 stage the bank, long abandoned since the Outworld invasion. As the fight raged on, another helicopter arrived, shining its searchlight on them. The bank was dark, computer screens going on and off, lights flickering on and off, and the elevators were malfunctioning. Tanya managed lure her toward the window where the helicopter. She kicked her through the window in to the chopper. Tanya thought this chopper would crash into the building again, but instead, the twin killed the pilot and threw him out into the streets below.
"Now Tanya, I kind of feel bad for you. You see? You can't protect Earthrealm, not even yourself! DIE!"
The twin activated the chopper's rotary minigun and opened fire. Tanya managed to run at high speed to avoid the flying bullets. The twin then launched and series of missiles into the building. Tanya found a flight of stairs leading down. She jumped down and found herself in the bank's lobby.
"(Singsong) Tanya... where are you?"
"How do I stop her?" Tanya asked herself. She then thought of what Chris would do if he was facing a enemy chopper. He would use a rocket launcher, of course, but Tanya would have no luck finding one. She then remembered, "I'm a pyromancer." She infused the pyromancer insignia throughout her body, hoping it works. She quickly returned to the rooftop.
"So the rat has finally crawled out of its hole! Are you ready now, my sister?"
"I HAVE NO SISTER! YOU'RE JUST A FALSE COPY OF ME!"
"I will send you back to hell!"
The twin fired the miniguns at Tanya. She ran to avoid the bullets.
"You cannot run forever, Tanya!"
She's right. Tanya needed a plan to take her down, and as soon as she thought of one, by chance, she first her fireball, and by luck, it connected.
"DAMN!"
The chopper went down hundreds of feet down the streets. Tanya looked down and saw an explosion down the street. She has finally defeated her twin.
"That takes care of the cremation."
As she exited the building, she surveyed the fallen chopper. Police cruisers and firetrucks were heading her way. She knew she'll have to answer to the authorities, but not before her twin leapt out of the chopper and tackles her down. Tanya was shocked that her twin is still alive.
"How is this possible?"
"I told you. As you as you live, I will never die."
"So be it."
The second battle began as the police cruisers arrived.
"Ladies, stop the fighting and put your hands up now!"
The twin shot a fireball at the police officer, killing him and destroy the police cruiser. Tanya took the initiative and charged toward her twin, plunging them both into the underground subway system from MK3. The trains were passing by as they fought. It took Tanya everything she had to inflict as much punishment as she could. The love she shared with Chris, the many nights she had with him, the adventures she embarked with him and Jade, it all seemed to have strengthened her resolve. Add to the fact of her corruption by Shinnok, the terrible crimes she had committed against Edenia, and now she is facing a figure of what she used to be. Since the twin's arrival, Tanya was cleansed. They each used their Kobujustus against each other throughout the rest of the battle, but Tanya finally hit her with a diving kick. She jumped and did a front flip kick, smashing the back of the twin's head. She somersaulted with her hands on the twin's head and bent it backwards, breaking the collarbone, and finally, she leapt on her shoulders in a electric chair position, performs a reverse hurricanrana, breaking the twin's neck. The twin slowly recovered. It was time to finish her. Tanya sees an oncoming train approaching her. The twin tried to strike one more time, but Tanya stopped the attack and landed a series of punches and kicks.
"It's over, imposter!"
The train was inching closer. On cue, Tanya launches her fireball at her twin, sending her into the tracks. She got up, only to be hit by the fast-moving train. Tanya was breathing hard. She dropped to one knee. She did it. She defeated her twin.
"It's over. I need to return to the island."