A/N: We've reached the end of the tunnel. :) The end of the line however? No, we've quite a few more stops to make before we get there...
Rebirth
July 18th
Raiden's home, The Heavens
Kara dodged a punch and dived forward. She rolled around Raiden and kicked him in the shin. He grunted and turned the upper half of his body. Kara elbowed him in the head and back-flipped, using her feet and momentum to bring him down before she landed, perched beside him, fighting a smirk. She wondered what facial expression she should wear. Of course she respected the man, thus, she did not wish to be rude. Still, to have gotten him down fairly quickly was a surprise that made her want to grin, like the Cheshire Cat who also got the proverbial bowl of cream.
She got up from her crouch and offered a hand. A spark shot up from the Elder God's hand. Kara squeaked and jumped back. Raiden shot up and floated around to her side. He grabbed an arm and the sparks from his ran onto hers. Kara yanked back her arm and formed a fist. Raiden shook his head, grabbed the fist and span her, almost throwing her down onto the concrete. Instead, he shocked her, mildly, but it jolted through her body. A few moments later, he stopped and let the young woman go, much to her confusion.
"Good, but you must be aware of more than my physical abilities".
Kara shook free of the sparks, the hairs on her arms sticking up.
"Right", she smirked, "because I can dodge a wave of thunder".
Raiden nodded. "You can, yet, and you don't".
Kara blinked. "Well, yes, I can teleport, but it takes a lot out of me".
"Well, lets work on that".
"I will do", she paused, a twinge of sadness hitting her with what she was about to say, "back at the clan. Sub-Zero is well enough to return to his duties, and I really want to get back there".
Another, sudden wave of lightning flew at her. Kara had no choice but to pray to, well, him that she'd be able to teleport out of the way. She squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on a spot nearby with her mind, and braced her body for impact.
It never came. She opened her eyes and found herself in the spot she'd focused on. She grinned. She also didn't feel like she'd pass out, for a change.
"Well, damn". If strutting around like a peacock was her thing, she'd be doing that right now. She was far too impressed by the little feat of ability. She coughed. The space got awkward. She never did like awkward silences...
"So, yeah, I'll be leaving her soon. Get out of your hair". She oh so badly wanted to snicker. "I don't even know how you put up with me".
Don't bite the lure, don't bite the lure, don't bite the...
He bit the lure.
"May I remind you you were unconscious for most of that time...".
That could have gone down like a lead balloon. However, it sent Kara into fits of laughter.
She managed to eventually splutter out, "Checkmate".
"Do you think you are ready to leave?"
Kara's laughter subsided. She nodded, a little too eagerly. She practically bounced with glee.
"Yes, I am". She smiled, regaining confidence previously lost. "Come on then. I need to learn about elemental magic, right?"
Raiden raised a brow. "That, and your own abilities. I want you to stop mu attack".
Kara bristled. "Stop it? You do realise you are a God right? That's like David versus Goliath, and I sure as hell am not Goliath".
That reference did not get past him. He was well read after all.
"I am a large, imposing beast?"
Kara let out a giggle. "Well, not large per-say. Tall? Yes. Imposing? Nah. Need to try harder if you want to scare me".
A smirk graced her lips. Telekinetic energy wove it's way around her hands. Raiden smirked too as they got back into their fighting stances.
Sub-Zero was due to collect Kara in a week. That day coincided with her twenty-fifth birthday. She had already packed (not that she had much in the first place) and raring to go, finishing the food she had made for Raiden, as a thank you for taking care of her. She'd made carbonara. Extremely calorific. That, and alongside the madeira cake she baked, she figured she'd eaten far too much. But, it was a one off, and she was attempting to put some meat on her bones, so, to the Netherrealm with calories. She chuckled and cut another piece of cake.
Sub-Zero and Raiden be damned, they could berate her all they wanted for her choice of food...
Raiden was winding down from a long day of tending after Liu and Kung. Plates whizzing past him barely took his attention. His weary mind wanted rest.
He did spare a glance when tap turned on. Kara was eating cake, and using her other hand moving the plates over to the sink and washing them. It was a fairly small feat, but a wondrous one for her. Little crumbs dropped onto her lap. She moved the hand controlling the levitating plates without thinking, to sweep the errant cake into it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the plates hurtling towards the floor. She panicked, shot up and just about stopped the porcelain from hitting the floor. She put them down on the counter-top safely and smacked her forehead. She glanced over at Raiden, too mortified to look him in the eye.
