Raiden made his way to the Netherrealm but there was no sign of Quan Chi anywhere.

Raiden: Quan Chi! Quan Chi!

There was a flame that appeared, before Raiden. But it wasn't Quan Chi...it was Scorpion.

Raiden: It disappoints me to see you here.

Scorpion: Save your pity.

Raiden: I will have an audience with Quan Chi.

Scorpion: You may address me. I will inform him.

Raiden: Is this why you chose not to save your family and clan? To maintain your place at his feet?

Scorpion: Do not talk of my family, Raiden.

Raiden: Fetch your master, scorpion. I must speak with him!

Scorpion: You speak only with me!

Raiden and Scorpion began to fight. Raiden wasn't in a good mood and wasn't taking it easy on Scorpion. He used all the power he had to eliminate Scorpion and weaken him.

Raiden: Now, Scorpion. Fetch your master.

Scorpion chose to listen and Quan Chi appeared, before Raiden.

Quan Chi: You seek an audience.

Raiden: I seek cooperation. Between Earthrealm and the Netherrealm.

Quan Chi: Losing the battle, are you?

Raiden: We will prevail. But with the Neatherrealm fighting at our side...

Quan Chi: You lie poorly, Raiden. Earthrealm's defenses are overwhelmed. You have mere hours.

Raiden: Name your terms.

Quan Chi: What do you offer?

Raiden: I offer...I offer the souls of Earthrealm warriors who die in this conflict.

Quan Chi was amused, as he laughed, like it was a joke.

Raiden: They would agree.

Quan Chi: You are cavalier with other men's souls.

Raiden: Not just others! I offer my own soul as well. If I die, you may have it.

Quan Chi: How noble, Raiden...yet utterly pointless.

With the flick of Quan Chi's wrist, the souls he harvested appeared before Raiden. All the warriors who died against Shao Kahn and Outworld were there...Zack, Cyber Sub-Zero, Jacky Bryant, Sarah Bryant, Bass Armstrong, Sindel, Jann Lee and others were there.

Raiden: No.

Quan Chi: You see, their souls are already mine. Shao Kahn's payment for Netherrealm's allegiance.

Raiden: No. This was not meant to be.

Quan Chi: Earthrealm has lost, Raiden. Now so shall you. Finish him.

Bass: As you command, my master.

Raiden was forced to fight against Bass, Jann Lee and Jacky. It was painful to fight against his friend but he needed to defend himself. It was a difficult fight, with Netherrealm magic corrupting them.

Raiden: May the Elder Gods watch over you.

Quan Chi: The Elder Gods cannot help them. Their souls are mine. Sarah, Sindel, Zack.

Sarah: You sealed our fate in this place, Thunder God. You have condemned us all!

The second match began with Raiden, against Sarah Bryant, Sindel and Zack. Like the other, they were corrupted by the Netherrealm magic and blamed there death on Raiden. They planned to punish him but they failed.

Raiden: Curse you, Quan Chi.

Quan Chi: Shao Kahn's victory is nearly complete. Soon he will arrive in Earthrealm.

Raiden: No. The Elder Gods cannot allow it.

Quan Chi: The Elder Gods are toothless. Your world is near destruction, yet they do not act.

Raiden: They must. Only through Mortal Kombat may Shao Kahn merge the realms. Lest he face the judgement of the Elder. Gods...lest he face judgement of the Elder Gods! He must win!

Quan Chi: It is you who face judgement, Raiden.

Raiden: Thank you, Quan Chi. I now know what must be done.

And with that, Raiden disappeared and returned to Earthrealm 1. As he got there, there was a portal to Outworld. But Raiden wasn't the only one who arrived...Liu Kang was there, along with Hayate, Ayane and Kasumi.

Liu Kang: Back from the Netherrealm empty-handed, I see.

Raiden: Liu Kang! I now realize what we must do. We must allow Shao Kahn to merge the realms!

Liu Kang: That is insane.

Ayane: Have you lost your mind, Raiden?

Raiden: The Elder Gods forbid it without victory in Mortal Kombat. When he does, the Elder Gods' fury will fall upon him. Defeating Shao Kahn before the merge is but temporary. He will return, bringing Armageddon. I have foreseen it.

Kasumi: Raiden, this is...

Liu Kang: Madness!

The portal began to act bizarre, as Shao Kahn's hand, began to appear from the portal.

Liu Kang: He is here.

Liu Kang began to walk to the portal to face Shao Kahn but was stopped by Hayate.

Hayate: Liu Kang, no! If what Raiden said is true,then this has to happen. It's the only way to save your realm.

Raiden: Have faith in the Elder Gods. Have faith in me.

Liu Kang: ...

Ayane: Liu...

Raiden: Liu Kang, I cannot allow you to face Shao Kahn.

