A/N: Uh oh, dissonance among the ranks? Also, another big thank you for the love, it's amazing. :) *free chibi Raiden hugs for everyone!*

Breathe In...

Sweat poured from Raiden's body, as his vision took over him. It took over all his functions. He could not move, and his chest felt like a lead weight had been placed upon it. He wanted to thrash around, wake himself up, but he couldn't. Struggling for breath, he alerted an awake Kara, who couldn't sleep, giving up on it after an hour or so of trying.

She stayed outside his room, and craned her ear to hear, something, anything...

Sindel stood before the prone bodies of Kitana, Cyber Sub-Zero, Smoke, Stryker, Jade, and Jax. A badly injured Nightwolf stumbled toward her, in an attempt to stop the queen from stealing the soul of her daughter. He failed however, and couldn't stand any longer. He bellowed at Sonya, Jakal and Johnny to leave via the portal Sindel had created. They did so, moments before he was dealt the final, deadly blow, that took his life, and soul with it.

Kara had a gut feeling, she had to do something to help him. She opened the door, and delved into his mind. He would be angry with her if he knew what she was attempting, but, with all that he had done for her, Kara felt an obligation to return his care.

She gasped, as she saw a woman, with two toned hair prance around, laughing maniacally. Bodies littered the floor around her, blood seeped into crevices in the floor, staining it, the light fluid a stark contrast to the dark stone. Kara looked around, and saw a flash of green light, just up the stairs. She wanted to run up them, see what was happening, but she couldn't. She was stuck to the ground, rooted to the spot. This was a vision, not a reality. She could not move, because this was not real. It was a mere illusion. She shook her head, not wanting to see this anymore. The utter mayhem and carnage only fueled her want to scream.

Oh Raiden. And you constantly have to see this?

She ended the vision, and waited until the man had calmed, and his chest rose and fell softly. She made a wet compress and used it to wipe the sweat from his brow. Her face softened, and she sniffled. She wasn't the only one struggling, and yet, she'd considered ignoring Raiden, and going back to bed. How dare she even think that! After all he had done for her, the least she could do was check if he was okay. He obviously wasn't, but, he wasn't about to admit that he wasn't. She let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding, and saw the Elder God's eyebrows were still furrowed, as if deep in concentration. Panic began worming it's way through her veins.

Did he know she was in his room? Did he know she was interfering with his mind, right after she specifically stated she wouldn't?

If he did, he wasn't letting on...

As Kara stood, she mentally prepared herself.

If Raiden did know, he would pull her up on it in the morning, question her. And she would tell him. She was one for honesty, and certainly wouldn't lie to him...

Soft, bright rays of sunshine woke Kara, who blindly reached out for her phone. She managed to grab it, and pull it towards her.

8.17 am

She'd been sleeping on and off for three hours. No wonder she felt so tired. She heard voices downstairs, but her sleep addled brain couldn't work out who the voices belonged too.

It turned out to be her Father, Sub-Zero and Raiden chatting. In her exhausted state she tripped over her own feet as she went to stand. She swore under her breath, and sat back down on the bed. She was far too tired, but knew she needed to be awake and up. She had put back her first day of full on training enough. She needed to be pushed to her limits,. Lifting chairs and doing jogs every day wasn't cutting it. The slow paced fights bored her. Kara knew she could fight, she just needed to make the people around her aware of that, make them believe her. She felt her Father, Mother and Raiden were being a little patronizing, not that they meant to be, they were just looking out for her safety, her well-being.

Sleep deprived, she ran a hand through matted hair and cursed when fingers hit a knot. She tried to yank it out, and ended up pulling several hairs with it.

Raiden?

Kara sighed.

Sorry, Lord Raiden.

Raiden stood up. "Kara's awake".

Kara snorted.

I wouldn't call it 'awake'. More like zombified.

Her Father stood up next.

"She hasn't slept well, has she? If she had, she'd be down here, speaking to us, not using her telepathy".

He looked in the direction of the stairs.

"Stay in bed sweetheart. We can come back later".

Kara rubbed her face, and looked in the mirror. She brushed and smoothed down her untamed locks, before opening the bedroom door, and popping her head around the frame.

"Its fine. I'll come down. Give me a minute".

All three men shook their heads at her, when they saw her appearance. She looked like she'd been dragged through a bush backwards, and had visible lines under her eyes.

"It's fine sweetheart. Get some rest. We'll come back later on, get some dinner later, yeah?"