"Sorry", she walked to the sink and washed the remaining plates by hand, the safer way.
Domestic goddess my ass...
She grabbed the hoover and plugged it in.
"So much for progress. Every time I try something, I fail".
Raiden sipped his chai and cardamom tea, an arched brow disagreeing with her.
"You didn't fail. You lost concentration, and then regained it. You must stop bringing yourself down, otherwise you'll never learn how to get past those preliminary hurdles".
Kara was confused, not uncommon. The man had a way of utterly baffling her, and she reckoned others too.
She snickered. "You have a knack for confusing me, you know that? I feel like I need a dictionary AND a thesaurus around you. That, or go back to school...".
She petered off when she saw his face. It was expressionless, but she knew he didn't need to do anything. He was thinking it, not showing it. This made her blood boil just a tad, though she found it funny too.
What did I say about confusing me again?
It went quiet as she hoovered up with precision and speed. Farren sauntered past and jumped on the table. Kara shooed her off, having cleaned it earlier. She turned off and put away the vacuum, and pointed at the fat cat.
"You aren't making this any easier missy".
Farren looked to be amused with her interruption skills, merely using her flawless green eyes to charm Kara into not following through with her 'telling off'. Kara relented.
"Honestly", she sighed, grabbing a pack of treats and opening them. Farren perked up immediately and began purring softly. Kara sat back down and let the cat crawl onto her knee. She held a few small pillow treats in her hand and told the cat to 'sit'. This in turn made Raiden feel a little more awake. He looked at his cat, curious at the command Kara had given.
She sat. Farren sat down. Kara beamed. She fed Farren and looked over at the Elder God and waved her free arm.
"What? What did you think I did whilst I was here, other than clean and cook?" She tittered. "She can now sit, stay, roll over, well, fall over, being fat and all".
A little chuckle from the man had the young woman raise an amused brow.
"Did you just laugh?" In a sing-song voice, she added, "So, you do have a soul after all".
In response, she got a head full of glittering white hair shaking at her, and amused, crackling white eyes looking right at her...
Sub-Zero arrived at the crack of dawn to pick Kara up, to re-initiate her into the clan. A half asleep, bedhead Kara answering the door had him fighting laughter that bubbled up his throat. She yawned and rubbed the back of her head, too tired to care that she was wearing a grey tank top and light pink shorts, in front of her Grand-Master...
"You just love dawn, don't you, Grand-Master?"
Sub nodded. "An early start can make one amass a new perspective on life".
Kara groaned. "Nope, it just reiterates how damn early it is, and how the sun is hurting my eyes". At that, she shielded them. "I'm about to pass out again". She went to continue, but Sub waved a hand.
"Rest. I'll wait".
Kara let him in and shut the door, shivering slightly.
"What. You'll just sit there?"
He nodded.
"On your own?"
He nodded again. "I am used to that Kara. Years of meditation".
Kara felt too exhausted to argue anymore. She ambled up the stairs, bumping into Raiden. She looked up, and without thinking, she placed a hand on his shoulder and turned sideways, to move past him. Still tired himself, the move gave him the mind to look down at the much shorter woman. She wasn't looking at him, she was close to getting past him. As she passed she tripped over a foot. She quickly scrambled up the rest of the stairs.
If her face got any redder, she may just die of embarrassment...
Kara jogged down the stairs a few hours later, more appropriately dressed this time. In her old clan robes. They were a little baggier than they used to be, but that was a given considering the weight she had lost during her recovery. At first, this stressed her, that built quickly into anger. It flared but she refused to let it rage inside her. She took a long shower to calm her mind and body.
It was the rumbling of her stomach that pulled her from her relaxed state. She patted her stomach and snorted, leaving her room afterward. The homemade granola in the kitchen was calling her name...
Kara grabbed a bowl and some yogurt from the fridge. The container of oats, walnuts, hazelnuts, raisins and apricots was emptied in the bowl, yogurt put on top, and a squeeze of honey completed her breakfast.
Sub-Zero barely hid a smirk behind his coffee.
"Trying to eat healthily around me I see...".
Kara stuck her tongue out, whist she was still eating. The two men looked at each other and frowned.
"Not really", she swallowed, "I ate like a pig last week. Trying to find the right balance between healthy and unhealthy again".
