A/N: Seems the Amakura family aren't the only ones whose thoughts are troubled. There's a storm brewing...

Veil Serenity

Jakal raced off, to find his wife, shortly after Kara had collapsed, leaving an uneasy Raiden watching over the girl, who was now lying on the couch, her back to him. She shook violently, choked sobs left her mouth. This wrenched at the Elder God's heart. Each sound yanked at its strings, making it ache. He had to kneel down, with his hand nest her back, in case she convulsed and fell from the sofa, thereby hitting her head on the carpet.

Tiama arrived soon after the incident, her gait frantic, tone distressed. She felt her heart break as she watched her daughter,, her fretful brows, sweat beading on her forehead, and bright red, flushed skin. She fidgeted, her mind unable to control what her body was doing. She writhed, in agony, turmoil.

The goddess couldn't bear to witness this, not again. How could her daughter fight if she constantly broke down? She was fragile, a dainty doll, not a kombatant. She would be killed if she attempted to fight. Tiama shivered with the thought.

"Gods, Kara...".

She placed her hands on her daughter's temples and placed her mind into a kind of 'stasis', to effectively end her struggle almost immediately. Kara stopped thrashing around, and no longer sobbed.

She held her head, her mouth formed a thin line.

"She can't handle this".

Jakal raised a brow. "None of us can. Kara just shows it, shows her strain to hold it all together. We can hide it. We have many years over her. Still, I", he paused, and felt himself choke up, "I can't believe he's gone, all of the clan are. I knew Scorpion was powerful, but, he fights like demon. A monster". He muttered after that, embittered. "I want to kill the bastard, see how he likes being obliterated".

His wife's eyes widened, and she gasped. "Jin Amakura! How can you say such a thing? It isn't his fault! You know full well that Quan has reigns on him. He cannot break free of those fully!"

Jakal rolled his eyes, scratching at his five o'clock stubble. "Tiama, I get that, I really do". He squinted, and she knew he didn't mean any of it. He didn't care for subtlety anymore. He wished to pummel the hell-spawn specter, grind his bones into dust. Surely if he suffered so greatly, he would appreciate someone ending that suffering?

His wife wasn't having any of it however. "Stop it. You spitting venom is unnecessary. Sub-Zero's death was a bitter pill to swallow, but, focus on our daughter right now. She is the one who needs us now".

Her husband was irritated, and huffed. "Was? It still damn is! He died mere hours ago. Don't act as if it were days, months even. Just because he meant nothing to you does not mean he didn't to me, you know that".

He looked at Raiden, who felt uncomfortable at best. He shifted a few times.

He sighed. "I apologise, we shouldn't be arguing here. Can we stay here tonight, look after Kara?"

Raiden nodded. "I must return to Outworld. Now that Sub-Zero is dead, the Emperor and sorcerers will be gloating no doubt. I must keep the peace if we are to have the smallest chance of winning".

Tiama gave the Elder God a small smile. "Thank you. We shouldn't fight Jin. It'll aggravate things, and I don't want to do that".

Jakal didn't reply until after Raiden left.

"No Tiama. We need to talk, it's a long overdue one".

His wife shivered again, and felt her eyes well up. This was going to be a long, hellish night, she just knew it...

Jakal decided to carry Kara to her room, and put her under the covers. He tucked her in, smiling as he fondly remembered doing so when she was a little girl, and kissed her forehead, before walking back downstairs.

"Dammit Tiama. We aren't arguing here, not now".

His wife sighed, frustrated beyond belief.

"We barely speak Jin, and when we do, it's arguing. I cannot say I understand how you and Kara feel right now. And you are right. Sub-Zero didn't matter to me as much as he did you. That does not mean that I don't care, or am unconcerned on the matter. His death is a great burden upon the fight, a heavy weight. More pressure on an already open wound".

The man did not look at her. He took a glass from the kitchen, and filled it halfway with his brandy. He put the stopper back in the bottle, and threw the slightly acidic liquor down his throat in one gulp. His wife grabbed the bottle, and clutched it to her chest.

"Oh no. You are not getting drunk".

Jakal tch'ed. "And why not?"

His wife rolled her eyes. "Because it won't solve anything. It won't make you forget, or feel any less pain".

"What if I don't want those things? What if I just want to get drunk, huh?"

Tiama moved further away from him, away from his slightly possessive, predatory eyes.