Kara felt relief flow through her. She looked terrible, felt terrible and yawned several times in the space of a few minutes.

"Okay. Sorry Grand-Master".

Sub-Zero waved a hand. "It's fine. We need you awake and alert. Take all the time you need".

Kara felt herself smile. "Thanks. See you later".

Her Father and Sub-Zero left the house, and Kara used the bathroom, before slumping back down, onto her bed, and quickly falling asleep.

Kara awoke at twelve, and although she felt the clutches of sleep grab at her, she wasn't nearly as exhausted as she was before.

"Good afternoon Lord Raiden".

Kara skipped down the stairs, with a grin on her face.

"Lovely day huh".

Raiden wasn't quite sure what had caused Kara's sudden change in mood. She had gone from depressed and miserable, to all smiles in a short amount of time. He smiled though, he was glad she was doing better.

"It is here. In Outworld not so much. It's been raining and chilly for a few days now. Its almost like a precursor".

Kara flinched. Luckily, the Elder God wasn't looking at her. She knew what he meant, but grew worried that the vision with Sindel may happen in mere days. It didn't give the man nor any of the Earthrealm warriors much time to prepare for that.

Prepare...

How could anyone prepare for that? Almost all of them will be slaughtered...

It seemed the man did not know that she had been snooping inside his mind. She sighed in relief.

"A precursor?" She walked around the counter top, and grabbed a mug from the drainer rack.

"Shao's...", she sucked in a sharp breath, grip on the cup tightening, "Shao's going to win, isn't he?"

Raiden sucked in a breath too.

"It's looking increasingly likely".

The young woman put the mug down and grabbed another.

"I need a strong coffee. You too?"

He didn't need to answer...

Sub-Zero and Jakal arrived around three in the afternoon. Kara made them some drinks, and the four sat down. The distant look in Sub-Zero's eyes and the large purple bruises on his body concerned Kara, and she noticed a few jagged cuts on her Father's arm. They were healing over, scabbing, but the skin around them was scarlet.

"The kontest is rough huh. I still want to help you know".

Her Father gave her a knowing smile.

"Of course you do Kara", he paused, "You know what I am about to say though"...

Kara huffed. "Yes. I am not strong enough. Trained almost twenty years for nothing then...".

Sub-Zero offered her a chance.

"Fight me. If you win, you join the fight, with no questions asked. Lose and you stay here, under Raiden's protection".

Kara grinned. The cryromancer's offer held much weight, and sparked a glimmer of hope in her mind.

"Yes!" She screeched that, and coughed awkwardly. "Yes, I mean. I accept your challenge".

Raiden wasn't as eager as her however. His face gave away that he wasn't too pleased with the challenge/

"Kara, I advise against this. Your abilities are nowhere near as powerful as they could be. I fear sending you into the fray now would be like sending a pup to fight off a pack of wolves".

Kara's grin faltered. Now she looked irked.

"Lord Raiden, with all due respect", she paused, contemplating how to say this, without coming across as an ungrateful imbecile...

She couldn't think of how not to sound that way at that moment however...

Urgh, fuck it.

"Can you please stop acting as if I am a child? I know compared to you, you're what, like hundreds of years old, at my age, I likely am considered a child, but still, I am not here, where it matters. I can fight, I know I can. If I get hurt, or killed?" She saw Jakal flinch, and shook her head at him apologetically. "Then it's my fault, and mine alone. You warned me, Dad warned me. I didn't listen. It isn't on anyone's backs if I do suffer, or perish".

The Elder God could see plea in her eyes, though he could not justify letting her go, to her death. He hadn't seen her die, per-say, but was worried that if she did win the challenge issued by her Grand-Master, he would have a vision, where he did see Kara come to harm. It was bad enough that he was losing track, and friendship with Liu and Kung. Could he lose track of her well-being too?

He had made a decision, and faced her, as she bravely stared him down. Time felt like it slowed down, so much so, Raiden could hear his heartbeat, and the soft exhales of air coming from an anticipating Kara.

"You're right. I have been condescending as of late. You are an adult, a capable one at that. You can make your own decisions, weave your own path. I apologise for my dissonance".

Kara's smile was back, her eyes lit up. She was overjoyed.

"Thank you!" She followed Sub-Zero outside, but stopped, before she entered the garden.

Trust me on this. If I lose, you get to to tell me 'I told you so', okay?