Liu Kang: Then you are my enemy.

Hayate: Stop this now

Hayate stepped in to fight against Liu Kang, hoping to bring him to his senses. While everyone else was in Earthrealm 2. Still recovering from there wounds. Sonya and Johnny were talking to Cole, saying they would return to help Hayate and his sisters. Cole suggested they'd wait until there injuries healed but they insisted. Cole refused to fight with them and allowed them to go. Cole stayed behind, with Zeke,hoping that he'd survive his injuries, while the others were doing so as well. Back with Hayate and Liu Kang, Hayate defeated Liu but he wasn't ready to call it quits.

Hayate: I'm sorry I had to do that...

Shao Kahn was nearly close to entering the realms,,as his arms were finally through. Liu Kang rushed to Shao Kahn but was stopped by Raiden. Sonya and Johnny dashed to them, hoping to stop them from fighting.

Johnny: Liu Kang! Raiden! No!

Liu Kang: Enough of your madness! If you must die, so be it!

With his hand, engulfed in fire, Liu Kang rushed to Raiden but Raiden was ready to defend himself with electricity. Hayate couldn't allow this to go on so he pushed Liu Kang out of the way and was instead electrocuted by Raiden's attack.

Raiden: By the gods, no!

Ayane & Kasumi: HAYATE!

Everyone was in shock at Hayate, surrounded by electricity...even Liu Kang. They ran to his side, as Raiden held hate, in his arms. Liu Kang felt bad...as Ayane took her anger out in him.

Ayane: What have you done?!

Liu Kang: I...I didn't mean...it was an accident...

Ayane: You killed him...you KILLED him!

Kasumi: Ayane, stop!

Raiden: No. This was not meant to happen.

Johnny: What did you do?!

Raiden: Hayate...forgive me...

Hayate: No...for...give me...Raiden. You need him. He...is...Earthrealm's...champion. Protect him...protect...Earthrealm...

Ayane: Brother...

Hayate: Ayane...Kas...umi...I am...sorry.

And with that, Hayate died, in Raiden's arms. There was no time to feel sad, as Shao Kahn arrived in Earthrealm. Not even Johnny, Sonya, Ayane and Kasumi could stop him, as they were easily defeated.

Shao Kahn: Ah, Raiden. You have come to your senses.

Raiden: Earthrealm's citizens suffer. Further resistance serves no purpose.

Shao Kahn: All these ages you have fought me. You denied me my rightful claim. Not this time.

Shao Kahn attacked Raiden, beating him and bruising him. All that happened in Raiden's future visions were becoming a reality. He didn't have the strength to fight. It was near the end, as Raiden could no longer fight.

Shao Kahn: Ages wasted in foolish resistance. I have won.

Raiden: Yes...you have won.

Not exactly...as Shao Kahn was about to finish Raiden, the skies glowed and thunder struck the ground. Golden dragons came from the skies and surrounded Raiden, giving him strength...it was the Elder Gods.

Raiden/Elder Gods: You violate our will, Shao Kahn. You merge realms without victory in Mortal Kombat. Our penalty is clear.

Shao Kahn: An anemic effort from ineffectual deities. Today I become the Elder God!

With the assistance of the Elder Gods, Raiden was powerful enough to withstand Shao Kahn. He was no match for there combined power. The Elder Gods continued with there penalty and surrounded Shao Kahn, as his body began to crack with a golden glow. Shao Kahn was destroyed, as a beam of light shot into the sky and both Shao Kahn and the Elder Gods were gone. Raiden removed his amulet and noticed that it was finally healed. The future was finally saved.

Raiden: It is over. But only at the gravest of costs. So many are gone. Their light has sunk into the earth. I am responsible for their loss.

Sonya: You did what you had to. To protect Earthrealm. Losses in war...are...are inevitable.

Raiden: Come. Let us tend the fallen. Then we must help our realm rebuild. Our work has only just begun.

Ayane: We will take Hayate back to our realm. The others must know about his fate.

Kasumi and Ayane grabbed Hayate's body and returned it to Sakura. Back at DOATEC, the others were finally recovered, from there injuries. Raiden, Sonya and Johnny returned to inform them that Earthrealm 1 was finally saved...but at the biggest cost. They returned to Sakura and saw Hayate's body,moan the ground...another warrior was lost. They gave him a proper burial and was remembered as a noble Mugen Tenshi ninja. Most of Earthrealm 1's warriors returned to there realm...while Stryker, Kabal, Nightwolf and Jade chose to stay in Earthrealm 2. Liu Kang returned to the Wu Shi Academy and gave the metal back to Raiden...giving up his title of Earthrealm's champion. He vowed to never fight again...claiming that Hayate's death was his doing.

THE END!