It was then that her master saw just how slim she had gotten. He could easily pick her up and throw her in the past, but, now? It looked like he could use one hand, without having to use much effort. His frown deepened. He too had lost weight and muscle mass during his time in the Jinsei chamber. It would take time to regain that, and for Kara to as well. Kara picked up on the shift in the room, a little tension eased it's way in.
"Looking forward to getting back at it, nose to the grindstone".
Sub breathed in the delicious coffee fumes and sipped the hot beverage cautiously. It's heat melted the ice around his fingers and wrist. Water droplets fell onto his lap.
"You like hot drinks. They really don't like you though, do they?"
Kara finished her breakfast and placed the bowl in the sink. She turned, grabbing the pack that contained her belongings. Sub proceeded carefully, trying to tiptoe around a potentially volatile reaction from the girl.
"Are you sure you wish to return to the clan? After what happened?"
Kara's face fell, and, for a split second, she looked like she'd cry. Her bottom lip trembled, she tightened her jaw in response to her body's visceral reaction. Raiden remained silent, but kept a watchful eye on her. This was something else she'd have to face, another problem to add to her troubled existence.
And all while she was just about over the threshold of emotional distress...
She coughed. "What happened was in the past. No one there or here is responsible for that. It belongs in my past, not the here and now, or my future. I may stumble here and there, but, I'll get back up again", she perked up, "I promise".
Sub smiled and bowed his head in respect. He was proud of her will, her fight to get back to her prime. He couldn't begin to imagine the hell she had endured over the past year. This year she, he and the clan would start anew.
A new dawn, a new day, a new beginning.
Kara slung her bag over her shoulder, before her master walked over to her, whispered, telling her he'd join her outside in a few moments. Kara nodded, bowed to him and Raiden, gave the latter a small smile and left the house.
Once she was out of sight, Sub turned back to the thunder God and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I should have seen it. Smoke could be abrasive, highly strung, and yet, I did not see how tight that strung rope had been pulled. His behavior is, was abhorrent. You should not have had to deal with that, Lord Raiden. For having to and seeing Kara the way she was", he stopped, the lump in his throat bobbing, refusing to be swallowed, "the way you had to see her".
The Elder God nodded solemnly, a flash of Kara's bloody nose plagued his vision. He hadn't had a vision of the past in some time. Past events usually did not cause these optics. The crimson dripped onto the floor, the woman's face was ashen, drawn. She collapsed before he could get to her. He carefully maneuvered his way around broken furniture and gingerly picked her up. At some point, he'd have to explain that he'd killed Smoke, accidentally murdered him. He hadn't lost control per-say, but had used too much force. Protecting Earthrealm and it's kombatants was his duty, what he stood for.
To murder one was not. But, if he hadn't, Kara may well have been the one slaughtered that night.
He wouldn't and couldn't justify his actions that evening, but, he had saved a life. More than one could have been lost, had he not intervened.
The leader of the Lin Kuei raised a brow, tapping his foot on the carpet, the sound inaudible. Raiden shook himself free of the images and looked to the doorway.
"You could not see what didn't want to be seen. Smoke wouldn't have treated Kara the way he did had you been there. You were doing your duties elsewhere".
The younger man looked worried. "Why were you at the temple?" He tilted his head.
"I was looking for you, for your clan's help. The ninth tournament was beginning soon, and I knew you and your men would wish to be involved. When I arrived, the grounds were empty. I heard a commotion, and then screaming".
Sub shivered, not noticing the older doing the same. "I should have been there". Blue eyes darkened, and he growled, clenching a fist. "When I took on the post of Grand-Master, one of the vows was looking out for my fellows. And yet, the events with Kara and Smoke, Sektor and Cyrax going missing were missed".
His knuckles turned red, the layer of ice thinning around them, melting much faster now. Little droplets covered his lap, drenching his robes.
"You can't always see what's around the corner. My visions have been proven wrong many times. I can't always pinpoint what is real from what isn't. That is part of what human nature".
Sub picked up his mug and drained the rest of the now cold coffee, grimacing as he did. "Surely a God wouldn't have that problem?"
Raiden thought on that. Once he'd come up with an answer, he wasn't sure if the man before him would like it.
"A God may not be mortal, but that does not mean that we are infallible, however much people would like to believe we are. I've made mistakes, countless over the years. I admit them freely, I realise this may garner disillusionment in the people, however, I would rather be an honest, humble man, than a flippant, vain God".