"What happened to you? Since when did you end up a drunken mess? You've never been weak-willed Jin. Why start now?"

The man put down the glass. He would smash it in his vice-like grip otherwise.

"Maybe I want a change. Is that allowed, or should I never have any thoughts of my own, just follow what you say?"

Tiama's eyes widened. She took a tumbler herself, and quickly poured and drank some brandy, grimacing as it slid down her throat.

"I don't know where any of this is coming from". She shook her head. "When did you start hating me huh?"

"I don't hate you Tiama. We barely speak anymore is all". The man waved his arms and walked in a circle. "Whenever I try to talk to you, you don't seem interested".

His wife scoffed. "Since when?"

Jakal scoffed back, and waved a hand in her direction.

"What do you even do all day? The temple in the Heavens can't keep you busy all the time".

Tiama smacked her forehead. "I've told you what I do a thousand times, Jin. You are just too dense to understand it I guess". She walked up to him. "I heal people in Outworld, Edenia and Earthrealm. I help them get back on their feet. If you haven't noticed, the realms are doing so well right now. Inter-realm communications are at an all time low and peacekeeping efforts are failing. Shao doesn't care about his people, neither does Prince Goro. Who helps the citizens hmm? When they fall down, as there's no crutch to support them, who helps them? I do. So does Fujin, and Raiden when he gets the chance. I split my time between realms Jin. That is what I do".

She continued, no longer caring for her husband's foul mood. "I may ask the same of you Jin. What do you do every day?"

Jakal tilted his head, a little confused. "You know what I do".

Tiama growled. "I thought you knew what I did, but, no, I was proven wrong. So, care to prove me wrong about what you actually do?"

Her husband heard her tone match his annoyed pitch. Both were angering rapidly.

"I train Lin Kuei acolytes. I help induct them. I also watch over the clan, when Sub-Zero is", he paused, sadness creeping into his voice, but he grunted to try and mask it, "Was away".

"That's what I thought. Why in the Netherrealm are we arguing in the first place?"

Jakal frowned, his brow creasing. "Honestly? I've no idea".

It was then it hit them. Their marriage was falling apart, due to their lack of communication. Not through deliberate fault of their own, but through having busy, separate lives.

It was Jakal's voice that pierced the silence of the space.

"We aren't doing so well, are we?" He reached for the bottle on the table again, but his wife was faster. She levitated it out of the way, out of his reach.

"Stop this! Fight the depression, the fear. Do it without alcohol please, for my sake".

Her pleading didn't do much. She read his mind, invading it against his will.

Fuck...stop it. I don't want to fight anymore. I can't. I'm losing grip...

Tiama smirked and scoffed. "That's what I thought. The fight's gone out of you. The, our spark is dimming Jin, and I hate that!"

His eyes widened. "You read my mind?! Oh come on! You could have asked. Why feel the need to sneak around in there?"

She grabbed the collar of his robe and yanked him, until he was near the couch.

Jakal's eyes widened when he realised what she wanted.

"What, here? With our daughter in the house? Have you gone mad?"

His wife smiled woefully. "Perhaps I have". She braced her hands on the kitchen worktop, and shook her head. "I just miss you. I miss us. I knew things would change, and I accepted that, for a long time. But, now?" She sighed again, biting back tears. "I need reassurance that you are okay, that we are okay".

Jakal wasn't so sure. His brain and body alternated between going along with this, and relieving some tension, which he needed too, badly, and wondering if his wife had lost the plot.

"Well certainly not in Raiden's room, wouldn't live that one down. And definitely not in our daughter's room. The couch? That wouldn't...", he tilted his head, "Would that work? I'm not so sure"...

Tiama answered him by sitting on said couch, and undoing the belt and buttons of her robe. Her husband went red, and groaned. His robes suddenly became unbearable to wear, his skin felt hot.

"Gods, that sight still makes me blush like an idiot".

Tiama smiled, a warm, genuine one.

"Even after over twenty years, you're still my blushing idiot".

Jakal scratched his beard and nodded."That I am".

The couple laughed, no longer feeling a thick fog of tension in the room.

And then Jakal kissed her, pouring all of his emotion and love into it. He felt tears spring from his eyes, and drip onto their cheeks, but neither cared. In that moment, all that mattered was them...

Kara was gently brought out of her stasis, gradually over a few hours the next morning. Her Mother was beside her, making sure she was in a stable condition. She felt a presence outside her door, and rubbed her eyes.