Raiden chuckled despite himself, and heard Kara giggling outside...

Jakal just stood there, a little confused, looking like a fish out of water, out of his depth. The man was worried about his daughter's safety, and so was the Elder God.

Kara lay on the cold cobblestone floor of the garden, sweating and panting. She wiped her forehead and cried out, as a sharp pain lanced it's way down her arm.

She'd lost. Her Master had effectively wiped the floor with her. He hadn't gone easy, she hadn't expected him too, but, the way he easily cast her aside? That stung inside.

Then again, he was the Master. He was the best fighter she had ever known, and although defeated, to be defeated by him was an honour.

She sat up, hearing her spine click, grimaced, and wiped the dust from her knees. Sub-Zero helped her up, and patted her back. He had a warm smile on his face. She knew it wasn't from gloating, but from how far she had come. How much she had learned from him. She had put up a courageous fight, but lacked focus in some key moments.

The pair walked back inside the house, and quickly appreciated it's warmth.

Kara sat down, and looked Raiden dead in the eye.

Say it, I know you want too...

Raiden merely shook his head, though, there was a glint in his eyes, the white had lightened a tad. Kara couldn't decipher what it meant, and that made her uncomfortable.

That, and the multitude of bruises she had on her legs and backside, from having her arse handed to her moments ago...

Oh the shame...

She buried her head in the crook of her arm, not wanting anyone to see her flustered, obviously in some degree of pain face.

Three days later

Kara was sat, with an ice pack on her lower leg, when an unannounced visitor knocked on the door.

It was her Father with Raiden. The two piled in, and shut the door. The young woman noticed the look on the perturbed faces, and wondered if she should inquire or not.

Damned curiosity bugged her, nibbling away at her brain. The reply to her question however? She'd wished she never asked in the first place, uttered the words.

"Whats wrong?"

Raiden stayed silent, somber, moving into the kitchen swiftly.

"Sub-Zero", Jakal swallowed, "He's"...

Kara's pupils widened.

"He's dead". Jakal paced, and shook his head, almost jerking it from moving it so fast. "Scorpion killed him. We told him the truth, begged him to reconsider. But no. He is almost completely free of Quan's influence, but he still believes the sorcerer's lies".

His daughter's face went ashen, and she felt lightheaded.

Jakal looked at the Elder God, and quizzed him.

"I'm next, aren't I?"

Raiden didn't wish to answer. Jakal grew angrier, more upset.

"Dammit, tell me the truth Raiden!"

Raiden shut his eyes, and sighed. He turned, and nodded to the other man.

"Yes you are. Shao will try to capture Tiama. You will stop him, and she escapes, before he kills you. You have no chance of getting away. I don't see your fate any other way".

Kara was going to puke, she desperately tried to keep what she had eaten down.

When she swallowed a heave, she panicked and started shaking.

"Dad...". She struggled for breath. "Not you...not you!"

Choking up, she found she couldn't breathe properly. Her knees buckled, and she hit the carpeted floor with a dull thud. Her form convulsed, and she instinctively curled up into the fetal position. Her Father knelt down, and tried to help her, but she waved an arm, and let out a breathy scream. She didn't want 'saving' right now. She simply wanted to be left alone, to fall into a deep depression, that would rip her apart from the inside out.

"I saw...you", Kara pointed at her Father, "Alive, but hurt".

Raiden's shot her a fierce glare, with darkened eyes, electricity darker in them than she had ever seen before.

"You know what happens? You peeked into my mind? My vision?"

His voice steadily got louder, his tone angrier and angrier with each second. He held his breath and chided her.

"There were many reasons I did not want you to see that".

Kara wriggled away as the man crouched down.

"I didn't want you witnessing the devastation, because the moment your Father set foot outside the portal, Shao saw him, and struck a killing blow".

She howled, coughing afterward.

"Fuck!"

Raiden shot back. Kara whined.

Let...just let me have that one, okay? I'll apologise some other time.

She froze in the fetal position on the floor.

Raiden? I can't breathe. Why can't I breathe?

Jakal moved over to her, and lay down beside her. He began cooing, like he did, when she was a child, and couldn't sleep.

The elder man wanted to help, he desperately did, but knew overcrowding her could exacerbate her distress.

He sat down, on the couch near her, and closed his eyes.

We'll find a way to stop this Kara. You're Father will not die. We will end this, somehow.

Kara just nodded shakily in reply. That was all she could muster...