The leader of the Lin Kuei didn't have an answer to that, so he remained quiet. That answer rang true, he knew it.
He just wasn't sure if others would accept that...
Sub-Zero walked outside, and saw Kara, fidgeting with the straps of her bag. The weather was warming quickly, it had her fussing, tugging at the collar of her blouse. She hated Summer, much preferring the cooler Autumnal breeze to sweating profusely after five minutes of being outside. The man's cryromancer abilities also did not appreciate the heat. He left puddles wherever he walked. The liquid added to the sweat that glazed his skin, also from the intense heat.
The young woman looked at him expectantly, wanting to leave via the portal sooner rather than later. Sub walked past her, patting her shoulder and nodding as he did so.
He walked through the portal, leaving Kara and Raiden, who had joined them a moment ago alone.
Kara walked up to the Elder God and gave a slightly off curtsy. He raised both brows. She gave a cheeky grin.
"What? I'm trying. The whole 'respectful' act really doesn't wash well with me. Not that I don't respect you, I just don't feel the need to bow every time you do or say anything, you know?"
The man never asked anyone to bow around him, they just did automatically, given his status. Funnily enough, they didn't around Fujin...
He internally chuckled at that. Kara tilted her head, waving a hand.
Well, this is awkward. Why do I make things awkward? It's like I'm trying to make things...awkward for myself...
She coughed. "I don't know how you coped with me, I'm not exactly 'Little Miss Innocent' or meek and quiet".
He smirked, despite himself. "You were unconscious for a great deal of the time Kara".
She burst out laughing, eyebrows close to touching her hairline.
"Hah! I did not expect that answer from you". She held up her hands in mock surrender. "You win". She managed to contain her giggling. "See? You'll always beat me, whether in battle or debate. You're always one step ahead of me".
Not for long though, I'm a fast learner...
She made sure he heard that. He looked amused, keeping that look as she shifted her bag to her other hand.
"Thanks, for everything. I really appreciate it. I'll come visit sometime".
She suddenly switched, from slight arrogance to withdrawn, shy. The change didn't go unnoticed by the God.
He shook his head slowly. "It was nothing. I was merely doing what I'd sworn to do. I wasn't about to let another warrior fall".
Kara put down the heavy pack.
"You didn't 'let them fall'. You couldn't know which vision would come true, if at all. You need to stop being so hard on yourself. You have enough on your plate", she folded her arms, posture strong, "don't add any more to it. Focus on Liu, Kung and yourself. You've got the weight of several realms on your shoulders, and you carry the heavy load of whats happened. Don't go breaking your back for us. It isn't just us that need you. The world does, and the world's a big place".
The Elder God was a little taken aback by that answer. The passion in it, the strong inflections of unity, self-belief. It sounded like something Sub-Zero would say, or her Father. Not her...
The elder acknowledged this, with a swift curt nod. Kara pouted, sighing.
"Eh, I'll take that. For now".
And with that, she picked him her bag, turned promptly on her heel and walked towards the portal.
Before she stepped through it however, she said something that stuck with him, resonated.
Breathe. Give yourself breathing space. I know you may not think you need it, being a God and all, but, even Gods need to step back, take the time to breathe.
Raiden went back into his home and shut the door. Kara was right. In all his existence, rarely had he thought of himself, what he needed in life. He focused squarely on the needs and wants of everyone else. The citizens of Earthrealm mattered to him, each and every one of them, even if they were cruel, bad people. here always would be a few bad grapes in the bunch, he'd seen this, he knew it well.
He picked the coffee mugs off the table and put them in the sink, glancing around the space. All of the household chores had been done in the house. Neatly folded, freshly ironed clothes, empty wash baskets and sparkling clean dishes greeted him when he walked back into his home. Kara had made the place immaculate, spick and span. He rarely returned home, but when he did, Kara was on top of everything. This was her way of thanking him. After a long, tiring day, she figured he wouldn't want to do the work.
And truth be told? He didn't. Who did?
It was then that it struck him how long she had been there. He'd grown used to coming back to an empty home, so, to come back to one, with the hearth roaring, a young woman sitting with a cup of tea and a book, and a cat on or near her lap was a change.
A welcome one?
His mind interjected.
Yes.
The truth of the matter, no matter how hard he tried to think not?
She became a pillar of strength for him to lean against, but he knew he should not need to lean...