"Come in".

Raiden opened the door, seeing Kara sat up, elbows on her knees. She'd been crying again, her eyes were bloodshot, tear trails stained her cheek, and her lips were red and puffy, from being bitten, when she was trembling the night prior.

But other than that? She looked okay, worse for wear, but she was able to function now, without anyone fearing she'd collapse again.

She was a sorry sight, one for sore eyes but Raiden wasn't complaining. She managed a smile, which looked quite pretty with the sunlight streaming through the blinds behind her head, framing it, almost in a halo.

He raised a brow, and hummed, thinking of something to say, as the moment was growing awkward rather fast.

"How is she?"

Tiama looked at her daughter, then the Elder God and smiled.

"Much better. May not look it, but her mental burden is a much lighter one". Her smile grew. "She's our little fighter".

Kara blushed and looked at her feet.

"Mom stop. I'm okay thanks, Lord Raiden".

The man smiled. "That's good to hear. Jakal is leaving soon".

Tiama stood up, nodding. "I am going with him. Earthrealm needs fighters at peak condition. I can help with that".

A subtle but noticeable click was heard, and Raiden felt his heart stop. The amulet hadn't cracked in almost a month, and yet, when Tiama said she wanted to join the efforts against Shao Kahn, it cracked.

His heart began thudding against his chest painfully. One question floated around in his mind. He couldn't get a hold of it.

Is Tiama going to die too?

Raiden wanted to tell her no, that she shouldn't go. He knew he shouldn't however. Tiama was a grown woman, a goddess, she could make decisions for herself. She didn't need him treating her as if she were dim, and needed his input.

Kara's mind was open, Tiama's wasn't, so the younger woman could hear, as well as see the Elder God's troubled thoughts and expression. She raised a brow, but did not say anything. As too knew her Mother was allowed to make her own choices in life. If she wished to jump into the fray, she could.

"Lord Raiden?"

Tiama's small, soft voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Is that okay, that I go with you and my husband?"

Raiden nodded. "Kara will be on her own".

Kara looked at him, and shrugged.

"That's okay. I'm a big girl. I'll just go back to doing what I usually do, training, cleaning the house, washing the dishes and clothes. Oh", she giggled, "and feed Farren of course".

She stretched and sighed happily, as her limbs clicked. Her Mother gave her a hug, and left the room.

Kara waited until she knew her Mother was downstairs before she spoke.

"That crack...does that mean you'll see Mom die?"

Raiden grimaced and held his jaw.

"I cannot be sure. Visions shift, change, repeat themselves with little changes".

Kara felt herself well up.

"Dammit, not again". She huffed. "Why the hell am I so emotional? I never used to be with"...she stopped talking abruptly, and had a 'light-bulb' moment, "Smoke. I never cried around him, I kept it in". She chuckled bitterly. "I guess I need to let it all out". She sniffled and coughed. "It's all good, I'm fine".

Raiden wasn't falling for that old chestnut. She wasn't 'fine', that much was obvious...

He decided not to mention anything, but would keep an eye on her when he could.

He'd missed enough as it was, in the kontest too.

You'll fail her. Everyone will die. You will fail.

A voice of niggling, crippling doubt crept into the man's mind. It was his own voice, but it sounded gruffer, dark, ominous.

The Elder God turned promptly on his heel, and left the room and a baffled Kara behind in his wake. She jumped as a loud bolt of thunder boomed. She turned and saw the sky turn from a dazzling azure to indigo darkness.

She didn't need to think about it, she wasn't that dense. That was a sign that Raiden was crumbling. His tranquil mindset was being chipped away, everything that could tear holes in it was.

She buried her head between her knees and tried to calm her frantic heartbeat. Her lungs were aching with her efforts to breathe properly.

Could she stand to see him suffer without intervening? What could she do? Yes, she could heal, but the man would have to give his express permission for her to delve inside his mind, and start finding and gluing the pieces of his mind back together. Yes, she had been in there before, but she didn't anything. She couldn't influence a vision. But she could influence him.

Should she even? She couldn't think straight without feeling a headache looming, pulsing beneath her skull.

There was only so much damage one could take, before they lost themselves to chaos, their inner turmoil would engulf them whole, and cause them to do things they wouldn't ever do, when in sane mind.

Raiden always helped others, no matter the circumstance or danger, he would always come to the rescue, save people.

But, who saved him in the aftermath?...